Kentucky Basketball players make surprise appearance at local basketball camp

The Kentucky Basketball team is in the midst of summer workouts and classes, a critical time for conditioning and team bonding. Yesterday, four Wildcats took a timeout to make some Lexington-area kids’ day.

On Wednesday, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Walker Horn, and Amari Williams dropped by the S.T. Roach Basketball Camp at the Dunbar Community Center, where they spent a few hours talking with the kids, answering questions, and working with them on various skills and drills. According to Paul Hooper, who works for Lexington Parks & Recreation, which puts the camp on, the campers were initially in shock when Butler, Carr, Horn, and Williams walked in. After some early nerves, they quickly warmed up in the Q&A session, asking the Wildcats a “TON” of questions. Both campers and players had a ball during the drills.

Participating in basketball camps is nothing new to the Cats — UK hosts several during the summer — but the S.T. Roach Camp is special because it offers skill instruction to area kids for free, an invaluable service for families and children who may not be able to afford it otherwise. The camp was started in 1994 by legendary Hall of Fame coach S.T. Roach and is held at Dunbar Community Center every summer. Roach built a dynasty at Dunbar, winning 512 games and capturing six regional titles and two Kentucky High School Athletic League State Championships.

Dunbar Community Center is a story in itself. Opened on Feb. 14, 1923 as the original Dunbar High School, it was the first black high school in Kentucky to be admitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In 1967, the school closed due to desegregation and in the 1970s, it was turned into a community center. It is in the Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame and was recognized as a “Glory Road Site” by the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.

Good on ya, Cats. Check out some photos of the camp below.