‘Pretty special.’ Morehead State set to tip off season against Kentucky in a bubble.
The Morehead State University men’s basketball team will be among the first college programs to test out a “bubble” environment when it tips off the season, and the Eagles face a tall order in their opener.
Morehead will take on No. 10 Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the first game of the “Bluegrass Showcase” — a three-team event featuring rotating matchups that will play out over five days in a bubble similar to the one used by the NBA in order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Richmond rounds out the field, which was originally four teams before Detroit Mercy withdrew Monday night.
“We are excited to get the season kicked off in general, especially with all the things that have happened over the last eight months,” Morehead State Coach Preston Spradlin said. “The fact we get to stay in-state at Kentucky right up the road and be in a true bubble setting like they’ve created is really pretty special. Our guys follow the NBA closely, and now we are going to take some things from their games and their playoffs that worked safely and be a part of that similar setting.”
Kentucky has won all 10 matchups in the series, including a 75-59 victory in John Calipari’s debut as the Wildcats’ head coach in 2009.
“Kentucky has a great tradition, and they’ll have a lot of talented freshmen and transfers once again,” Spradlin said. “So, it will present a great challenge right away.”
Following their tilt with Kentucky, the Eagles will have a day off Thursday then face Richmond in Rupp Arena on Friday at 6 p.m. They were to close out the Bluegrass Showcase against Detroit Mercy on Sunday in Rupp but that game was canceled because of COVID-19 protocols involving Detroit Mercy.
Morehead State was picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches and sports information directors. The Eagles finished last season eighth in the 12-team conference with an overall record of 13-19 and a 7-11 mark in league play.
Morehead lost its top two scorers from last season in Jordan Walker (12.3 points per game) and Djimon Henson (10.4), but some promising weapons are poised to step up and lead the offense.
Sophomore Tyzhaun Claude was a key contributor last season as a freshman. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward was the Eagles’ third-leading scorer at 9.5 points per game and was the team’s most accurate shooter, hitting 60 percent from the field. He also led the Eagles in rebounding with 6.4 boards per game.
Ta’lon Cooper also showed serious promise as a freshman, averaging 7.0 points per game. The 6-foot-4 guard was the Eagles’ best perimeter threat, hitting 39 percent of his three-point shots.
“Last year’s team, we had three seniors on our roster and felt like we kind of underachieved, to be honest with you,” Spradlin, who’s entering his fourth season as the Eagles’ full-time head coach, said during OVC Media Day this month.
“The real positive last season, though, is we had two freshmen who really stepped up once we got into conference play with Tyzhaun Claude and Ta’lon Cooper ... It really gave us the opportunity to get a look at the future and how good those guys are going to be. The rate at which those two players really improved was impressive.”
Morehead also gets back 6-foot-6 senior forward James Baker, who averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
The Eagles added some promising newcomers this season, including 6-foot-10 forward Johni Broome — a three-star recruit who averaged 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game as a high school senior on his way to being named to the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches 4A All-State First Team.
The Eagles will also get a boost from a Kentucky native who had a standout prep career. Jaylen Sebree transferred to Morehead State from Florida Atlantic this offseason and received a waiver from the NCAA, making him eligible to play immediately.
Sebree, a 6-foot-7 forward from Hopkinsville, was a finalist for Kentucky Mr. Basketball as a senior at Christian County in 2016-17, when he averaged 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds.
“We are excited to welcome Jaylen back to his home state of Kentucky and into our family here,” Spradlin said when Sebree committed to the Eagles. “He brings great experience from playing high-level prep basketball and in Conference USA. We look for Jaylen to increase the depth, athleticism and versatility in our lineup.”
Bluegrass Showcase
Where: Rupp Arena
Morehead State vs. Kentucky: Wednesday, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Morehead State vs. Richmond: Friday, 6 p.m.
2020-21 Morehead State men’s basketball schedule
Home games in all capital letters. All times Eastern and p.m.
Nov. 25: At Kentucky, 6-x
Nov. 27: Richmond, 9-x
Nov. 29: Detroit Mercy (CANCELED)
Dec. 2: At Ohio State, 5
Dec. 7: At Eastern Kentucky, 7
Dec. 9: TRANSYLVANIA, 6
Dec. 10: TRANSYLVANIA, 6
Dec. 14: EASTERN KENTUCKY, 6
Dec. 18: SIU-EDWARDSVILLE, 6
Dec. 22: At Clemson, 2
Jan. 2: At Murray State, 5
Jan. 7: TENNESSEE TECH, 7
Jan. 9: JACKSONVILLE STATE, 4
Jan. 14: At Eastern Illinois, 8:30
Jan. 16: At SIU-Edwardsville, 6
Jan. 21: SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE, 7
Jan. 23: TENNESSEE MARTIN, 4
Jan. 28: At Jacksonville State, 8:30
Jan. 30: At Tennessee Tech, 9
Feb. 4: MURRAY STATE, 7
Feb. 6: AUSTIN PEAY, 4
Feb. 11: At Tennessee State, 9
Feb. 13: At Belmont, 5
Feb. 18: At Tennessee Martin, 9
Feb. 19: At Southeast Missouri State, 9
Feb. 25: TENNESSEE STATE, 7
Feb. 27: BELMONT, 4
x-Bluegrass Showcase at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
