Kentucky Wildcats Women's Basketball 2021-22: A Fan's Preview

An exciting season awaits the University of Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball team.

It potentially could be their best ever. And they've enjoyed some wonderful ones in the past. Giveaways like the tee shirt and the banner pictured below added to the atmosphere in past seasons. The free "T" shirts that were thrown in the stands for fans to catch after a UK women's team player hit a three-point shot were especially popular.

All-American Rhyne Howard, a candidate for national player of the year, leads an experienced team that in my (probably biased) opinion, has a reasonable chance at reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time in program history, and a good chance of reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Coach Kyra Elzy is in her second season as head coach after coach Matthew Mitchell’s abrupt departure before the start of last season for health reasons. An off-season accident led him to retire. Her year’s experience as a head coach, after serving as an assistant for years, will make her a more effective coach this season, as I see it.

Avoiding injuries and foul trouble are a key to success, especially avoiding such things for star player Howard.

Roster
Rhyne Howard, mentioned earlier, is the star of the team. But success comes from quality teamwork. And UK has other talented players.

Dre’una Edwards, a 6’2 red shirt junior forward performed impressively last year in the early part of the season after her redshirt year. I anticipate her performing all season closer to that level this year. She had been 2019 Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year before transferring to Kentucky.

Relaxed transfer rules allowed three transfers to play last year without sitting out a year. That year of playing while adapting to the Kentucky system will hopefully make 6’0” senior guard Jazmine Massengill from Tennessee, 5’9” junior guard Robyn Benton from Auburn, and 6’ 4” center Olivia Owens a redshirt junior from Maryland more effective this season. Owens sat out her second year at Maryland due to medical issues before transferring to Kentucky and playing last season for the Wildcats.

Blair Green, a 6’0” senior guard, and Treasure Hunt, a 6’1” sophomore guard whom I expect to be much improved over her rookie season, will provide the Cats plenty of depth at the guard position.

I expect UK to start at least three guards and often play four of them at the same time. I hope to see Kentucky return to its well-known pressure defense.

Nyah Leveretter, a 6’3” sophomore forward who rebounds well, Emma King a 5”10’” junior guard, Erin Toller a 5’7” sophomore guard, and Jada Walker a 5’7” freshman guard give the Cats more depth.

From last year’s team, the Cats will miss guard Chasity Patterson, frontline players Keke McKinney and Tayana Wyatt, and guard Kameron Roach. They were seniors last year and elected not to return to Kentucky this year despite NCAA COVID-19 protocol allowing seniors to return another year. McKinney and Patterson are the biggest losses. But improved play from Edwards, Owens, and Leveretter will help the frontline. And Kentucky is blessed with much depth at guard.

Kentucky’s strength this year as usual will be its guard play. Furthermore, despite the player departures, Kentucky should be a better team overall, thanks to several returnees with experience, especially All-American Rhyne Howard.

The 2021-22 team’s complete roster is listed on the University of Kentucky Athletics website.

Nonconference Schedule
Kentucky’s nonconference schedule includes some games that should be relatively easy, giving the Cats a chance to play the bench, have fun, and learn while gaining wins.

But it also includes an early, November 14th, road game at Indiana and a December 12th game at Louisville. Both those opponents are likely to be ranked in the top ten in the nation when Kentucky plays them. These two games will give a good feel for how UK is developing.

If the Wildcats finish the preconference schedule with only two losses, they can consider it a success.

Conference Schedule
The sixteen game conference schedule includes one matchup with each of the thirteen other conference teams and home-and-away games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Auburn.

The two games against South Carolina are almost certain to be losses. Connecticut may be the only team in the nation that can compete effectively with South Carolina this season. I’d rank the Gamecocks ahead even of UConn.

Kentucky could conceivably win all the rest of its conference games. But the road game at Tennessee will be tough. Arkansas on the road is almost always tough. And several other conference games can be too. The University of Kentucky athletics website is one of many that list the team’s complete schedule.

Predictions
I expect UK to win at least 20 games before the final whistle sounds in NCAA tournament play. But I foresee as many as seven regular season losses being reasonable.

I expect the Cats to fall to Indiana, Louisville, and possibly one other nonconference opponent.

In the SEC I expect Kentucky to lose to South Carolina at home, and to lose to South Carolina and perhaps two other teams on the road.

However, I also think it’s possible the Cats could reasonably go through the regular season with as few as three losses, only losing to Louisville and twice to South Carolina. This would mean upsetting a likely top-ten Indiana team. Even a win over Louisville doesn't seem too far-fetched.

On April 4th, 2021 ESPN provided a “Way-Too-Early Top 25” that had Kentucky #14. That #14 forecast seems fair, but I optimistically think an Elite Eight finish for the Cats is a realistic hope.

Tournament Time
If the Cats live up to my highest expectations, they will get a #2 seed in the SEC tournament. Then they will lose to South Carolina in the SEC tournament championship game.

Kentucky then receives a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament (though a #3 or #4 seed is perhaps more realistic). Kentucky will then in my optimistic forecast go on to upset someone in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats then fall to either Connecticut or South Carolina in the national semifinals.

I expect a fun, exciting season for Kentucky. UK's colors are blue and white, so I'll write "Go Big Blue," which is often said at UK games and is the message written on the reverse side of the banner pictured earlier. Below I picture the "Go Big Blue" side.

Closing Thoughts
Basketball is only a game. A weakness of mine (and of many other persons, especially perhaps in Kentucky) is devoting too much time and attention to following the sport.

Please remember to treat it as entertainment, a sideline to life, rather than the centerpiece. But have fun.

