When the University of Kentucky begins its quest for a ninth NCAA championship Friday night in the NCAA Tournament, there will be an odd dynamic.
The team representing the commonwealth’s flagship university will have far less of a “made in Kentucky” pedigree than its opponent.
Northern Kentucky’s second-year head coach, Newport Catholic graduate John Brannen, is originally from the commonwealth.
Four of NKU’s top five scorers — Drew McDonald (Newport Catholic); Lavone Holland II (Ballard); Carson Williams (Owen County) and Mason Faulkner (Caverna) — are products of Kentucky high school basketball.
For all the justifiable handwringing over the commonwealth’s inability to produce high-level basketball talent like it once did, Northern Kentucky (24-10) would not be in the NCAA Tournament in its first year of eligibility without a heavy recruiting emphasis on home-grown talent.