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Eastern Kentucky University has been interested in Ian Young longer than most programs, and that was enough to be the deciding factor for the Boyle County senior because he has verbally commited to play for the Colonels. Boyle coach Chuck Smith said Eastern has been very persistent in its recruitment of Young. Eastern talked to Young after the Mid-State Football Coaches Association combine at Centre College last spring, and sent him a letter earlier last season offering a full athletic scholarship.

RICHMOND - Centre College coach Greg Mason would stack his team's defense against most Division I schools in the country. He got an opportunity to do so Saturday night, but the Colonels couldn't overcome a poor showing on offense that resulted in a 67-46 loss to Eastern Kentucky at McBrayer Arena. Centre (5-2), off to one of its best offensive starts in school history, shot just 31 percent from the field (14-of-44) against Eastern, which snapped a two-game losing streak and remained unbeaten at home.

If you are an Eastern Kentucky basketball fan, new coach Jeff Neubauer wants you to know he hopes to see you at games next season. If you are not an Eastern Kentucky fan, you might want to consider becoming one based on what Neubauer hopes to do to build on the success of last year's school-record 22 wins the Colonels had under Travis Ford. Neubauer is so insistent on building a winning program that he's visiting various media members across the state to meet those who can help promote his program.

Eastern Kentucky University will host a forum in Stanford on Thursday, Oct. 9 to assess community needs from the region and how EKU's new Office of Regional Stewardship can develop programs to help meet those needs. The forum, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Lincoln County Cooperative Extension office, is free and open to the public. Regional leaders and community members from Lincoln, Rockcastle, Casey, Boyle and Garrard counties will have the opportunity to express what they consider to be concerns about education, environment, health, government, and economics, including workforce development.

The University of Kentucky men's basketball game against Eastern Kentucky scheduled for Dec. 29 has been moved to noon Dec. 30 at Rupp Arena to accommodate UK fans wishing to attend both the basketball game and the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Dec. 29. The Music City Bowl at 1 p.m. in Nashville pairs the UK football team against Clemson. "It's important that we allow our fans the opportunity to attend both of these games," UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart said. "I appreciate both EKU and Rupp Arena working with us to make this work for our fans.

Kelvin Turner, who holds the state high school record for career touchdowns and led Marshall University in rushing touchdowns last season, has left that school and said he will likely transfer to Eastern Kentucky. Turner, a Danville native, was released by Marshall before practice began there earlier this week. He said he decided to leave the school "late last month," saying he was unhappy. "I haven't been too happy at Marshall. I just had to get out," Turner said Wednesday.

Evan Hester wants to see how he measures up against the big boys. So the Danville senior will head to Eastern Kentucky next season as a preferred walk-on for the Colonels. "I kind of wanted to start big, and if I don't like it I could work my way down," Hester said. "Eastern fit me, it's not too big and it's not too small. And, I know people up there. " Hester said he'd been talking to Eastern throughout the season, and made a visit to Richmond last month. "Coach (John)

LEXINGTON ? Rich Brooks came to Commonwealth Stadium Saturday expecting Randall Cobb to play a big role in Kentucky's offense against Eastern Kentucky. Turns out the Kentucky head coach was just as surprised as fans when Cobb couldn't play after a Thursday practice injury to his left thumb kept getting worse and worse. "Randall Cobb sprained his thumb in Thursday's practice. We didn't think it was that bad, but it just kept getting sore and he couldn't move it. We tried a splint on it before the game, but he couldn't function with it," Brooks said after the game.

RICHMOND - Roy Kidd was a Rich Brooks supporter long before others jumped on the bandwagon. Kidd, the retired coach at Eastern Kentucky University, won 315 games and two national titles before hanging up his whistle five years ago. He made a call to University of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart when Brooks' future as coach at the school was on shaky ground early last season. "I told Mitch Barnhart to give the man a chance," Kidd said. "You can't expect a guy to go in anywhere - much less the Southeastern Conference - and turn the program around with so few scholarships (at the time)

Eastern Kentucky coach Danny Hope understands why fans are excited about the upcoming University of Kentucky football season due to the returning talent the Wildcats have. However, Hope still has no second thoughts about opening the season Sept. 1 at Kentucky. "I like opening up with them because they are non-conference. I like getting the non-conference over with. I like where they are at in the schedule," said Hope. "Some I-AA teams have had to schedule I-A teams in the middle of the season, and we would Kentucky as well because it is so special that we would play them at any point they want to. But to open up with them is really good for us scheduling-wise, and I think good for football in the whole state.