Madness makes its mark

Lexington has some new, unconventional residents.

The first regular season men’s basketball game doesn’t tip-off until Nov. 13 when UK takes on Morehead State, but fans have been camping out since midnight on Wednesday to get tickets to the Cats’ first scrimmage.

Big Blue Madness, a glorified scrimmage that brings UK fans together from across the state, is Oct. 16. The tickets are being released Oct. 3 at Memorial Coliseum at 6 a.m.

Junior forward Josh Harrellson and freshman point guard John Wall play cornhole with UK fans who are waiting for Big Blue Madness tickets. Photo by Adam Wolffbrandt | Staff

“It’s a blast,” said Brian Noe, an electrician from Versailles, Ky. “It’s just a big party, everybody’s here for a common goal.”

UK fans have come out in full force by camping out for Big Blue Madness in years past, but 2009 has proven to be a year unlike any other.

According to UK Athletics, as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, there were 191 tents around Memorial Coliseum. That’s 15 more tents than there were the day before tickets were released last year.

“This beats even when Pitino first came,” said Todd Courtney, a factory worker from Versailles, Ky. “Back when Pitino first came, things got rowdy. But this is special here. This is the way UK basketball is supposed to be.”

Courtney and Noe have been friends for the past ten years and traveled to Lexington to spend the week “camping on campus.”

The two set up a large UK canopy across from Wildcat Lodge with two cornhole boards they made. The two boards, with two basketballs sitting in the holes, have been signed by current and former players, along with two UK basketballs. Courtney said the boards would be glazed over once they got signatures from everyone on the team.

Courtney said junior forward Josh Harrellson and sophomore guard Darius Miller came over and played cornhole with his group and “won more than they lost.”

In addition to getting the tickets, the fans agreed the experience of camping out for Big Blue Madness was about as much fun as the event itself.

“Of course you get the tickets Saturday morning,” biology sophomore Shawn Gipson said. “But it’s really all the fans coming together in unison and meeting new people and enjoying each other’s company.”

Forestry junior Paul Elliot sets up his tent in front of Memorial Coliseum to wait for men's basketball tickets for Big Blue Madness on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Photo by Scott Hannigan | Staff

“It’s the fans,” said Mike Bean, a truck driver from Bell County. “Everybody coming out and hanging out, it’s all about Kentucky basketball.”

Bean said he loves meeting new people each year and then seeing them again the next year. Bean, like many fans, is using his vacation days from work to camp out.

With hoards of tents, cornhole boards, lawn chairs and ladder ball games filling up the grass around Memorial Coliseum, the experience isn’t like any other.

Members of the basketball team come by and talk to the loyal campers and hang out with them during the camping.

“(Patrick) Patterson’s probably one my favorites this year,” Gipson said. “I met him last year. He’s a great guy, really nice to the fans.”

Along with the highly touted recruiting class numerous recruiting services have called one of the best in the history of college basketball, the new head coach has the fans in a frenzy.

“I wish we had gotten (UK head coach John Calipari) a couple years back,” Courtney said. “But sometimes timing is what it is … He hasn’t coached a game yet, but I like the way he’s embraced us as fans, he’s embracing Wildcat Nation and he’s enjoying it and I like the idea that he’s truly enjoying it.”

Most fans agreed a Southeastern Conference Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight or Final Four was an expectation they believed could be fulfilled. After not even making it to the NCAA Tournament last season, that would be quite the feat.

“I think we’re going to get results from (Calipari),” Gipson said. “A lot better than the old coach who won’t be named.”

Tickets are free again this year, but there will be a limit of two tickets per person if you wait in line outside Memorial Coliseum. If you decide to order tickets online at Ticketmaster.com, a minimal service fee is attached.

“The last few years Kentucky hasn’t been Kentucky,” Noe said. “Now (being the favorites again) is starting to be what we’re expecting.”