Richie Farmer gets to see son play in Sweet 16

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Richie Farmer was back in Rupp Arena — site of his greatest athletic achievements and where his jersey hangs from the rafters — on Thursday, and he expected it to be an emotional night.

Farmer, a former Clay County High School and University of Kentucky basketball star, sat in the third row to watch his son Trey play for Clay County in the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16.

It was one of his last evenings as a free man before starting a 27-month prison sentence. A federal judge delayed the start of the sentence for a week just so he could attend.

"I'm as thankful as I can be," Farmer said before Clay County's first-round game against Covington Catholic. "I didn't think there was a chance, but I wanted to ask and do everything I could to get the opportunity to be here, and I certainly appreciate the opportunity and want to relish the moment."

Farmer is a Kentucky high school legend who led the Tigers to the 1987 state title, then scored 51 points in a loss to Ballard in the 1988 championship game. He played at UK from 1989-92 and was among four "Unforgettables" who helped turn the program around after NCAA probation. Their jerseys were retired and hung from the Rupp rafters.

He said Trey, a sophomore guard who starts for the Tigers and averages 12.5 points, had attended every Sweet 16 since his birth. All those years father and son would sit in the stands and read the program together, pointing out the players on the court.

"We talked about what a neat experience it would be if he were ever here playing," Farmer said. "So he's going to get to live that dream sort of like I did when I was a kid growing up. It's going to be really special, and this means more to me than anything I ever accomplished, that's for sure."

Farmer was convicted of misappropriating government funds for the benefit of himself, his family and friends while serving as state agriculture commissioner from 2004-11. He originally was scheduled to report last Monday to the federal prison in Hazelton, W.Va. Now his report date is next Tuesday.

"There's a lot of mixed emotions," he said of his impending prison term. "I really don't know how to feel, but I want to enjoy this, and then I'll worry about that after this is over."

Farmer was appreciative of friends he encountered in Rupp Arena who voiced their support and are keeping his family in their thoughts and prayers. He said Trey has done well to not let the criminal case affect his season.

"But I think basketball has been that shelter for them," Farmer said. "It's been kind of an escape for them."