EMU at Kentucky open thread

Rupp Arena: the calm before the storm

In 90 minutes, the EMU men’s basketball team will tip off the penultimate game of their pre-conference season. They’ve certainly played some “blue blooded” basketball teams the last couple of years — Michigan State, Syracuse, and Michigan among them — but none of them really come close to the tradition that is Kentucky basketball. To put it into perspective with a local comparison, Kentucky basketball is what Michigan football thinks it is.

If, by chance, you’re in Kentucky already, and don’t have a ticket, you should know that there are plenty available. This is — well, let’s politely call it a “non-marquee” matchup for the ‘Cats, plus most students are gone for the holiday break. If you don’t mind standing, there are $5 tickets available for the eRUPPtion Zone, normally the student section. There are also a few lower-level seats available at the box office for $50, and upper level seats for $42. Don’t pay a scalper any more than that unless you’ve just got to be courtside (in which case I’ll assume you already took care of it).

If you stayed home, and I can’t blame you if you did, the game is available on ESPNU, also online at Watch ESPN (blacked out in the Eastern time zone, including Michigan), and on WEMU radio (89.1 FM) and WEMU online. I’ll be live-tweeting from @eagletotemblog, posting occasional comments on the Eagle Totem Facebook page, and dropping a few comments here too. Feel free to follow along at any or all of those venues, and sharer your thoughts as the game goes on! Open thread is open; go green!