If you happen to see Rick and Kris Howard decked out in Morehead State gear at Friday’s Morehead-Kentucky game in Rupp Arena, don’t be alarmed.

They’re just supporting their son’s new team.

Adam Howard, a former Ashland Tomcat basketball star who went on to play four years at Western Kentucky University, is on MSU’s coaching staff.

Howard was hired this summer as Director of Basketball Operations. His duties include travel and video oversight and practice preparation and game day operations.

Howard was a four-year letterman at Western Kentucky for current South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn. While at WKU, Howard was part of three post-season appearances.

During his days at Ashland, Howard was a star guard for the Tomcats. He was MVP of the 2004 16th Region Tournament, which was played at Ellis T. Johnson Arena, as a senior.

Adam is an outstanding young man who knows his way around the basketball court. He’d be a great addition to any staff.

Now he’s a part of one of the best Morehead State teams in years. It’s a season of great expectation and anticipation for coach Donnie Tyndall, who has steadily rebuild the program into one of the elite in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Morehead was selected as the co-favorite in the OVC preseason polls along with Murray State. It marks the first time since the 1983-84 season that MSU was picked to finish first.

Junior Kenneth Faried and senior Maze Stallworth were preseason All-OVC selections. Faried, last year’s NCAA rebounding king, was chosen as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year.

Last year the Eagles made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 25 years after winning the OVC tournament.

Morehead won a play-in game against Alabama State and then fell to Louisville in the opening round after leading for part of the first half.

Back in the spring, Tyndall went on the aggressive to try and be Kentucky’s first opponent in the John Calipari era. His hustle paid off with the assignment and he hopefully doesn’t walk away with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for experience.

The Morehead-Kentucky game has a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and will be shown on ESPNU.

Cats on TV

Kentucky’s next two football games – Saturday at Vanderbilt and Nov. 21 at Georgia – will be televised.

The Vandy game is an SEC Network broadcast (WSAZ locally) at 12:21 p.m. and the Georgia game will be at 7:45 p.m. on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Many of UK’s early basketball games will be shown on Fox Sports South, which is not part of our local cable packages. A reader called me the other day and said she was told by UK officials her best option was to call and request the cable companies add Fox Sports South to their package.

After some of the early games, Kentucky basketball is either on national television or the SEC Network channels.

Euton to Akron

Former Rose Hill Christian star Dakotah Euton of Scott County has committed to the University of Akron.

Euton transferred to Scott County two years ago. Prior to making that move, he was offered an early commitment from the University of Kentucky with first-year coach Billy Gillispie.

After Gillispie was fired and John Calipari hired, that early commitment was taken off the table and the recruiting began again for Euton.

Akron would seem a good fit for Euton, one of the hardest-working players around. As a freshman, he helped Rose Hill reach the semifinals of the All “A” Classic in Richmond.

Two other former Rose Hill players, Chad Jackson and Robbie Barber, are also on Scott County’s team. Jackson is a senior and Barber a junior.

Speaking of Rose Hill …

Rose Hill Christian School will learn more about what the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s nearly two-year-old investigation uncovered on Monday afternoon at the organization’s headquarters in Lexington.

Rose Hill has been under the KHSAA microscope since January 2008 over alleged rules violations.

A basketball team that appeared prime to make a run in the 16th Region this season has practically imploded with several starters leaving the program this fall, along with last year’s head coach, John Bush.

Flag waving

Prior to the Dixie Heights-Ashland playoff game last week in Putnam Stadium, state Rep. Kevin Sinnette presented an American and Kentucky state flag that were flown over the State Capitol in Frankfort to athletic director Mark Swift in honor of the Tomcats’ season.

Dixie Heights defeated Ashland 41-14 to end the 9-2 campaign.

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