Indiana Basketball: Could Flint’s move renew an old rivalry?
Does Indiana Basketball have a shot at renewing an old rivalry?
On Wednesday, August 11th, the New York Knicks announced they were hiring long time University of Kentucky assistant coach, Kenny Payne, to be an assistant under Tom Thibodeau. It didn’t take much time at all for Indiana assistant coach Bruiser Flint to be rumored for the new opening at Kentucky, and by the end of the day, Flint was officially announced as the replacement for Payne.
It is an odd transition for both Flint and IU fans given the fact that he is making the sudden transition from ally to being in cahoots with the enemy. However, Flint could potentially be the lynchpin in reigniting talks of an Indiana/Kentucky series.
It is no secret that Kentucky coach John Calipari has been afra
id to play Indiana since the last two games ended in miserable defeats for the Wildcats. He demands that, if a series between the two teams were to happen, that it would need to be in a neutral stadium.
I’m of the mindset that when two teams hate each other as much as Kentucky and Indiana hate each other, you do anything you can to make them see each other frequently. College basketball is being deprived of this awesome matchup.
Bruiser Flint could be a mediator between the two sides and help work something out. Since Flint knows both Archie Miller and Calipari very well, perhaps he could be the middle man in what has been a negotiation process that has gained very little traction over the past few years.
Next. Indiana Basketball: A surprise 2021 recruit for the Hoosiers?. dark
It’s mere speculation, but I think Flint heading to Lexington increase the chances of the perennial matchup we all crave.