Big Blue Madness game thread and pregame reading

It’s hard to believe, but the return of Kentucky Wildcats basketball is tonight as Big Blue Madness kicks off the new season! The event starts at 7 pm ET and will take place at Rupp Arena with a sold-out crowd. It will air on the SEC Network and can be streamed online using WatchESPN.

Last season BBM was held at Memorial Coliseum due to COVID, so it’s going to be great seeing fans at Rupp again, especially since it’s a sold-out crowd.

With the remarkable success we’ve seen from the Kentucky football team this season, paired with the dreadful year we saw from Kentucky basketball in 2020-21, it feels like the basketball program has flown under the radar for one of the few times in school history.

I expect that to change after tonight’s BBM. After an aggressive offseason from Coach Cal this Kentucky team is looking dangerous. Orlando Antigua is back, big-time recruits are already secured, and improved perimeter shooting should have this program coming back with a vengeance this season.

I’m excited to see how involved TyTy Washington, Kellan Grady, Oscar Tshiebwe and Keion Brooks will be with the team. Those three are going to have a huge impact on this squad.

Oh, and I’m sure there will be plenty of Shaedon Sharpe rumor talk throughout the night.

Lexington is going to be a very fun place to be for the next seven months. Get hyped for BBM by checking out some of these pregame reads:

• Big Blue Madness preview, visitors, how to watch, and Friday headlines
• The Road Between Pro Day and the Madness
• Shaedon Sharpe “strongly considering” enrolling early at Kentucky, per report
• DJ Wagner, Reed Sheppard and Mackenzie Mgbako visiting UK for Big Blue Madness
• Where UK recruits stand in 247 Sports’ updated 2023 rankings
• The latest on Shaedon Sharpe
• Kristen Crenshaw-Gill joins Kentucky women’s basketball roster
• Where Kentucky Basketball players rank in the updated ESPN Draft rankings
• John Calipari visits Alier Maluk
• Kentucky Basketball 2021-22 schedule
• Kentucky basketball 2021-22 roster
• Kentucky basketball recruiting in the 2022 class: What to know

Now, let’s get this party started!