Top story for University of Kentucky basketball fans this week involves 10 players getting rich on Thursday night, right? Karl Anthony Townes down to second round surprises, we’re familiar with the names already.

It is not the top story.

That would be elephant-in-the-room linkage between the following …

A $outheastern Conference mid-June report boasting unparallel prosperity and payout to 14 schools. Along with an encyclical last Friday from University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees. To Big Blue Nation basketball fans. Essentially, “if you want to continue watching the Wildcats D-League affiliate play in Rupp Arena, it’s going to cost you more.”

• First, the $EC headline: 14 Southeastern Conference schools will receive a record payout of $31.2 million this year. “An amazing take of $455.8 million last season,” the report said. “The 14 conference universities are topping last year’s $20.9 million payout, increasing the take over $10 per school for 2015.”

• Closer to home, June 19, a UK news release said its Board of Trustees had rubber stamped an annual athletic department budget of $123 million, $15 million more than last year.

A what?

“… to help offset a larger athletic budget, ticket prices to men’s basketball games will rise,” it said.

By 13 to 21 percent, a hike for season tickets. $950 for upper-level individual tickets from $840 last year. Lower arena tickets increase to $1,140 from $945.

“Game ticket sales will generate $2.5 million for the university, the report said.

And, (pssst!) the budget includes pay increases for the head coach and assistants.

Pausing a moment for a mind boggle and head scratch, take a deep breath and look for numerical clarity …

• From the SEC surplus, UK receives $31.2 million, $10 million more than last year. UK’s board of trustees, with a $15 million budget increase, has a $15.2 million surplus and still its members had the audacity to squeeze fans at a 13 to 21 percent ticket price hike.

What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing. Supply and demand. Just business.

Addition by subtraction: Next step in eliminating fans unable or unwilling to pay more making available more tickets to those willing to pay and able to “get onto the priority list” to pay rights fee to purchase tickets in future.

Those who cannot or won’t pay the price? “Step out of line, please, someone behind you is waiting.”

Added to the charade (and a reminder to PR spin doctors at UK to spread out the timing on news releases), UK’s Mitch Barnhart was honored last week by Under Armour as Athletics Directors of the Year along with Chris Del Conte (TCU), Warde Manuel (UConn) and Ian McCaw (Baylor).

On cue, UK president Eli Capilouto extolled the virtues of his co-CEO other-side-of-Euclid Avenue “for steady and successful leadership of University of Kentucky athletics program.”

Really?

• What successful business model rewards one whose budget requires a $15 million increase despite a $31.2 million windfall?

• Beyond brag about ‘team GPA’ where is public accounting for student progress toward degrees and graduation rates in men’s basketball?

• With University of North Carolina’s outlandish paper class fraud gone on for more than a dozen years as fair warning, where is a public accountability from a public university on what courses being selected by or for athletes and progress as students at a place of higher learning?

• On another track, upgrades to Commonwealth Stadium are amply reported, and still a spring survey said UK’s stadium ranks 13th of 14 in the SEC. What impact on recruiting?

• And now, 13 to 21 percent ticket price hikes for basketball fans. History tells us football fans are one winning season over the horizon from a ticket price jump.

Big sports story in Kentucky this week? NBA Draft, right? University of Kentucky and media herd would have you think so.

Not.

NBA DRAFT BUZZ

While HHH (hazy, hot and humid) takes command of summertime and Kansas City baseball fans are stuffing baseball’s All-Star game ballot box, headlines in ball sports still gravitate to the large one, basketball.

This week: Last rumors from NBA mock draft experts as they move from examining vertical jumps and foot speed and wade into trade rumors coupled to destinations for college players.

Most intriguing may be one involving Willie Cauley Stein and Devin Booker.

The Boston Celtics want Cauley-Stein, but the ex-UK big man is projected to go at number five to Orlando. Last week by way of logic that defies most of us, ESPN’s Chad Ford said the Celtics were trying to create a trade partnership with Charlotte with hopes Cauley-Stein might still be on the board at number nine. Presently, the Hornets have the ninth pick and, as of Sunday, were set to pick Devin Booker.

Meanwhile, the NBA Draft Thursday projects players with Kentucky ties this way.

No. 1 Karl Anthony Townes to Minnesota Timberwolves. No. 3 D’Angelo Russell to Philadelphia 76ers. No. 5 Willie Cauley-Stein to Orlando Magic. No. 9 Devin Booker to Charlotte Hornets. No. 14 Cameron Payne to Oklahoma City Thunder. No. 15 Trey Lyles to Atlanta Hawks. No. 20 Montrezl Harrell to Toronto Raptors.

Second round

No. 35 Terry Rozier to Philadelphia 76ers. No. 37 Andrew Harrison to Philadelphia 76ers. No. 41 Dakari Johnson to Brooklyn Nets. No. 51 Aaron Harrison to Orlando Magic.

Surprises?

√ Murray State sophomore Cameron Payne to Oklahoma City at 14.

√ Of seven University of Kentucky defectors, only four projected in first round.

√ And, ex-Louisville players Montrezl Harrell will go no higher than 20 and Terry Rozier 35th.

PARTING SHOT

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. – Aldous Huxley

And so it goes.

You can reach me at bob.Watkins24@aol.com