[Westside]

The All “A” Classic basketball tournaments are moving back to Richmond.

The boys’ and girls’ tournaments — unofficial state tournaments annually held for the state’s smallest schools — will be contested from Jan. 24-28 at Eastern Kentucky University’s McBrayer Arena in Alumni Coliseum. The event’s board of directors made the announcement at EKU on Saturday morning.

Frankfort was the tournament’s home for the last five years. The scheduled razing of the Frankfort Convention Center left tournament organizers scrambling for a solution.

EKU, which hosted the event for 20 years before giving it up after 2011, was awarded a three-year contract. The Owensboro Sportscenter also made a proposal that was heavily considered, said Mike Reeves, a tournament director.

We were lucky when Eastern called and said, ‘Well, we’d like to talk to ya,’” Reeves said. All “A” officials weren’t sure if the school would be able to secure the venue for a week’s worth of high school games in the middle of the Ohio Valley Conference men’s and women’s basketball schedule.

Reeves thinks the attention surrounding the impromptu move has ultimately been beneficial for the tournament’s profile.

“The best thing about this whole thing is people actually want our tournament. They really do,” Reeves said. “And not that we thought they wouldn’t, buy you never know. We’ve been surprised, because a lot of people we didn’t think were all that interested have called us or emailed and said, ‘We hope you guys work it out.’ Not that they had sites or anything, but a lot of people had volunteered to help us find a site if we couldn’t.”

A new video board and other renovations have been added to McBrayer Arena since the last time the tournaments were held in the venue.

Reeves said Frankfort had been a great host. He’ll miss the convention center’s arena, which seated about 5,000 fans in a bowl, because both ends of the floor had “fan sections.” Only the “home” team gets use of such a section at McBrayer Arena, which seats about 6,500.

Tournament officials visited the Owensboro Sportscenter, a 5,000-seat venue where Kentucky Wesleyan College’s teams play, and thought it was “really nice,” Reeves said. Parking and hotel situations in both cities were about equal, but EKU’s more centralized location and familiarity helped put it over the top.

“Owensboro is great, but Eastern is Eastern,” Reeves said. “We’ve been there before. I love the atmosphere there.”

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/high-scho...90527.html

[eky.sports.fan]

I'm very glad to hear this, I love going to as many of these games as I can and Richmond is much closer to work and home that other potential sites -

[Wyatt Earp]

EKU was always a great place to for the tournament.

[Trojan4Life]

Be nice to move it back to Memorial one more time!

[E's Army]

EKU always did a good job hosting.

[On The Creek]

Good news here. Richmond is the best location to have this tourney.

[Laker]

EKU always did a great job hosting. Great move, would also not mind seeing it at Memorial. Nice opportunity for the kid to get to play there.

[Blackcat Legend]

Freedom Hall would be a pretty cool place to play it also

[Wolverine]

I am glad to hear the ALL A is headed back to Richmond

[Blue_Bird96]

EKU was a great place for the all A tourney for years! Good move bringing it back!!!

[Spud6]

That brings a happy place back to this ole Betsy Layne boys face.

Good memories in that place!

[Westside]

That brings a happy place back to this ole Betsy Layne boys face.

Good memories in that place!

Do you ever wear your state championship ring?

[E's Army]

Eastern's gym is the perfect size for this event. They have plenty of parking and sufficient hotel rooms.

[Spud6]

Do you ever wear your state championship ring?

Negative. But I did wear it when we as a team got inducted into the Betsy Layne hall of fame this past year.

But me and my uncle talk about the great memories we had playing in that tourney almost every time we see one another. And I know it sounds wired, but yes, he is my uncle. Only two years older than me. Lol

A lot of announcers always would say we were cousins on TV and we'd always get a good laugh out of it.

[Westside]

Negative. But I did wear it when we as a team got inducted into the Betsy Layne hall of fame this past year.

But me and my uncle talk about the great memories we had playing in that tourney almost every time we see one another. And I know it sounds wired, but yes, he is my uncle. Only two years older than me. Lol

A lot of announcers always would say we were cousins on TV and we'd always get a good laugh out of it.

I taught Nathan and Dylan Maldonado when they were in 5th grade. I watched the championship on WYMT. I was rooting hard for you all. That was a really good team. I'm glad you all brought a state title to our school. It's too bad that our school can't keep the talent anymore.

[Spud6]

I taught Nathan and Dylan Maldonado when they were in 5th grade. I watched the championship on WYMT. I was rooting hard for you all. That was a really good team. I'm glad you all brought a state title to our school. It's too bad that our school can't keep the talent anymore.

It does stink to see how the program has taken a hard turn backwards from when nate and them started high to when we graduated in 2014.

[khsgamenight]

Here is an interview from back in August with Mike Reeves, talking about the move back to Richmond.

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[hitter]

what would be nice is if it was truly an all A tournament. its not now. I think they just take the bottom 125 schools attendance wise. for example in the 14th region knott county will participate in it.

[Bluecat]

what would be nice is if it was truly an all A tournament. its not now. I think they just take the bottom 125 schools attendance wise. for example in the 14th region knott county will participate in it.

Could be wrong but think Breathitt and Knott are both in this year.

[cj2561]

Could be wrong but think Breathitt and Knott are both in this year.

if they are, then the All A is a joke then. it is for 1A schools not 3A schools. and next year PCC will be in the All A (if they let Breathitt and Knott in it, way not a bigger schools like Johnson Central, Perry Central, St. X or Male these school are not 1A schools either).

I think Kentucky need to do basketball like they do football. break it up into classes.

[cj2561]

Could be wrong but think Breathitt and Knott are both in this year.

if they are, then the All A is a joke then. it is for 1A schools not 3A schools. and next year PCC will be in the All A (if they let Breathitt and Knott in it, way not a bigger schools like Johnson Central, Perry Central, St. X or Male these school are not 1A schools either).

I think Kentucky need to do basketball like they do football. break it up into classes.

[killerb]

Knott Central has 587 students.

[cj2561]

Knott Central has 587 students.

if the stander is still the same. 1A school is 350 or less students. but that was almost 20 year ago.