5 takeaways from another memorable Big Blue Madness

The 2018-19 Kentucky Wildcats men’s and women’s basketball teams made their first appearance tonight in Rupp Arena.

Big Blue Madness.

There was a lot to see, so here are my biggest takeaways from the opening night.

Coach Matthew Mitchell had the best dance moves of the night

Most players do a dance when they get announced in front of the Rupp Arena crowd.

However, the best dance moves didn’t belong to a player. They belonged to the Kentucky Wildcats women’s head coach, Matthew Mitchell.

Coach Mitchell broke out dancing right in the middle of the dance team. I’ve heard of his legendary moves before, but they’re even better in person.

He is one heck of an entertainer. And he’s the ultimate promoter of the Lady Cats.

This team has a lot of attitude, and a lot of swagger

The freshmen looked like they’ve been here for years with how confident they were. And the sophomores were even more so.

Quade Green came out with the famous shades on during his Rupp Arena entrance.

Immanuel Quickley had some awesome dance moves.

Jonny David did the Carlton.

And of course, Reid Travis came out like a grown man.

These guys were having a lot of fun, and they got to welcome back and meet the 1948, 1949, and 1951 national championship teams.

It was a special moment for the current players, the former players, and everyone in attendance.

This team has a lot of shooters

How do you know Kentucky’s shooting has improved this year?

Why not start with a three-point shooting contest?

PJ Washington’s shot has really improved. He made more shots in the first round than Quade Green.

Of course, Tyler Herro and Jemarl Baker looked good, but don’t sleep on Immanuel Quickley. Quickley won the McDonald’s All-American three-point contest and he has a smooth shot as well.

The finals came down to Quickley and Herro. And in the first ever three-point shooting contest at Big Blue Madness, Quickley narrowly edged out Herro by a score of 22-21.

And several athletes

The three-point contest was followed by the first ever dunk contest. The contestants included PJ Washington, Tyler Herro, and Keldon Johnson.

The dunks consisted of windmills, 360s, and between-the-legs dunks. It was a fun show to say the least.

PJ jumped over Quade Green for the slam.

Not to be outdone, Keldon Johnson came back by jumping over Quade Green and a manager for the dunk.

And after all the comparisons to Rex Chapman, Tyler Herro threw on the throwback Chapman jersey before throwing down his final dunk.

In the end, PJ Washington came out as the dunk contest champion.

Make no mistake about it: The team is absolutely stacked!

This team is going to be special. They’re loaded with talent, both newcomers and veterans.

They showed a lot of confidence, and they showed their versatility.

It’s going to be a fun year. Is it November 6 yet?

Keldon Johnson is healthy and he’s very, very good

Johnson sprained his ankle in the pro day practice. It didn’t look good and Coach Calipari immediately ended the practice.

Nobody was sure if he’d suit up today, but he did and he didn’t hold anything back.

Johnson shot well in the three-point contest, showed off his athleticism in the dunk contest, and was all over the court during the scrimmage.

He didn’t show a sign of rust. Instead, he showed that he is the best overall player on this team and he’ll be a first-round draft pick next year.

Enjoy him while you can, BBN. He’s going to have a special year.