The first expansion of USA came in the form of Team Market Owner, Chris Allison, purchasing the rights to the professional basketball team, the Owensboro Thoroughbreds, within the TBL in 2019. Since the ownership change, the Thoroughbreds have been a complimentary asset to the community and youth programs within the city through collaboration with local schools, trainers, and leagues. Additionally, they have raised and distributed over $150,000 to local non-profits over the last three years. The organization looks to match that again this year.

Today, the United Sports Association will be announcing two new initiatives. The first is the creation of the Owensboro Sports + Entertainment Commission. In collaboration with the Owensboro Thoroughbreds and the Owensboro River Dawgs, the commission will begin laying out a five year plan to bring new professional sports teams and entertainment to the city of Owensboro. Our goal is to continue to expand opportunities for families and generate outside revenue for the city.

The second announcement is the collaboration and unification of youth programs within the city of Owensboro. United Sports was founded to streamline opportunities for athletes of all abilities, ages, genders, and skill levels. Our goal is to work collectively with existing programs to bolster participation, streamline information, enact program continuity, and expand opportunity for all.

We do this in collaboration with our local program partners. Programs from five different sports: basketball (Work With Wilford, Upward Basketball), football (Kids Football League), baseball (Owensboro River Dawgs), volleyball (Audubon Volleyball Association, Owensboro Select Volleyball), and soccer (Owensboro Street Soccer) have already joined in on discussions to bridge this gap. Collectively we, with more to come, will work together to build this system and develop youth athletics into a new United Sports facility.
Programming collaboration will begin as early as January. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Follow us at www.facebook.com/playowensboro.

If you stepped foot into the Sportscenter on Sunday, you were guaranteed to see a spectacle.

https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/sports/local/tbreds-home-opener-a-sight-to-see/article_49589a8a-b61d-5a44-b19f-a26e7a484864.html?fbclid=IwAR2dF_X1kgMT_Xc8OjMYuW2Ih0I61cwlE1PLTZZuUBsBtb5IXrlhMaNu40c

The Thoroughbreds 2022 season begins this weekend, as they open up their season on the road on March 5, before returning to the Sportscenter on March 20 for their first home game.

By Joseph Russell, Messenger-Inquirer

The Owensboro Thoroughbreds added a pair of rookies to its roster for the 2022 campaign by selecting guards Marty Hill and TaJuan Johnson in the TBL draft this week.

The win sent the Owensboro Sportscenter crowd home happy as Wilford was excited to play in front of the fans again. 

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I was hoping we’d pack it all the way out, that didn’t happen but we’re thankful for everybody that came out here, showing us support. I know at times we didn’t look so good as a team but we got that win.”

The shot just before the buzzer wasn’t the first Wilford has had in his hoops career and certainly won’t be the last but when the game was on the line, he knew he had to step up. 

“Give me the ball,” he said was his thought. “I’m never scared to take the big shot. I live with the miss just as much as I live with the make. I’m just never scared to take that shot.

Owensboro led 41-28 after the first but a strong second frame from the Condors make it 58-56 Thoroughbreds at the break. 

After building a double-digit lead in the third, the Thoroughbreds led the Condors right back in the game until the game-winning shot in the closing seconds. 

Former Murray State Racer Jaiveon Eaves led the Breds with 27 points while Wilford added 25. Darhius Nunn also had a big game with 20 points. 

Cody Ballard finished with a game-high 42 points to lead Columbus. 

Wilford said the team has big plans for this season and he thinks the community is going to like what they see.

“I want everybody to understand we have an amazing owner in Chris Allison,” he said. “Chris is doing everything in his power to make this work and he owns 5-6 teams in the TBL. He’s putting so much effort into making Owensboro stand out. We just want people to support him and we’re here to support the community. We hope the community does the same.”

Owensboro plays Sunday against at the Sportscenter against the Detroit Hustle.

The Owensboro Thoroughbreds are ready to run.

After taking a 128-121 win over the Dayton Flight and falling, 113-112, to the Columbus Condors in a pair of road games during the opening weekend of The Basketball League 2021 season, the Thoroughbreds will make their home debut Friday when they take on Columbus in a rematch at the Sportscenter.

According to Owensboro coach Mark Anderson, fans won’t have to wait long to see what his squad can do.

“You’re going to see good ball movement, you’re going to see players play for each other, and you’re going to see fast-paced action,” Anderson said. “You’re going to see high-level basketball, this year especially.

“It’s a unique year, in that many of the guys who played overseas last year can’t go back because of COVID restrictions, so that’s really a boost for our league.”

Anderson anticipates a quick kinship to be built between his players and Thoroughbreds fans, as well.

“I think the expectations are high,” he said. “The group we’ve assembled is a great group of men, on and off the court. One of the things we look at in this league, and especially here in Owensboro — are they going to be out in the community, and are they willing to do it?

