Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari treats the ticket miner’s family

Pikeville, Kentucky, is a town of less than 8,000 people nestled in the eastern part of the state among the Appalachian mountains. Although it is located nearly 150 miles from Kentucky Home to the men’s basketball team at Rupp Arena in Lexington, the Big Blue Nation remains strong in the area – especially with a devoted fan base.

When Kentucky announced it would be broadcasting its annual Blue-White content script at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville as part of a fundraising effort for the victims of recent flooding in the area, Michael McGuire was sure to have it. was there with her young son. Even if it means being covered with soot immediately after a long day working in the mines.

A photo of McGuire – still in work clothes with soot on his face and arms – flirting with his son during Saturday’s screenplay of the script quickly went viral on social media. The last image was noticed by the most prominent member of the Kentucky basketball Twitter: Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

The photo impressed Calipari, his grandfather who worked in a coal mine in West Virginia. The college’s legendary basketball coach soon contacted McGuire and his wife, Mollie, sharing his family history with them and thanking them for their support.

Every The AthleticCalipari not only provided the McGuire family with tickets to a future game at Rupp Arena, but also let them be his guests for dinner, a shootaround and a meet and greet session with the bridges. Kentucky player.

McGuire didn’t learn about Calipari’s offer on Monday until he emerged from another day working in the mines hours after the coach’s first tweet. Mollie McGuire told The Athletic that her husband’s overwhelming kindness in response to Calipari’s tweet brought her to tears.

Before their practice game, Calipari and his team spent the first part of their Saturday with the local University of Pikesville men’s basketball team helping those displaced by the flooding. They then raised $162,450 for Team EKY’s Flood Relief Fund and gave the charity a check during the filming of the script in front of a packed gymnasium.

On the field, Kentucky hopes to bounce back from an incredible loss to the 15th seed Saint Peter’s in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Wildcats have high aspirations for the 2022-23 season, in 4th place in the AP pre-season poll. Wildcats star forward Oscar Tshiebwe are back for the upcoming season after winning the Wooden Award given to the best player on the college basketball team in 2021-22.

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