Memorable Moments from Big Blue Madness 2018
It just never disappoints.
In spite of all the hype – from the campout for tickets to the speculation about who will and won’t dance – Big Blue Madness always delivers the goods, serving as the perfect way to ring in a new season for the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The latest edition was no different, as the Wildcats took the floor in front of a buzzing crowd in Rupp Arena for the first open practice opportunity for both squads.
Let’s take a look at the moments to remember from Big Blue Madness 2018.
Mitchell’s latest dance
. @UKCoachMitchell definitely won the Level Up Challenge. What do you think @ciara?! ?? #poWEr pic.twitter.com/gxwIiZRBuQ
— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) October 12, 2018
Matthew Mitchell has set a high standard for himself over the years, going from the Dougie to Michael Jackson to Bruno Mars. This year, he may have done his most appropriate dance to date.
Perfectly fitting the season’s theme of “poWEr,” Mitchell danced to Ciara’s “Level Up” alongside members of the UK dance team. Well practiced and showing characteristic rhythm, Mitchell again drew rave reviews from the Rupp Crowd.
But believe it or not, he may not have even had the best women’s basketball dance of the evening.
Morris upstages her coach
Thank you so much for making this night even more amazing! It was perfect!?? #BBM18 https://t.co/TGUbRmU6fp
— Maci Morris (@Maci4Mo) October 12, 2018
Maci Morris, participating in her final Big Blue Madness, was responsible for that.
Morris chose a Kentucky-centric version of Tracy Byrd’s “I’m from the Country” remade by Walker Montgomery, complete with miming a shotgun and pretending she was wearing a coonskin hat to match the song’s lyrics. The Bell County native punctuated her dance to raucous cheers by taking off her jacket to reveal a shirt with the Kentucky state outline on it.
The basketball
Big Blue Madness might be more spectacle than practice, but Friday night was still a chance for fans in Rupp Arena and watching at home on the SEC Network to get a preview of their teams this season.
The women’s team, without question, is going to be led by its senior guards, Morris and Taylor Murray. They won’t be able to do it alone though, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have to. Sophomores KeKe McKinney and Tatyana Wyatt appear poised to build on their debut seasons, while freshmen Rhyne Howard and Blaire Green look ready to contribute right away. Howard, in fact, was one team’s primary ball-handler. At 6-foot-2, she could be a readymade matchup nightmare.
On the men’s side, there were lots of 3s and dunks and (understandably) little defense. Knowing how the Cats played defense on the Big Blue Bahamas Tour, that should be of little concern. The Cats have plenty of talent and fans have plenty of reason for optimism.
Quickley, Washington take 3-point, dunk contest titles
The men’s team played an abbreviated scrimmage on Friday in favor of a 3-point and dunk contest, both of which brought plenty of entertainment.
In the 3-point contest, Tyler Herro and Immanuel Quickley were impressive in the first round, scoring 21 and 20 points, respectively. In the final, Quickley went off and scored the upset. Quickley scored 22 points in a repeat of his 3-point contest championship at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
In the dunk contest, Herro, Keldon Johnson and PJ Washington squared off in a three-round dunk contest with the winner determined by Twitter votes. Washington, it seems, might have added a little bounce for his sophomore return. He put down an impressive first dunk and followed it up with a trademark mean mug. He jumped over Quade Green for his second dunk, but even that wasn’t his best. With his final dunk, Washington threw down a windmill off a perfect pass from Green off the side of the backboard.
Johnson hung around and Herro broke out a Rex Chapman jersey for his final dunk, but in the end Washington was the obvious choice.
PJ Washington wins the #BBM18 Dunk Contest ?? pic.twitter.com/el7KPje2yO
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 13, 2018
Coach Cal’s state of the program address
John Calipari often points out how much he has aged since his first season at Kentucky in 2009-10. He had the photographic evidence to prove it shown on the video board during his state of the program address at Big Blue Madness.
“You people have beat me up,” Calipari lovingly told fans.
The exact opposite is true of this Kentucky team, Calipari says. Coach Cal has been energized by this group of Wildcats, a group he says has already learned the spirit of sacrifice that has defined his best teams.
“It makes me want to keep going,” Calipari said. “I wake up every day excited about coaching my team.”
Both for what it means for this Kentucky team and what it means for Calipari’s future, that’s good news.
Members of UK’s first three title teams come home
Calipari closed his speech by inviting members of Kentucky’s first three national championship teams – 1948, 1949 and 1951 – to the floor to be recognized. Billy Evans, Dwight Price, Cliff Hagan, Guy Strong, Joe B. Hall, Walter Hirsch and Dale Barnstable were all in attendance and met the group of Wildcats that will now be chasing the program’s ninth title.
It was a moment worthy of one of Kentucky basketball’s signature nights.