NOTE: This article was last updated September 20th, 2021.

Kentucky Wildcats Football 2021 Preseason Forecast From One Fan

I’ve been a University of Kentucky (UK) Wildcats football fan for decades, since at least 1973 when I was a teenager. I admit it’s one of my weaknesses.

Actually, I think football is too violent and should be abolished. Huge numbers of injuries occur, and the objective of tackling other players seems counterproductive to good sportsmanship. But I remain a fan. Please feel free to call me a hypocrite.

My Prognostication Qualifications (Or Lack Thereof)

Before making my 2021 preseason predictions for the UK Wildcats, I want to make it clear that I’ve never either coached or played a single game of football in my life. Nonetheless, despite this, over the years I’ve second-guessed decisions of referees and coaches many times.

Furthermore, I’ve frequently filled out preseason forecasts for the UK team’s season, typically for my own personal use. A few times my forecasts proved more accurate than those of media pundits from some major organizations; some other times my forecasts have proved embarrassingly inaccurate.

Overall Expectations for Kentucky This Season

Many expect Kentucky to be an improved team this season. I agree with such expectations. The Cats should do better than last season’s 5-6 record. And I hope for another bowl win--yes, the Cats received a bowl bid last year with a 4-6 record and won the bowl game.

This year I can visualize Kentucky finishing the regular season as poorly as 5-7 or as well as 11-1. I’m expecting 7-5.

Reasons for an improved record this year include the fact this year’s schedule includes four nonconference games that make the overall schedule less difficult than last year's all-SEC regular season schedule. The disappearance of SEC powerhouse foes Alabama and Auburn from the schedule helps. Incoming transfers and freshmen will help make Kentucky better too.

Without further ado, below I provide my amateur, poorly informed (how’s that for honesty?) predictions (guesses?) for how UK will perform this season:

Game By Game Predictions

September 4th, 2021, UK plays the University of Louisiana at Monroe at home, Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. My guess is that (1) the Cats' opening opponent is better than many realize, (2) UK will face opening game jitters, and (3) the game will be closer than expected. I do believe Kentucky depth pulls out the win by a comfortable margin in the fourth quarter though. Indeed, if the Cats lose this season opener, it may not bode well for the rest of the season. But I expect UK to be 1-0 at the end of the day.

September 11th, 2021, Kentucky enjoys another home game, this time against the University of Missouri. Missouri is a good team, but not one of the best in the SEC. UK will use its home field advantage to go 2-0.

September 18th, 2021, a three-game home stand ends with a win over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. An easy UK victory puts the Cats at 3-0.

September 25th, 2021, UK begins its toughest weeks of the campaign with a road trip to the University of South Carolina. UK can win this game and may even be favored by many (most?), but I don’t believe that Kentucky will prevail. South Carolina will be a bit better and the Cats fall to 3-1.

October 2nd, 2021, Kentucky is back home to face the University of Florida. This game is potentially winnable, but UK doesn’t beat Florida often. Florida is likely to be deservedly ranked high in the polls, and will defeat the Wildcats by a comfortable margin, as Kentucky falls to 3-2.

October 9th, 2021, Kentucky remains at home for the 5th time in its first 6 games, facing Louisiana State University (LSU). It’s another winnable game, but I expect a good LSU team to be a bit better than my beloved Kentucky team. UK slips to 3-3.

October 16th, 2021, Kentucky has its toughest game of the season on the road at the University of Georgia. It won’t be a blowout, at least I hope not, but it will be clear Georgia is the better team as UK falls to 3-4.

October 30th, 2021, Kentucky journeys on the road to face a surprisingly good Mississippi State team and falls to 3-5. Some pessimistic fans may wonder if Kentucky will win another game this season, but the best is yet to come. The Cats will finish strong as I see it.

November 6th, 2021, UK is back home against the University of Tennessee. Traditionally Tennessee has been a tough opponent for Kentucky. But in recent years Tennessee has not been a football powerhouse. This year the Cats will prevail with the win to go 4-5.

November 13th, 2021, Kentucky will play Vanderbilt in Nashville. The Commodores are not as bad as many people think, but they are not as good as the Wildcats eiher, as Kentucky wins to go 5-5.

November 20th, 2021, Kentucky is back home to face New Mexico State University and win convincingly to be up to 6-5.

November 27th, 2021, the Big Blue Machine goes on the road to take on a reasonably good University of Louisville team. I expect the Cats to play one of their best games of the season, win, and finish the regular season at 7-5.

Kentucky will receive a bowl bid, and a win can (will?) enable the Cats to finish the season at 8-5.

Caution About My Forecast

Forecasting football seasons isn’t easy. Surprises often occur.

I’ve been a UK fan since at least 1973, as mentioned earlier. UK’s most successful season during that time was 1977. The 1977 season began with high expectations. But in the second game that year the Cats went on the road to Baylor and suffered an embarrassing upset. Weaknesses on offense and turnovers by special teams led to a 21-6 loss; while the defense played well, a star defensive player who had been touted by media as a potential All-American, linebacker Jim Kovach, suffered a season ending injury. Media forecasts for the season dropped dramatically, as did my expectations.

However, that UK team did not lose another game. It won 9 in a row to finish 10-1, including an upset of then ranked #4 Penn State on the road. Another highlight of that great Kentucky season was whipping Georgia on the road 33-0. Alas, due to NCAA probation the Wildcats did not get a bowl bid.

My point is to expect surprises this season too. The uncertainties of COVID-19 and its Delta variant add extra unpredictability to this season.

Closing Thoughts

I still own a shirt I purchased as a freshman University of Kentucky student back in 1976 to wear to home UK football games on warm afternoons. It is pictured below.

