MSNBC’s Mike Miller — no relation to the T-Wolves’ recent acquisition — reports that Roane State (of the powerful Tennesse Junior College Athletic Association) are about to suit up a 73 year old who’s not played competitive hoops in more than half a century.

The attention™s nice, but right now, Ken Mink™s more concerned about how he™ll fare. He last played college hoops at Lees College (Ky.) in 1956. If Mink does see the court, he knows he™ll be a little nervous. It™s been a while since he™s been on that stage.

œFifty-two years, Mink says. œCan I retain that memory? Can I recapture that? I don™t know. It™s going to be a mystery for me.

Thankfully, there won™t be a lot of pressure on Mink. Roane, a community college about 35 miles west of Knoxville, is expected to be among its league™s better teams this season. According to its coach, Randy Nesbit, the Raiders are a deep, fairly talented team. If Mink does play, it™ll probably be for a few minutes. But don™t expect him to be left behind.

œHe does have his physical limitations, Nesbit says. œBut he™s also got this moxie about him. He™s going to hit his shots if he™s open. You think ˜Oh, he™s 73, he™s going to freeze up. Nope. He™ll hit that 20 footer.

That shooting ability keeps Mink from being a publicity stunt. He™s extremely mobile (his 40-yard dash is 6.6 seconds) and agile (he sports a 20-inch vertical) for a septuagenarian, but isn™t in the same class as some of the team™s other players. That™s not the point, though. He just plays his game.

œI don™t profess to be as good as these guys, Mink says. œBut I do know they can™t let me roam free.

Besides, he™s seen plenty of stiff defense in practice, usually because of his teammates™ pride.

œThey don™t want to be the guy who has their buddies say ˜The old guy took you to the bank!™  Mink says. œI™m not getting anything easy”.

As much as I’d love to dismiss this as a stunt, Mink can apparently beat at least two members of the current Knicks roster in a foot race.