Tyndall keeps busy with MSU

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June 11, 2009

By Mark Maynard / The Independent The Daily Independent Thu Jun 11, 2009, 07:42 AM EDT

RUSSELL — Life has been hectic — yet good — for Donnie Tyndall since Morehead State’s run to the NCAA Tournament in March.

Tyndall has hardly stopped to collect his breath, being more in demand after taking the Eagles to the tournament for the first time in 25 years.

Tyndall visited the area on Wednesday, speaking to campers at Russell coach Merle Kidwell’s basketball camp.

He didn’t sit back and wait for things to happen after the milestone season. Tyndall started making things happen, starting with working out a season opener with the University of Kentucky on Nov. 13 in Rupp Arena.

“It’s a Friday the 13th,” Tyndall said. “Stranger things have happened.”

The opening game with UK is big under any circumstance, but it may be bigger this season with the hoopla surrounding new coach John Calipari and one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

Tyndall, who begins his fourth season at Morehead State, pursued the date from UK officials.

“It’s big for in-state recruiting,” he said. “Statewide television and a lot of the nation will be looking in on us, too. The environment will be crazy.”

Besides the notoriety of playing UK in Calipari’s first game, the game will also come with a substantial payday for the Eagles, who are expected to be a top contender in the Ohio Valley Conference again.

Tyndall said Kentucky didn’t want to play just anybody. Calpari doesn’t want an opponent with an RPI below 140, and MSU won’t be. The Eagles return four of five starters from a 20-game winner.

Tyndall said he’s looking forward to taking the Eagles into Rupp Arena, even though he knows the environment will be hostile.

“He’ll have it like (Rick) Pitino did a few years ago,” Tyndall said of Calipari.

Morehead State will be playing the Cats in next year’s season opener but future dates haven’t been determined, Tyndall said.

The Eagles will also be getting former UK walk-on Landon Slone of Paintsville. However, until Slone officially enters school, Tyndall can’t talk about him.

Slone was a UK fan favorite last year with his hustle and all-out play. He decided to transfer after not being able to get a meeting with Calipari.

Slone, who played in 15 games last year at UK, is going to petition the NCAA to become eligible immediately.

Tyndall guided the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1984, won a play-in game with Alabama State 58-43 and then fell to top-seeded Louisville in the opening round.

Morehead State actually led the Cardinals midway through the first half before eventually losing 74-54.

“I felt going into that game we had a chance to win the game,” Tyndall said. “The awestruckness was kind of already out of the way (because the Eagles had played Louisville earlier in the season, a 79-41 loss).”

Morehead will be trying to become the first team in school history to have consecutive 20-win seasons. Tyndall has said he expects his fourth team to be the best one in his tenure.

“I love Morehead,” he said. “It would absolutely take a special situation to get me to leave.”

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.

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