The Owensboro Thoroughbreds are eager to start the 2021 campaign after missing out on the 2020 season due to Covid-19.
Owner Chris Allison said he’s made a point to deliver on his promises when he took over the team and he feels he’s done just that with the influx of youth programs and with everything they have planned for this season.
The team sponsored the Back to School Tournament in September and now has the 3-on-3 Confidence League finals on Saturday at the Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club where they had more than 170 kids participate.
Allison said he wanted to make a point to get the youth involved and in doing that, he’s visited 28 schools.
This year’s Thoroughbreds schedule features 12 home games with each night having a different theme.
“With the theme nights, our goal is to cause awareness but also to give back to each of those,” he said. “Each night is going to have a non-profit associated with it. Of every ticket sale, a dollar goes back to that non-profit.”
Each game will also have pregame and halftime entertainment. He said each event will correlate with that night’s theme.
“Our goal over the course of the season is to be able to give back $50,000 back to the community,” he said.
But the Breds aren’t stopping with just theme nights as Allison and the team have something else schedule where fans can take home a piece of the game with them.
“In addition to having a theme night, each home game is going to have a unique uniform,” he said. “We will never wear the same uniform at a home game this season. During the game we’ll have an auction for each uniform and the players after will wash them and will sign them. All proceeds from the jersey sales will go toward that non-profit as well.”
Allison said it’s all about getting those in the area excited and involved.
“The team will never succeed if the community isn’t behind it,” he said.
Despite not being from Owensboro, Allison knows how important hoops are in the city.
“The city of Owensboro is known for basketball,” he said. “They’re known for loving basketball.We have to give them something in order for them to rally behind it. I think this year during Covid, if there was ever a time to have an excuse as to why it wouldn’t work, it was this year.”
Allison said he knows the feelings on the team in the past and he’s ready to rewrite those by becoming a fixture in the community and hopefully elevating the Thoroughbreds from The Basketball League to the G-League.
“I want to put a footprint in Owensboro for basketball,” he said.
The Breds start the season April 10 against the Dayton Flight in Ohio before they have their home opener April 16 against the Columbus Condors at the Owensboro Sportscenter.
2021 Owensboro Thoroughbreds roster
Darion Morrow PG
Darhius Nunn PG
Matt Hart PF
Corey Wilford SG
Donavan Griffith F
Kameron Moore F
Hunter Noffsinger PG
Jaiveon Eaves SG
Chukwuma Ogbodo C
Michael Davenport F
Evan Mulligan F
Mesgack Lufile C