Go Big Blue! But, fans, remember football is only a game. Whether Kentucky wins or loses matters little in the grand scheme of God’s immense universe.

NOTE: This article was last revised on July 23, 2021.

March Madness Is Coming: 2023 NCAA Tournament Time Is Almost Here

March Madness is coming. It’s perhaps the most exciting college sports time in the United States. I am referring to the NCAA Division I men’s and women's college basketball tournaments.

Selection Sunday, the day in March that the teams competing in the NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments are announced, is a sports highlight of the year for me. This year’s Selection Sunday is March 12^th, 2023 according to an NCAA webpage.[1] The webpage also lists the dates for all the games. According to the same webpage the men's pairings will be announced beginning at 6 p.m. on CBS, the women's beginning at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

I enjoy speculating about and learning which teams are selected, as well as where and whom they will play.  This year’s fields will contain 68 teams. Eight teams play in a first round to reduce the field to 64.

Men's NCAA Division I College Basketball Tournament

The men's tournament attracts much more attention than the women's. This year there is no clear favorite to win the championship.

However, Houston, UCLA, Alabama, Kansas, and Purdue are five of the favorites, as indicated in recent polls. The most recent men's college basketball Associated Press poll and Coaches' poll Top 25 rankings are listed on an ESPN webpage[2] and other sources.

I'm pleased to state that the University of Kentucky Wildcats seem to be coming on strong as the end of the season approaches. I optimistically hope the Cats can win the championship or at least make the Final Four.

Women’s NCAA Division I College Basketball Tournament

The women’s tournament doesn’t attract as much attention as the men’s.  The undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks are favored to repeat after winning the title last year.

Kentucky is not going to be in it this year. But UK does hold the distinction of being the last team to defeat NCAA tournament favorite South Carolina. UK upset them in last year's SEC tournament championship game before South Carolina went on to win the national championship. The Gamecocks remain unbeaten so far this season. 

Please forgive me for posting another Kentucky note. UK's star player last season, Rhyne Howard, was selected as the #1 pick in the WNBA drat and went on to win the Rookie of the Year award in the WNBA.

While men's basketball gets more attention than the women's game, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame claims home to the "world's largest basketball," which "measures 30-feet tall and weights 10 tons," according to a Women's Basketball Hall of Fame webpage.[3]  Below is a photo I took May 10, 2017 of that basketball.

     

NCAA Ranking System NET

The NCAA NET rankings are one of the factors that the NCAA uses in deciding how to select/place teams for the men's and women's tournaments. The current NET rankings for men's teams are listed on an NCAA webpage.[4] My favorite team, the University of Kentucky Wildcats, are currently ranked 20. 

The women's current NET rankings on listed on another NCAA webpage.[5] The University of Kentucky women's team is currently ranked #78, which is much worse than I'd hoped for before the season began. But given their 12-19 record, is better than I'd expected.

Links on the NCAA webpages above connect to articles that discuss how the NET rankings work.

 

2023 Men’s and Women's NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Brackets

You can print a PDF bracket for this year's men's tournament from an NCAA webpage[6] and a PDF bracket for the women's tournament from another NCAA webpage.[7]

Lexington, Kentucky’s Basketball Fans (#1 in the World?)

I live in Lexington, Kentucky, which may have a higher percentage of its residents who are college basketball fans than any other city in the world.  It is home to the University of Kentucky (UK) which has won more college basketball games than any other Division I college basketball team. The school also typically leads the nation in home attendance at its games in Rupp Arena, with over 20,000 persons frequently attending per game.

NCAA tournament time is an exciting time here in Lexington.  Persons speculate on how UK will do, who will win, and compete with one another to see who can fill out their NCAA bracket most accurately. Over the years I’ve enjoyed comparing my predictions with those of others as we fill out brackets and compare them.

Basketball’s Origin

As a Christian, I like to keep in mind that basketball has some Christian roots since basketball’s inventor (Dr. James Naismith) graduated from a theological college and served as a chaplain. In fact, he also earned a medical degree, in addition to inventing and coaching basketball and being a physical education instructor.

This and much more biographical information about Dr. Naismith and the origin of basketball is available on numerous websites, including the websites Springfield.edu[8], NaismithBasketballFoundation.com[9], KansasHeritage.org[10], and Kansas Historical Society[11]. You can even hear Dr. Naismith talk about the invention of the game in an “excerpt from a January 31, 1939, broadcast of the radio program ‘We the People[12].’ ”

NCAA Tournament History

The first NCAA men's division I college basketball tournament took place in 1939. The tournament has occurred annually each year since.

Another tournament, the NIT, began in 1938 one year before the NCAA tournament. In the NCAA tournament's early years, the NIT was more prestigious. 

The first NCAA tournament in 1939 only had eight teams. The size of the tournament has expanded several times over the years, culminating in its expansion to the current 68 team size beginning with the 2011 tournament.

From 1964-1975 UCLA under coach John Wooden won 10 NCAA titles over the 12 year period. That is a record that may never be broken. UCLA has a total of 11 NCAA titles counting its 1995 title under coach Jim Harrick. The University of Kentucky with 8 NCAA titles (under five different head coaches) ranks second in total titles behind UCLA.

Gambling on the NCAA Tournament

Many fans gamble on the tournament either by wagering on games or by paying to fill out tournament brackets for a gambling pool.  In some past years I’ve enjoyed placing some small bets with friends on the tournament or individual games.  But, I am basically opposed to gambling, and in recent years haven’t even placed any small friendly bets.  This year I won’t participate in any pools. And, since I didn’t win any of those friendly pools several years ago, please don’t expect any good predictions from me on the tournament.

