LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The renovated Memorial Coliseum at the University of Kentucky provided the perfect backdrop for the city, and its basketball dignitaries to announce their plans for Basketball Week.
It’s one of Lexington’s many planned events to celebrate the city’s 250th birthday in 2025.
“It's a result of some great thinking of the people who are doing this commission work,” said Mayor Linda Gorton of the 250Lex planning staff. “We're really excited about it."
Mayor Gorton and UK women's team head coach Kenny Brooks spoke after the on-court photo op, which included men’s coach Mark Pope, area high school coaches and athletics directors, and officials and coaches from Transylvania University.
Basketball Week will feature 19 games between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, culminating with the UK men’s game against John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks at Rupp Arena.
“The players, staff and I are thrilled to be a part of the first-ever Lexington Basketball Week because our city lives and breathes basketball,” Pope said in a statement to the 250Lex commission.
For Mayor Gorton, the week devoted to basketball takes her back to a different time.
“I was in college a long time ago here at the university and I cheered for the likes of Don Pratt and Louie Dampier and all of those folks,” Gorton said, before going on to explain what those days were like inside the “old” coliseum.
Both Kentucky teams are playing well right now. The men are ranked 9th in the Associated Press poll, with marquee wins over Duke, Gonzaga, Florida, Mississippi State and 25th ranked Louisville. The women’s team is 16-1, unbeaten so far in conference play, and ranked 11th in the poll.
“It does add some juice to it, people are excited,” Gorton said of the two teams that will be headlining Lexington Basketball Week.
Basketball Week Games:
Jan. 25
- Transylvania Women vs Rose-Hulman at 1 p.m.
- Frederick Douglass Boys vs Dunbar at 2 p.m.
- Transylvania Men vs Rose-Hulman at 3 p.m.
Jan. 26
- UK Women vs Arkansas at 12 p.m.
- Henry Clay Boys vs Lafayette at LTMS at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27
- Henry Clay Girls vs Dunbar at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28
- Lafayette Boys vs Lex Cath at 7:30 p.m.
- Douglass Girls vs Madison Southern at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 29
- Lafayette Girls vs Henry Clay at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 30
- UK Women vs Alabama at 7 p.m.
- Dunbar Boys vs Tates Creek at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 31
- Bryan Station G/B DH vs Douglass at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sayre Girls vs Wolfe County at 6 p.m.
- Sayre Boys vs Scott County at 7:30 p.m.
- Lexington Catholic Girls vs Lafayette at 7:30 p.m.
- LCA Boys vs Lexington Catholic at 7:45 p.m.
- Dunbar Girls vs East Jessamine at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 1
- LCA Girls vs Lexington Catholic at 6:30 p.m.
- UK Men vs Arkansas at 9 p.m.
