LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bill Self said it. Tony Bennett said it. Micah Shrewsberry said it with authority.
They respect every ounce of the men's college basketball Scott Davenport has built at Bellarmine University. But they are not playing the Knights next season.
Not happening.
NOT HAPPENING.
"We can't get anybody," Davenport said. "We're begging."
In fact, Davenport said that Shrewsberry told him last winter, while he was the head coach at Penn State, that he watched video of about 10 Bellarmine games even though the Knights were not on his schedule.
Just don't ask Self (Kansas), Bennett (Virginia) or Shrewsberry (now at Notre Dame) for a game.
Add those three programs to at least 20 others that Davenport said turned down Bellarmine as the Knights scrambled to book the five road games against high-major opponents the school uses to fund a portion of its entire athletic department.
(Relax, Bellarmine fans. You know Davenport is as relentless as a jackhammer. His staff has secured four of its usual five high major games, and they are awaiting the arrival of the contract for the fifth. Details, shortly. Promise.)
Over the last three seasons, as the Knights started the transition from Division II to Division I competition, Bellarmine played UCLA and Duke twice with single games against Louisville, Clemson, Kentucky, Purdue, Saint Mary's, Gonzaga, West Virginia and Notre Dame.
They are 1-11 in those games. The victory (67-66) came in their season opener against Louisville last Nov. 9.
But coaches like Self and Shrewsberry (a guy Davenport has known since his days at Hanover College) watch the way Davenport's teams pass, share and value the ball. They shake their heads at the idea of a game against Bellarmine in the opening weeks of the season.
Saturday night, as Davenport was leaving the Peach Jam Nike EYBL AAU Tournament in North Augusta, South Carolina, he said Self called his name in the parking lot outside the building.
"I'd never met Bill Self," Davenport said. "He called me 'Scotty.' Most people that call me Scotty are usually from the south end, people that I grew up with.
"I turned and said, 'Yes, sir.'
"He grabbed me and put his arm around me and said, 'I just want to say to you that you're one amazing basketball coach.'
"I said, 'As a coach, Thank you very much. But you could really thank me if you'd agree to play us.'
"And he said, 'I won't play you for 50 years.' "
On it went. Davenport said Shrewsberry turned down a Notre Dame-Bellarmine game after the coaches spent parts of three days together at high school tournament in Shelbyville last month.
Davenport said Bennett told him Virginia scheduled a game against Billy Gillispie and Tarleton State over Bellarmine.
Did beating Louisville result in more unreturned telephone calls?
"They would have to answer that," Davenport said,.
But what do you think, coach?
"Oh, it didn't help," he said.
Here is your chance to exhale, Bellarmine fans. Davenport said he will take his team to Utah where the Knights will play Brigham Young and Utah on Dec. 20 and 22.
They will bus to Morgantown for a game against West Virginia, which defeated Bellarmine, 74-55, two seasons ago. Considering the turmoil surrounding the WVU roster and disputed resignation of coach Bob Huggins, the Knights could steal that win.
There will be a return game with Louisville that Davenport negotiated when he cleared an opening for the Cards' volleyball team to use Freedom Hall for NCAA Tournament matches two seasons ago.
This time, the Cards will not open their season against Bellarmine. The game will be Nov. 28 at the KFC Yum! Center. Davenport said the date will be special to him because Nov. 28 is his mother's birthdate as well as the due date for his second grandchild.
Game 5 for a guarantee check?
That's the contract that Bellarmine awaits, likely against another West Coast opponent.
On Monday morning, before Davenport welcomed more than 250 players to another week of basketball camp, he said he composed a pair of letters that he will send by express mail Tuesday.
The first letter will be to Self, thanking him for his kind words (and, who knows, maybe opening the door for future scheduling talk).
The second will be to Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts who became NCAA president in March.
With the Knights beginning their fourth and final year of ineligibility for the NCAA Tournament as a transitional program, Davenport said he will continue to press Davis and other NCAA officials to change the rule so Bellarmine can be tournament eligible next season.
"I will not stop," Davenport said. "Because the players deserve it.
"Why? If I had one wish, I just wish those people in a decision-making role would look at these players in this locker room, like I do every day. Because they would change a rule like that."
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