Also, although my small friendly wagers years ago were only in fun—and my friends and I enjoyed them—I do know of cases where people got very upset over disputes about “small friendly bets.”  I do not advocate gambling with money, even in fun.  And, I especially think gambling on NCAA tournament pools may be starting to get out of hand.  I shudder at the possibility that someone may try to “fix” a game for gambling money.

You can find links to many articles about gambling scandals involving college basketball by searching the Internet. Due to a 2018 United States Supreme Court decision, sports betting has become legal in many more places in the United States, as I discussed in an article on the nowdefunct website CraftNewsReport[13] in 2019.

Please focus on the entertainment and don’t gamble any money you can’t afford to lose—better yet, don’t gamble any money.

More of My Personal Perspective and Closing Thoughts

I am not a big sports fan in general. I consider professional sports too professional.  I’ve never been a big fan of high school sports. And, other than college basketball and University of Kentucky football, college sports haven’t interested me a great deal.  But, Division I men’s (and women’s) college basketball still fascinates me, and in my home state of Kentucky is perhaps The Sport. Some claim basketball is almost a religion in Kentucky.

Personally, I am not as fanatic about college basketball as I used to be. But, I remain excited about the NCAA tournament, especially since the University of Kentucky is one of perhaps  a few dozen teams that may have the best chance to win the men's championship this year.

However, to put college basketball in perspective, I want to point out that obviously college academics are much more important than athletics.  It is sad in a sense that academics do not attract the publicity or fan support that athletics do.  Large numbers of alumni donate huge sums of money to schools specifically to attain quality season seats for college basketball (and college football).

For example, although the University of Kentucky has many fine features and programs, including its Patterson School of Diplomacy, its Pharmacy School, and a very nice library system, it is perhaps best known for its men’s basketball team.

And its basketball and football programs apparently generate enough revenue to pay for themselves, other sports programs at the university, and to help fund a few other things, as noted in the athletics department’s projections for the 2018-19 academic year stated in its 2018 annual report[14]  and apparently still true during the most recent fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2022, according to a UK webpage.[15] UK is apparently one of the few schools whose athletic department is self-sufficient, with a balanced budget.  

 .

Winning games keeps the fans who buy tickets and donate money happy and helps UK coach John Calipari keep his job.  But, all things in perspective.  Regarding the NCAA men's and women's tournaments, even though 67 of the 68 teams in each of this year’s tournaments will end their season with a loss, they are all winners if they play fair, have fun, and keep the proper perspective between athletics and academics.

This year there are a handful of teams picked as favorites among the men, but the University of Kentucky or any other one of the 68 teams has a chance. We will all have to wait and see. Even in the women's tournament, South Carolina is not an overwhelming favorite.

We college basketball fans need to keep all things in perspective -- even during “March Madness.”

Let’s make sure we make time for work, family, friends, doing good deeds, and for enjoying the upcoming spring weather.  And, remember that a university’s library is more important than its basketball team—although somehow it doesn’t seem to attract as much attention—especially for a few weeks in spring as March Madness makes its annual appearance! Enjoy!

ENDNOTES:

[1] “2023 Selection Sunday: Date, schedule, TV times for NCAA bracket reveals"; NCAA.com; March 6, 2023; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-06/2023-selection-sunday-date-schedule-tv-times

[2] "Men's College Basketball Rankings"; ESPN.com; 2022-23, Week 18 rankings; webpage accessed March 17, 2023; https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

[3] "Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: General Information"; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.wbhof.com/plan-your-experience/general-information/

 

[4] "Men's Basketball: NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings"; NCAA.com; Through games March 6, 2023; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings

[5] "Women's Basketball: NCAA Women's Basketball NET Rankings"; NCAA.com; Through games March 7, 2023; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-basketball-net-rankings

[6] "2023 NCAA printable bracket, schedule for March Madness"; NCAA.com; March 6, 2023; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/mml-official-bracket/2023-03-06/2023-ncaa-printable-bracket-schedule-march-madness

[7] "2023 NCAA women's basketball bracket, printable tournament .PDF"; NCAA.com; February 10, 2023; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2023-02-10/2023-ncaa-womens-basketball-bracket-printable-tournament-pdf

[8] “Where Basketball Was Invented: The History of Basketball”; Springfield College website; webpage accessed February 22, 2020; https://springfield.edu/where-basketball-was-invented-the-birthplace-of-basketball

[9] “Dr. James Naismith’s Life”; NaismithBasketballFoundation.com; webpage accessed February 22, 2020; https://naismithbasketballfoundation.com/james-naismith-life/

[10] “History of Basketball: Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball”; KansasHeritage,org (site author George Laughead); webpage accessed February 22, 2020; http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html

[11] “James Naismith”; Kansas Historical Society website; webpage accessed February 22, 2020; https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/james-naismith/12154

[12] “James Naismith’s Life and Legacy: Celebrating 150 Years: Radio Interview, 1939”; University of Kansas website; webpage accessed February 22, 2020; https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/show/naismith150/collections/radio-interview?platform=hootsuite

[13] James Edwin Gibson; “The Risky Business of Gambling”: CraftNewsReport.com; April 27, 2019; webpage accessed February 22, 2020; https://craftnewsreport.com/the-risks-of-gambling

[14] “2018 Athletics Annual Report”; University of Kentucky Athletics 2018 Annual Report; accessed via the webpage whose URL is listed below; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://storage.googleapis.com/ukathletics-com/2018/09/4c5cc484-2017_18_annual_report.pdf

[15] "University of Kentucky Independent Accountant's Report on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures Performed on the Intercollegiate Athletics Program as Required by NCAA Bylaw 3.2.4.17 Year Ended June 30, 2022"; uky.edu; webpage accessed March 7, 2023; https://www.uky.edu/trustees/sites/www.uky.edu.trustees/files/2022%20UK%20NCAA%20AUP%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

NOTE:

This article was last revised on March 7, 2023. It was originally submitted to Google Blogger on February 22, 2020 and at that time was virtually identical to one submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by the author’s friend Paul Craft, earlier the same day, February 22, 2020. That article was adapted and updated from a post submitted to Google Blogger in March 2019, which was adapted from posts the author submitted to other websites in previous years.

