Kentucky, Transylvania to honor a shared icon before Friday’s exhibition game

Kentucky and Transylvania will honor the late C.M. Newton in a pregame ceremony Friday night.

Of course, Newton played a role in both programs: as a player and later director of athletics at Kentucky, and as a coach at Transy. Newton died on June 4 of this year.

After playing for UK, Newton had three different stints as Transy coach between 1951 and 1968. He integrated the Transy program, then later did the same at Alabama. Newton’s move from Transy to Alabama in 1968 involved a reduction in salary.

UK Coach John Calipari said Newton and Joe B. Hall were the two figures who rode to UK’s rescue in times of turmoil: Newton as athletics director in the wake of NCAA punishment to Eddie Sutton’s program in the late 1980s and Hall for replacing the iconic Adolph Rupp as coach in 1972.

Newton and Hall “walked into tough situations where it’s hard to even come away with a ‘W,’” Calipari said. “They both did.”

Blocks

There were 11 blocked shots in UK’s Blue-White Game. Nick Richards led the way with five.

Calipari offered a critique.

“It’s not blocking your man’s shot,” he said. “It’s blocking somebody else’s shots.”

Another key? “Not leaving your feet,” he said. “Nick’s still doing that a little bit.”

Calipari said players left the floor prematurely in an effort to block shots as many as six times in the Blue-White Game. “We’re working on it every day,” he said.

Richards had the two most memorable blocks. Each came against a driving Ashton Hagans. After the first, he stood over Hagans as if to enforce a no-fly rule. After the second, Hagans looked to the referee for a foul call.

“The first one, it was a clean block,” Hagans said Thursday. “The second one (there was) a little fouling. A push in the back. He blocked that one, too. I give him his props.”

Vets vs. freshmen

Immanuel Quickley recalled competitions in which UK’s freshmen went against its older players.

The veterans got the best of it at first.

After “maybe a week or two, we started to get wins,” Quickley said.

Edge to UK

As if Kentucky did not have enough advantages, Transy did not begin practice until Oct. 15. NCAA Division III has kept that date as the official start to preseason practice, Coach Brian Lane said.

Of course, the August trip to the Bahamas allowed UK to get in extra practices.

‘Bat walk’

Barring inclement weather, the Transy team plans to continue the tradition of walking down North Broadway from campus to Rupp Arena before Friday’s game.

It’s called the “Bat Walk,” in recognition of a bat being introduced last season as a mascot. The program retains “Pioneers” as a nickname.

Sharp shooting

Transy guards Spencer McKinney and Gabe Schmitt proved they were more than capable three-point shooters at — of all places — Calipari’s Coaches Clinic last Sunday.

Because the clinic came on the same day as the Blue-White Game, UK players could not fully participate. McKinney and Schmitt substituted in a three-point shooting drill. Schmitt did not miss, which wowed on-lookers.

“I was over there with my hands on my head going, ‘He won’t get a shot off Friday,’” Lane said. “‘He just blew up the scouting report.’He was my secret weapon.”

‘Rude awakening’

Lane described Cooper Theobald and Michael Jefferson as “two of the best off-the-dribble guards that we’ve had.”

But Lane appreciates the challenge presented by UK defenders, especially Hagans and Quickley.

Of Theobald and Jefferson, Lane said, “They may be up for a rude awakening because of the defensive intensity Kentucky’s guards bring.”

Happy birthday

Lane turned 51 on Thursday. How did he plan to celebrate?

“Practice at Rupp from 6:00 to 7:30,” he said with a smile.

Etc.

▪ UK and Transy are tied at seven victories each in regular-season games. The teams haven’t played in a regular season since 1910-11.

▪ Richard Cross and Jimmy Dykes will call the game for the SEC Network.