Click Here To Purchase Men's Basketball Season Tickets

RICHMOND, Ky. – EKU assistant basketball coach Patrick Blake was selected to participate in the prestigious 2021 TopConnect Basketball Virtual Symposium presented by Teamworks and INFLCR.  TopConnect identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major athletics directors providing tremendous networking and leadership development opportunities for both parties.
 
The symposium will be held Tuesday and Wednesday.  
 
In its fourth year, TopConnect develops educational programming that allows these top assistant coaches to hear from a wide variety of successful leaders and speakers.  The 2021 virtual symposium is headlined by a panel of prominent and successful head coaches in Tina Langley, Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Washington, and Mike Rhoades, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Virginia Commonwealth University.  The fan-favorite session of "Speed Dating" returns and allows for rapid networking to take place between the assistant coaches and administrators.
 
"I am extremely honored and excited for this amazing opportunity to learn and grow as a coach," Blake said.  "I am so grateful to TopConnect for the recognition and for the great work they do in growing our game.  This is a top-notch event and can't wait to be a part of it!"
 
Other sessions include a panel of mid-major athletics directors who recently completed a basketball coaching search; a breakout session on the first 100 days on the job from recent head coaching hires during the past year, navigating the media, a small group setting with search firm representatives from across the country and a panel on coaches who are entering their second year and the lessons they've learned.  The three-word mantra of "Connect. Prepare. Lead." identifies the purpose of TopConnect.
 
TopConnect continues to pave the way in development of the next generation of leaders in college athletics.  Since its inception in 2018, seventeen attendees have been hired as athletics directors, head men's basketball coaches or head women's basketball coaches. 
 
Men's Basketball:  Dwayne Killings, University at Albany; Kyle Neptune, Fordham University; Tony Stubblefield, DePaul University; Greg Gary, Mercer University; Kim English, George Mason University; Brett Nelson, College of the Holy Cross; Rashon Burno, Northern Illinois University; Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois University; Steve Lutz, Texas A&M, Corpus Christi; Isaac Brown, Wichita State University; Drew Valentine, Loyola University, Chicago; and Jay Young, Fairfield University.
 
Women's Basketball:  Ganiyat Adeduntan, Colgate University; Mark Campbell, California State University – Sacramento and Cayla Petree, Morehead State University.
 
Director of Athletics:  Randale Richmond, Kent State University and Dr. Trayvean Scott, Grambling State University.
 
TopConnect is on all social media platforms @TopConnectLead.
 
EKU men's basketball season tickets start at just $59.  All seats are reserved.  Eastern Kentucky University employees who pay for their season tickets before Aug. 30 will receive 10 percent off the price of their 2021-22 season tickets (does not apply to impact fees).  All men's basketball season tickets include free parking for the 2021-22 season as well.  Men's basketball season tickets can be purchased online at EKUSports.com/MBBSeasonTix.
 
Please contact the ticket office at tickets@eku.edu or 844-3-GOBIGE with additional questions.