March Madness: The NCAA Men's and Women's Division I College Basketball Tournaments ( A Personal Perspective)

Selection Sunday, the day in March that the teams competing in the NCAA men’s and women's Division I college basketball tournament are announced, is a sports highlight of the year for me.

For 2023 Selection Sunday is March 12^th. The men's bracket will be announced at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, and the women's bracket will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN according to an NCAA webpage.  

The term March Madness is now used to refer to both the men's and women's NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments.

And the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame claims home to the "world's largest basketball," which "measures 30-feet tall and weights 10 tons," according to a Women's Basketball Hall of Fame webpage.  Below is a photo I took May 10, 2017 of that basketball.

I enjoy speculating about and learning which teams are selected, as well as where and whom they will play.  This year’s fields will contain 68 teams. Eight of those teams will play in a first round to reduce the field to 64. The links in this sentence lead to NCAA.com webpages with printable brackets for the men's tournament and for the women's tournament.

I might add that I live in Lexington, Kentucky, which may have a higher percentage of its residents who are college basketball fans than any other city in the world.  It is home to the University of Kentucky (UK) which has won more college basketball games than any other Division I college basketball team and typically leads the nations in home attendance at its home games in Rupp Arena, with approximately 20,000 - 24,000 people in attendance per game. 

Usually, NCAA tournament time is an exciting time here in Lexington.  Persons speculate on how UK will do, who will win, and compete with one another to see who can fill out their NCAA bracket most accurately. Over the years I’ve enjoyed comparing my predictions with those of others as we fill out brackets and compare them.

As a Christian, I like to keep in mind that basketball in a sense has some Christian roots since basketball’s inventor (Dr. James Naismith) graduated from a theological college and served as a chaplain. In fact, he also earned a medical degree, in addition to inventing and coaching basketball and being a physical education instructor. This and much more biographical information about Dr. Naismith and the origin of basketball is available on numerous websites, including the website NaismithBasketballFoundation.com, the website KansasHeritage.org, and the website of the Kansas Historical Society.

I am not a big sports fan in general.  I consider professional sports too professional.  I’ve never been a big fan of high school sports.  And, other than college basketball, college sports haven’t interested me a great deal.  But, Division I men’s college basketball still fascinates me, and in my home state of Kentucky is perhaps The Sport. Some claim basketball is almost a religion in Kentucky.

Gambling on the NCAA Tournament

Many fans gamble on the tournament either by wagering on games or by paying to fill out tournament brackets for a gambling pool.  In some past years I’ve enjoyed placing some small bets with friends on the tournament or individual games.  But, I am basically opposed to gambling, and in recent years haven’t even placed any small friendly bets.  This year I won’t participate in any pools. And, since I didn’t win any of those friendly pools several years ago, please don’t expect any good predictions from me on the tournament.

Also, although my small friendly wagers years ago were only in fun -- and my friends and I enjoyed them -- I do know of cases where people got very upset over disputes about “small friendly bets.”  I do not advocate gambling with money, even in fun.  And, I especially think gambling on NCAA tournament pools may be starting to get out of hand.  I shudder at the possibility that someone may try to “fix” a game for gambling money. You can find links to many articles about gambling scandals involving college basketball by searching the Internet.  

Please focus on the entertainment and don’t gamble any money you can’t afford to lose—better yet, don’t gamble any money.  

More of My Personal Perspective

Personally, I am not as fanatic about college basketball as I used to be. But, I remain excited about the NCAA tournament, especially since the University of Kentucky is one of the teams that may have the best chance to win the championship this year.

To put college basketball in perspective, I do want to point out that obviously college academics are much more important than athletics.  It is sad in a sense that academics do not attract the publicity or fan support that athletics do.  Large numbers of alumni donate huge sums of money to schools specifically to attain quality season seats for college basketball (and college football).

For example, although the University of Kentucky has many fine features and programs, including its Patterson School of Diplomacy, its Pharmacy School, and a very nice library system, it is perhaps best known for its men’s basketball team.

Furthermore, its basketball and football programs apparently generate enough revenue to pay for themselves, other sports programs at the university, and to help fund a few other things, as noted in the 2018 University of Kentucky Athletics Annual Report, and the file linked to here seems to indicate this remained true for 2021-22. UK is apparently one of the few schools whose athletic department is self-sufficient, with a balanced budget.

 .

Winning games keeps the fans who buy tickets and donate money happy and helps the coach keep his job.  But, all things in perspective.  Regarding the NCAA tournaments, even though 67 of the 68 teams in each of this year’s tournaments will end their season with a loss, they are all winners if they play fair, have fun, and keep the proper perspective between athletics and academics.

In 2023 there are perhaps a handful of teams picked as favorites in the men's tournament, with South Carolina favored among the women. But any of the 68 teams in each field has a chance. We will all have to wait and see. And, we college basketball fans need to keep all things in perspective -- even during “March Madness.”