“Last year, we had four, five, six elementary school visits that turned into almost all-school assemblies. It was fun for us and fun for the kids, to answer their questions and sign things. One thing that makes our league different is the players are so accessible in the community and after games.”

So, who can Owensboro fans expect to see on the floor?

Hopkinsville native and Thoroughbreds mainstay Corey Wilford is a high-scoring guard who Anderson expects to put up points in bunches, alongside backcourt mate Matt Hart. Wilford scored 20.9 points per game last season and made a league-leading 39 3-pointers on 39% shooting from distance as the Thoroughbreds went 6-7.

“This team has a high basketball IQ, and we’re led by point guard Matt Hart,” Anderson said. “He’s a good floor distributor, doesn’t get rattled.

“Corey Wilford is a very clutch shooter, and he can really score the ball. I trust him out there on the court.”

Down low, the Thoroughbreds feature big men Meshack Lufile, a 6-foot-8, 250-pounder who has played in NBL Canada and overseas, and Chuck Ogbodo, a 6-10, 230-pounder who played four years of collegiate basketball at UNC Wilmington.

Returning on the wings will be Evan Milligan, a former Kentucky Wesleyan Panther who averaged 11.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Thoroughbreds last year, and Donavan Griffith, who posted 11.6 points and five rebounds per outing last season.

Also joining the team will be Michael Davenport, a 6-5 veteran who played for Anderson in Jamestown.

Among the team’s rookies will be point guard Hunter Noffsinger, who starred at Muhlenberg County High School and later suited up at KWC, along with Jaiveon Eaves, a former Madisonville North Hopkins star who scored 11.1 points per game last season at Murray State.

Darhius Nunn, a heady point guard, and 6-8 high-energy forward Kameron Moore round out the Thoroughbreds’ batch of rookies.

“That gives us quality guys off the bench,” Anderson said of his team’s depth. “That’s something you need at this level. Forty-eight minutes is a very long game, and it’s physical.”

Tipoff for Friday’s home opener is set at 7 p.m., and it will be “Bluegrass, Bourbon, BBQ + Basketball” theme night at the Sportscenter. Fans will also get the chance to win a Thoroughbreds jersey, with a different one raffled off at every home game.

Just 13 games into the 2020 season, the Owensboro Thoroughbreds year was ended due to covid, but they’re back for the 2021 campaign and excited to get back to playing in the Owensboro Sportscenter

“We were actually talking about that the other day, me and coach Anderson, the day they actually cancelled the season due to covid,” said Corey Wilford, shooting guard for the Thoroughbreds. “We’ve been out of basketball ever since, and we just had our first scrimmage two days ago. It just felt great being back on the court. I enjoyed it. I loved it.”

But for as much excitement as there is to be back on the court, coaches and players are equally enthusiastic to be back in the Owensboro community.

“We look for good men on the court that also do the things off the court, being in the community, the school visits if we’re allowed this year,” said Mark Anderson, head coach and general manager of the Owensboro Thoroughbreds. “Last year, our school visits were unbelievable. They turned into almost like whole school assemblies in the elementary.”

Last year, the Thoroughbreds got to interact with students at Country Heights, Deer Park Elementary, and many other schools to emphasize the importance of education, even as an athlete.

The team also sponsored the 3-on-3 Confidence League at the Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club where they had more than 170 kids participate, and on the court, tri-state citizens will get the opportunity to see some familiar faces that played in Owensboro, Evansville, and Muhlenberg.

“We have Hunter Noffsinger from KWC. We have Evan Mulligan, who’s from Evansville and played at KWC, and also Jaiveon Eaves, who played at Murray State.”

And when you go to an Owensboro Throughbreds game, the players guarantee you’ll see great games and highlight plays.

“They’re going to see a lot of excitement, a lot of up and down, a lot of threes, a lot of dunking, a lot of excitement, a lot of stuff for the kids to do during the game breaks, during timeouts and during halftime.”

The Thoroughbreds tip off their season this Saturday in Dayton, and they’ll take the court at the Sportscenter next Friday against the Columbus Condors where they’ll offer mouthwatering bbq and dazzling dunks.

The Thoroughbreds are a minor league team based out of Owensboro competing in the “TBL” or the Basketball League.

The team was founded in 2017, where they went 14-and-19 in the NAPB.

After a season cut short by COVID-19 in 2020, head coach Mark Anderson says the guys are ready to go and playback in front of their home crowd.

”The people of Owensboro are fabulous, to get going it’s been a long time since we had to shut down last year due to COVID halfway thru the season. So we’re gonna get going, and we’re looking forward to it,” said Anderson. “We’ve assembled a great team of men here that can play basketball, and they’re good on and off the court. Those are the things that we look for so we’re ready to go.”

The Thoroughbreds will tip off their schedule Tuesday in an exhibition in Kokomo. 

Regular season play begins April 9 at Dayton. The teams’ first home game at the Sportscenter is slated for Friday, April 16.

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