Thunderbolts 'will not fail' with help from former UT players

Look for some good ole Big Orange at tryouts Saturday morning for the Knoxville Thunderbolts basketball team, a first-year American Basketball Association franchise.

Thunderbolts co-owner and general manager Chris Glisson expects to see several former University of Tennessee players at the tryout, which runs 9-noon at Grace Christian Academy.

“There will be a lot of former UT players,” Glisson said. “It will be exciting, very exciting.”

Players who miss Saturday’s tryout will get another chance Sept. 20 at Grace Christian.

Glisson said anybody can try out.

“If they come in, they can try out,” he said.

Glisson and the co-owners in the Huffson Group are confident their ABA franchise will survive and thrive where another has failed.

In April of 2006, the Knoxville Noise was established. The Noise played 12 games in the ABA that season — only a couple at home — before disbanding in January of 2007.

“It will not fail,” said Dr. Marty Glisson, president of the Huffson Group and the Thunderbolts. “We’re going to start the season, we’re finishing the season.”

The Thunderbolts’ season starts Nov. 8 and ends March 15. Their schedule includes 15 road games and 15 home games at Grace Christian.

Chris Glisson said the Thunderbolts were careful not to schedule home games on the same dates with UT home games and that most home games won’t conflict with regular high school game nights, Tuesday and Friday.

“Only one (game date) will be on the same date as a UT basketball game,” Chris Glisson said, “and that one, I think is an earlier game and ours is a night game.”

Chad Smith, a former South-Doyle High School coach, will coach the Thunderbolts. Smith also is coaching the Tennessee Travelers travel team and coached in the Pilot Rocky Top Summer League.

Chris Glisson said other teams in the Thunderbolts’ division of the ABA will be located in Nashville, Atlanta, Bluefield, W.Va., Winston-Salem, N.C., Owensboro, Ky., and Nassau, the Bahamas.

Single-game tickets for home games are $15 for adults, $13 for children and senior citizens. Season tickets and group packages also are available (www.knoxvillethunderbolts.com).

Chris Glisson said the owners plan to make the Thunderbolts’ games highly entertaining with loud music, bright lights, and pre-game and halftime shows, and that several special events have been planned.

“We’re bringing a college atmosphere to the professional league,” Glisson said. “… We’re involving the community as much as possible and so far they have embraced us tremendously compared to the previous organization.”

The Thunderbolts owners hope they can capitalize on the fanfare generated by the recent success of UT basketball and Vols coach Bruce Pearl and the popular Pilot Rocky Top League.

“The Pilot Rocky Top League is awesome,” Chris Glisson said. “Of course, a lot of players in that league are going to be trying out for the team.”

The Huffson Group has been operating the non-profit GENESIS International for the last 10 years, placing food programs and educational facilities for the needy all over the world.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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