Let’s make sure we make time for work, family, friends, doing good deeds, and for enjoying the upcoming spring weather.  And, remember that a university’s library is more important than its basketball team – although somehow it doesn’t seem to attract as much attention – especially for a few weeks in spring as March Madness (The NCAA Tournament) makes its annual appearance! Enjoy!

NOTE:

This article was submitted to Google Blogger March 16, 2019. It is adapted from similar articles the author has written in previous years. This article was last revised on March 7, 2023.

Frankfort, Kentucky: Several Free or Cheap Fun, Educational Things to Do

Frankfort, Kentucky's capital city, offers many educational, fun things to do that are free or cheap.

Most of these attractions are in or near downtown Frankfort. Most are within walking distance of one another. And most are near stops for the Frankfort trolley and/or the Frankfort Transit bus system.

Below I list 16 attractions that are in or near downtown, followed by some details about each. The subheadings for them include Internet links to webpages with more information.

1. State Capitol Building (Free)

2. Kentucky Floral Clock (Free)

3. Capital City Museum (Free)

4. River View Park (Free)

5. Leslie Morris Park at Fort Hill (Free)

6. Daniel Boone's Grave and Frankfort Cemetery (Free)

7. Buffalo Trace Distillery (Free) (Even as a teetotaler, I enjoyed the tour.)

8. Liberty Hall Historic Site ($6 for adults, $3 for ages 5-18 years old)

9. Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History ($8 for adults, $6 for youth ages 6-18 years old and veterans)

10. Old State Capitol Building (Admission charge included at no additional cost with #9 above)

11. Kentucky Military History Museum (Admission charge included at no additional cost with #9 above)

12. Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory and Museum (Admission $5 for tour)

13. Governor's Mansion (Free)

14. Kentucky River Boat Tour (Free)

15. Frankfort Trolley and Transit (Trolley Free, Transit 25 cents)

16. Frankfort Visitors' Center (Free)

Details About the Attractions

1. State Capitol Building (Free)
Free guided tours of Kentucky's magnificent state capitol building are offered. The beautiful rotunda with its statues and columns is marvelous, as is the dome.

The building's artwork, Senate chamber, House of Representatives chamber, and Supreme Court chamber, and other features make visiting it a wonderful experience for children and adults. The tour guide also pointed out the location of the governor's office on the first floor near the rotunda, but it is not part of the tour.

A nice display features small designs for each of Kentucky's 120 counties.

I urge persons in Frankfort to seek to take a tour which lasts approximately an hour. The guide for my Tuesday, April 3, 2018 tour provided much information about the building and its history, as well as patiently answering my numerous questions. I'm not sure what the size limit is for tours, but I took the 11 a.m. tour and was the only one there, so I got a one-on-one personal tour.

You do need to present a photo ID and go through a security screening before entering the building. But it proceeded fairly quickly.

The photos below show some of the beauty of the capitol, but my photos do not do it justice.

Kentucky State Capitol Building, photo taken June 27, 2018

Statue of Abraham Lincoln in Kentucky State Capitol Building Rotunda, photo taken April 3, 2018 

Statue of Henry Clay in Kentucky State Capitol Building Rotunda, photo taken April 3, 2018

Statue of Jefferson Davis in Kentucky State Capitol Building Rotunda, photo taken April 3, 2018

House of Representatives meeting room in Kentucky State Capitol Building, photo taken April 3, 2018

Senate meeting room in Kentucky State Capitol Building, photo taken April 3, 2018

This display in the Kentucky State Capitol Building features designs for each of Kentucky's 120 counties, photo taken April 3, 2018.

2. Kentucky Floral Clock (Free)
Seeing the large outdoor clock with beautiful plants and a fountain is a nice experience and costs nothing. By viewing it at different times of the year, one can appreciate a variety of beautiful plants, since the plants in the clock change. The photos from three of my visits in 2018 indicate this.

A walkway goes completely around the clock. Several other beautiful plants can be seen as one walks around the clock. Some of those are shown in one of the photos.

Kentucky Floral Clock, photo taken October 10, 2018

Kentucky Floral Clock, photo taken June 27, 2018

Kentucky Floral Clock, photo taken April 3, 2018 

Kentucky's Floral Clock, a view of some of the plants behind it, photo taken Oct. 10, 2018

This plaque near the Kentucky Floral Clock contains information about it, photo taken April 3, 2018

3. Capital City Museum (Free)
The museum features a wide variety of educational and entertaining exhibits that cover various aspects of Frankfort's history.

Among many other things, the museum includes parts of hollow wooden logs that were used in an early Frankfort water system. The museum also has the copper ball that was on top of the capitol dome until being replaced by a new one.

One room of this museum features a recreation of Dr. E.E. Hume's office as he was treating Kentucky Governor Goebel after Goebel was shot. This room is located in the actual place where the office was.

In addition to many permanent exhibits, there are temporary exhibits. I noticed changes between my two visits, one in spring 2018 and one in autumn 2018.

A small gift shop just inside the entrance to the museum offers several books for sale. Visiting the museum is free.

4. River View Park (Free)
This park features artwork, plaques with historical information, a walking trail, an amphitheater, a gazebo, picnic tables, at least one grill, portable toilets, and nice views of the Kentucky River. The hiking trail extends on both sides of the river.

I enjoyed walking the trail on the side of the river nearest Capital Plaza on October 10, 2018. It was a nice quiet, peaceful walk, with only a few others there. Visiting the park is free, and the Frankfort Farmer's Market is held in part of the park at certain times.

