They’ve only had about a week’s worth of practices, but the new-look Owensboro Thoroughbreds are excited to kick off their season at home tonight.
The Thoroughbreds will square off against the Indy Express at 7 p.m. in the Sportscenter. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $10 for the lower level. Kids get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Click here for their season schedule.
It’s a quick turnaround for Owensboro, whose training camp was held at the beginning of last week.
“It was a small training camp just because we were kind of late getting started,” said new head coach Mark Anderson, who took over in December. “But the thing is we’ve got a great group of guys. I like how they have come together in a short period of time. They enjoy playing with each other out there on the court, which is huge at this level.”
Anderson previously coached the Jamestown Jackals — another team in The Basketball League — and knows many of the players in the league. He said Indy will be a tough game to open the season.
“Indy is loaded,” he said. “They have height, a good back court and a good front court. It’s going to be a game where we’re going to have to limit our turnovers.”
Though he expects it to take some time to fully find their groove, Anderson is confident in his players.
“They’ve learned a lot in the last six or seven days about what we want to do and how we want to play,” he said. “I’m excited to see how it will go. I know we’re going to have some hiccups here and there, but we’ll get through it and we’ll be fine.”
New team owner Chris Allison is ready to show off the Thoroughbreds — both to the community and to all the teams in the TBL that are likely to be watching.
“The whole league will be looking at it,” he said, noting that it’s the first game of the year for the TBL. “It’s a good opportunity for us to show off Owensboro and the fans and what we plan to bring this season. It’s going to be a really competitive game and there will be a lot of eyes on it.”
Allison said everyone in the organization is committed to creating lasting success both on the court and in the community.
“Our goal off the court is to continue rebuilding that reputation in the city that we’re here for them,” he said. “But also we’re all about winning. We want to bring attention to the city. We want to bring a good name to Owensboro.”
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