Big Blue Madness preview, viewing info, recruits list, and open thread

College basketball is finally back.

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats men’s and women’s basketball teams will be back in action inside historic Rupp Arena for Big Blue Madness 2023. It will be televised on the SEC Network at 7 pm ET. You can stream it online with WatchESPN and on mobile devices using the ESPN app.

This will be tonight’s open thread, so be sure to come join the discussion in the comments section!

And follow our own Dylan Ballard for footage directly from Rupp Arena!!

The event will feature introductions of the men’s and women’s teams, contests, practice drills, scrimmages, and more. This is the 18th time that Big Blue Madness has been held in Rupp Arena.

After winning gold in the GLOBL Jam Tournament this Summer, the Wildcats will have high expectations this upcoming year. The one key part for this year is to make sure everyone is fully healthy come tournament time, as Ugonna Onyenso and Aaron Bradshaw are still out for several more weeks, according to John Calipari’s comments on Wednesday during UK’s Pro Day.

The past couple of years, Kentucky has had to deal with injuries throughout the years, and going into the NCAA Tournament as well, with hopefully a fully healthy team come March, the team will be able to at least make it to the second week of the NCAA Tournament, a feat that has not happened since the 2018-19 season when Kentucky made it to the Elite Eight against Auburn.

Last year during Big Blue Madness, many former Wildcats came back to enjoy the event with fans, and some were even judges during the dunk contest, which Jacob Toppin eventually won.

And with John Calipari having so many connections, he could potentially bring back not just former stars to the event but also celebrities like Drake, who has made an appearance over the years.

The most exciting part is potentially Zvonimir Ivisic making an appearance at Big Blue Madness on Friday since he just arrived on campus. As all fans know, it has been an odyssey to get Ivisic on campus, with many people wondering if he would ever step foot on campus due to academic requirements.

Now with Big Z being accepted and the potential appearance from the Croatian big man during the event, the crowd would go wild if he’s there to have his name announced.

Here is more information if you want to enjoy the Madness from home.

Big Blue Madness 2023

Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Time: 7:00 pm ET on October 13th, 2023.

TV Channel: SEC Network will have TV coverage.

Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app (mobile).

Replay: WatchESPN

Kentucky Basketball Roster

Expected Recruits List:

• Travis Perry
• Gabe Weis
• Caleb Wilson
• Darius Acuff
• Billy Richmond
• Darryn Peterson
• Jasper Johnson
• Malachi Moreno
• Somto Cyril (commit)