5. Leslie Morris Park at Fort Hill (Free)
This park features walking trails in a beautiful forested setting. One trail contains historical plaques telling about the two forts that were on the hill during the Civil War, as well as a nice view of downtown Frankfort. Two other trails focus more on nature, providing views of an osage orange grove, two sinkholes, a cave entrance, bird houses and a bird blind, a meadow designed to attract butterflies, and some beautiful nature scenery, with markers that provide information about some of these attractions.

One way to reach the park is to drive up to its entrance in a car. As an alternative, visitors can walk up the steep hill on a trail that is an old road which was used to bring materials up Fort Hill during the Civil War. The trail is called Military Road, but it actually predates the time the forts were built according to one of the employees in the park. This foot trail is the way I went on my visit on October 3, 2018. It is a fairly steep hill and perhaps a 30 minute walk that begins by climbing some steps from Wilkinson Boulevard up past some apartment buildings located near Capital Plaza to the road itself. Construction work where the Capital Plaza Tower was torn down prevent access to the original beginning point of this access path.

View of downtown Frankfort from Fort Hill in Leslie Morris Park, photo taken Oct. 3, 2018

Part of a Dry Laid Stone Fence on Fort Hill in Leslie Morris Park, photo taken Oct. 3, 2018

A log cabin originally built in 1810 that was moved eight miles to the park, has been remodeled to look as a tavern/inn might have in 1860. One room of it looks like a general store, and one upstairs room looks as a guest room might have. Restrooms for park visitors are in the lower level of this building, and the city employees who work them offer water and Gatorade. Visiting the park is free.

6. Daniel Boone's Grave and Frankfort Cemetery (Free)
The monument that marks Daniel Boone's grave is nice to see. Also, an overlook near Boone's grave offers a great view of the Capitol building. The cemetery features beautiful trees and a nice overall setting. I enjoyed visiting this on October 3, 2018. Visiting is free.

7. Buffalo Trace Distillery (Free)
I'm a teetotaler, but I still enjoyed taking a free tour of Buffalo Trace Distillery, which claims to be the oldest continually operated distillery in the country. It even operated during the Prohibition producing alcoholic beverages for medicinal purposes. Distilleries were a major (the biggest?) source of revenue in Frankfort in its early days.

I took what is called "the trace tour" which gave me a chance to see employees bottling one of the company's products, as well as enter one of the warehouses where barrels of alcoholic beverages are stored to age. The guide, Carey, assured me that the fumes from the barrels that were aging would not intoxicate me.

The tour also included a short video about the history of the company and the manufacturing process. My tour had perhaps 25 or 30 people on it, and Carey (the tour guide) offered several opportunities to ask questions. He and answered numerous questions from me and others.

The tour took about an hour and ended with a tasting. I am a teetotaler, so I did not participate in the tasting, though I watched the others. By the way, the tasting does offer root beer for those who choose not to imbibe in alcoholic beverages.

Children on the tour must be accompanied by an adult. This tour does not require reservations, but the distillery offers some other tours that do require reservations. The other tours (also free) probably offer much more historical information as well as access to many other parts of the distillery to see the processes they use. The Visitor Center offers some of their alcoholic beverages for sale, as well as shirts and other souvenirs.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery's website states that the Trace Tour (which I took) is open to visitors of all ages, but persons must be at least 12 years old to take three of their other tours.

TripAdvisor lists this distillery as the top attraction in Frankfort. The large number of people there when I visited about lunch time on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 indicates its popularity, too.

But, while I enjoyed the historical and educational aspects, as a teetotaler I probably did not appreciate it as much as many others do. I do hope to take one of the other tours they offer that provides more historical information on a future visit to Frankfort, though. 

8. Liberty Hall Historic Site ($6 for adults and $3 for ages 5-18 years old)
Tours of Liberty Hall and the adjacent Orlando Brown house are offered at 1:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday midMarch through late November according to a brochure I got at the Frankfort Visitors' Center.  Tours begin at the John Brown house. John Brown was a founding father of Kentucky. Reservations are not necessary. The tour cost $6 for adults and $3 for children of a certain age.

I took the tour on April 3rd, 2018 and was blessed to have two tour guides. Since it was Megan's first tour she was accompanied by an experienced tour guide, Kate. I enjoyed the tour, seeing the furnishings (some originally belonging to the family and many others from the period they lived there), as well as learning more about the Brown family history. Seeing the furniture in various rooms, art work, the laundry building, the kitchen, garden/grounds, etc., was impressive.

The guides provided much Brown family information, even mentioning a ghost that supposedly appears from time to time, and included some historical information about that period of Frankfort's early history. Personally, I especially enjoyed visiting one room upstairs that has been converted into a library containing many shelves of old books that had belonged to the Brown family.

9. Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History ($8 for adults, $6 for youth ages 6-18 years old and veterans)
Visitors can see an impressive display of a huge variety of Kentucky history artifacts and information.

This facility of the Kentucky Historical Society's displays cover from prior to colonial days to the 21st century. I urge persons who get the opportunity to seek to visit it.

Among many other things, one hallway features individual pictures of Kentucky's governors and brief biographical information about them.

The $8 admission charge I paid would be a great value just for taking the self-guided tour of this building. But the charge also includes a guided tour of the Old State Capitol Building and a self-guided tour of the Kentucky Military History Museum, both of which are discussed in following sections of this article.

I devoted two or three hours to looking at the displays in this building on June 27, 2018, and I still did not see everything. The museum includes a gift shop which is one of the things I did not visit due to limited time. 

