Which is more exciting? The new Central Bank Center or Oscar Tshiebwe’s return?
City, state and University of Kentucky leaders celebrated the grand opening of the reinvented Central Bank Center on Thursday. Although striking in its new look, the convention center had competition when it came to inspiring congratulatory toasts.
More than one speaker noted another reason to raise a glass.
Congressman Andy Barr lauded “the persistence and determination” involved in the 10-plus year effort to transform Rupp Arena and the adjoining convention center into a landmark structure in downtown Lexington. During a pandemic the final two years, it was noted.
But then Barr added, “I don’t know what we’re more excited about celebrating: the Central Bank Center or the return of Oscar Tshiebwe.
“But we can all say we’re very, very excited.”
An earlier speaker made a similar point.
“Today is an exciting day, but it’s been a couple of exciting days for Lexington and the entire Commonwealth,” said Gov. Andy Beshear, who pointed out “it’s the first full day of Kentucky Colonel Oscar Tshiebwe.”
A week earlier at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, where Tshiebwe made the keynote address, Beshear announced that the UK player had been named a Kentucky Colonel.
Beshear said that after the prayer breakfast in Frankfort, he went immediately to a meeting on the second floor of the State Capitol. A surprise came later when he entered his office on the first floor.
“Oscar was in my office, and he was being governor while I was upstairs,” Beshear said with a smile. “(Tshiebwe was) so kind to my kids. It was an incredible experience with them. Such joy.”
Tshiebwe announced on Wednesday that he would play for Kentucky again next season. This came after he swept National Player of the Year awards and explored his NBA Draft profile. He is not projected as a first-round pick.
“I’m happy for him because these decisions are hard,” said UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart, who attended the Central Bank Center celebration. “There’s a lot of thoughts that go into it. A lot of people are talking to you. And to be able to sit through all that and get to a spot where you can find joy and find peace in those decisions is really important.”
When asked their reaction to Tshiebwe’s announcement, the leaders said their happiness extended beyond the expectation of the UK big man continuing to stuff his stat line with rebounds and points.
“He’s got an electric smile that embraces a lot of people,” Barnhart said. “He’s a wonderful basketball player, but he’s a better person.
Barr echoed that sentiment. “I was thrilled as a fan,” he said before adding, “as a fan not just of Kentucky basketball but a fan of that young man.”
Barr saluted Tshiebwe as “a good role model for young people and an inspiration as an immigrant to our country (and that) his family has been able to achieve the American dream.”
Sharpe to NBA?
Shaedon Sharpe has signed up for UK classes this summer and for the upcoming fall semester. But that doesn’t mean he has decided to withdraw from this year’s NBA Draft and play for Kentucky next season.
That’s how UK Coach John Calipari explained Sharpe’s still-to-be-made UK-or-NBA decision during an appearance Friday on an Louisville ESPN radio show with co-hosts Dan Issel and Mike Pratt.
“He may do this, but it is not done,” Calipari said of the jump to the NBA as a likely top-10 draft pick.
Calipari asked fans to temper any criticism of Sharpe, who only practiced this past season after joining the UK team in January. Self-interest played a part in the request.
“I don’t want this to affect any other Canadian kids (Kentucky might recruit in the future) …,” Calipari said. “Let’s not hurt recruiting.”
Injuries
In assessing this past season, John Calipari elaborated on earlier comments that injuries led to Kentucky’s faltering finish.
Of Sahvir Wheeler, he said, “He had a helluva year.” Then Wheeler hurt his neck running blindly into a screen. “He gained some weight” and didn’t play as well, Calipari said.
Calipari called Wheeler “the difference in this stuff” when healthy.
Plantar fasciitis hindered Kellan Grady. When injuries sidelined and/or hobbled TyTy Washington and Wheeler, Grady went through a stretch of playing 36 or more minutes in 10 straight games. This is when the plantar fasciitis “really kicked in,” Calipari said. “And he never really recovered from it.”
Barr on NIL
Congressman Andy Barr, who represents Kentucky’s 6th District, supports the need for national legislation to set rules for college players’ name, image and likeness deals.
“So there’s a level playing field,” he said. UK should operate under the same rules in recruiting players as schools in other states, he said.
“And we need the proper guardrails to make sure we take care of the bad actors so that some of the athletes, especially in the non-revenue sports, are not taken advantage of.”
Barr said he has been working with UK and the Southeastern Conference in seeking legislation that governs NIL deals for all colleges.
When asked if he was confident that such legislation will be adopted, Barr said, “I’m confident, but not in the near term. And the reason I’m not confident in the near term is I just don’t see the urgency in Congress right now.
“There’s a lot of interest. There’s a lot of members on both sides of the aisle that know it needs to happen. But I think there’s a sense we need more hearings. We need more due diligence. We need more input from our institutions that we represent to get it right.”
Cal advises
Eleanor Barr, whose father is Congressman Andy Barr, played guard on a team that won the Lexington parochial school championship for fifth- and sixth-graders. She is a fifth-grader.
“She’s not a scorer,” her father said. “She’s a defensive-minded player, and very aggressive.”
John Calipari invited father and daughter to a Kentucky practice last season.
“She met Oscar Tshiebwe and TyTy (Washington) and all the players,” her father said. “She just loved it.”
Eleanor sought Calipari’s advice on how to improve as a player.
“He said just dribble a ball 15 minutes a day,” her father said. “Just do something with the ball 15 minutes a day every day.”
‘Good news’
Dating back to when he was Lexington mayor, Jim Gray has called for the Central Bank Center to have more of an eye-catching presence.
“Jim identified and championed this Central Bank Center expansion project over many years,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. “There is no one more responsible for the incredible results we are celebrating today than Jim Gray.”
Gray, now the transportation secretary in the Beshear administration, summed up his approval of the new look by saying, “the good news is you don’t have to look for Rupp Arena anymore.”
Deadlines
The deadline for early entry into this year’s NBA Draft is at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night.
Other dates to keep in mind are May 17 (NBA Draft lottery order is determined), May 16-22 (NBA Combine workouts for invited prospective draft picks), June 1 (NCAA deadline for withdrawal from the draft), June 13 (NBA deadline for withdrawal from the draft) and June 23 (NBA Draft).
Happy birthday
To Ryan Harrow. He turned 31 on Friday. … To Fred Cowan. He turned 64 on Saturday. … To Bob McCowan. He turned 73 on Saturday. … To Ernie Grunfeld. The player who got top billing in Tennessee’s Ernie and Bernie Show turns 67 on Sunday. … To Dillon Pulliam. He turns 27 on Monday. … To Todd Bearup. He turns 55 on Monday. … To former UK assistant coach David Hobbs. He turns 73 on Monday. … To NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He turns 60 on Monday. … To Bob Tallent. He turns 76 on Tuesday. … To new LSU coach (and former Murray State coach) Matt McMahon. He turns 44 on Tuesday.