10. Old State Capitol Building (Admission charge included at no additional cost with #9 above)
The entrance foyer, artwork, and overall architecture are impressive. But, this building contains much beauty to see, including the furnished House of Representatives and Senate meeting rooms, as well as one of the two cloak rooms. Two large gas chandeliers (one in the House chamber and one in the Senate chamber) remain, but they have been converted to electric.

The building may only be visited by guided tours that begin in at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. See that section for admission information and price.

I was the only one there for the 1:30 p.m. tour on Wednesday, June 27th. My tour guide Steve provided much information about the history of the building, as well as patiently answering my numerous questions. Some of the other regularly scheduled tour times probably have several more people. Also, during the school year, special tours for students attract large crowds at times according to Steve.

Chandelier in Kentucky Old State Capitol Building, originally gas lit, but now electric, photo taken June 27, 2018

 
11. Kentucky Military History Museum (Admission charge included at no additional cost with #9 above)   
This two-story building contains a variety of weaponry, from cannons to pistols, as well as uniforms. I especially enjoyed listening to parts of a few of the oral histories on tape. The museum even featured some uniforms and equipment of military medical personnel.

The two persons at the reception desk were friendly and probably would have willingly answered several questions from me, but due to my arriving about 15 minutes before the 5 p.m. closing time on my visit Wednesday, June 27, 2018, I focused on seeing the exhibits.

See the section above about the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History for admission information and price. Self guided tours of the Kentucky Military History Museum begin there.

12. Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory and Museum (Admission $5 for tour)
I enjoyed touring the facility on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. It was nice seeing the conveyor belt pieces of candy ride down for coating with chocolate, as well as the process where creme interiors are dropped into individual piece size candies before the chocolate is added.

My guide discussed the candy making process and pointed out various pieces of equipment used in the process.

Photographs are not allowed in the factory and visitors are instructed not to touch the candy-making equipment or lean over it for food safety reasons.

However, photographs are allowed in the small museum that visitors tour after touring the factory itself. The museum contains a variety of antique and old pieces. Most of them are not related to candy making, but many are interesting. I especially enjoyed seeing an old refrigerator that I think dated from 1927.

The short tour was interesting and worth the $5 charge in my opinion. The tour concluded with the opportunity to sample a free piece of candy. I turned down the opportunity to taste a bourbon ball (I'm a teetotaler, and yes, maybe I'm overly cautious.) But I was offered a sample of one of their other chocolates which I accepted and enjoyed. The candies are tasty, but a bit expensive. I bought two pieces, which cost over $2, which seems to be a typical price for their chocolates.

Their store offers a variety of their chocolates for sale, some of which have nuts, caramel, and/or a creme interior. The store also offers some other items for sale.

This refrigerator in the Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory's Museum apparently dates to 1927, photo taken June 27, 2018

13. Governor's Mansion (Free)
Free guided tours of the Kentucky Governor's Mansion are offered on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Phone 502-564-3449 a day in advance to confirm tours are being offered, since sometimes special events lead to cancelling tours. I have not yet taken the tour, but I hope to on a future Frankfort visit.

Kentucky Governor's Mansion, photo taken October 10, 2018

14. Kentucky River Boat Tour (Free)
Free 1 1/2 hour tours are offered from June 1 through the end of September according to a sign in River View Park. The tours begin from the River View Park Boat Landing. Reservations are necessary and are obtained by phoning 502-209-0632. The tours are limited to eight passengers and take place depending on weather and river conditions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. I have not taken the tour yet, but I hope to sometime next year and feel it will be enjoyable and educational as the tour guide explains about the river and its history.

15. Frankfort Trolley and Transit (Trolley Free, Transit 25 cents)
A free trolley in Frankfort operates Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. from early April late October that has stops at many of the city's tourist sites. I rode it on my October 10, 2018 and found the driver, John, to be a friendly, knowledgeable person. He made my rides fun and educational. The trolley makes a round trip about every 37 minutes according to the schedule in a brochure about it, and the trolley seemed to be close to on schedule during each of my rides.

Frankfort also has a transit service with four routes that run Monday-Friday. According to a brochure about the service, it runs from about 6:45 a.m. to about 6:30 p.m. The brochure also states that there are two Saturday routes that run 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Rides only cost 25 cents, and transfers to another route are free. I took several rides on the buses and found the drivers friendly and the buses usually close to on time.

Though it's great that the trolley and transit service are available, most of the tourist attractions I mention here are within walking distance of one another for persons in reasonably good physical shape. 

16. Frankfort Visitors' Center (Free)
The Frankfort Visitors' Center is located in a building called the Gooch House on Capitol Avenue near downtown and the state capitol building. The building itself is a historic structure. But, the most valuable thing it offers to tourists is probably its variety of free information about various tourist attractions, including a free map.

The friendly person working there during my visit on April 3, 2018 was very helpful. The maps and brochures in the Visitors' Center were useful, too.

A photo of the Gooch House that houses the Frankfort Visitors' Center follows this paragraph.

Gooch House, Home to the Frankfort Visitors' Center, photo taken June 3, 2018

Closing Thoughts
One Frankfort attraction that I did not discuss in this article is the Salato Wildlife Education Center. The reason is that this attraction is farther away from downtown than any of the attractions I discussed. It is not within easy walking distance of the other attractions listed, and it is located about 1 1/2 miles from the nearest bus stop of the Frankfort Transit Service. But, the Salato Center is another attraction that Frankfort visitors should consider seeing.

There are many fun, educational things to see and do in Frankfort, Kentucky that are free or cheap. I urge persons who get the opportunity to seek to enjoy several of them.

NOTE: This article was last revised on October 19, 2018.