Big Blue Madness serves as important recruiting tool
Forward Julius Randle smiles at the crowd as he steps on stage during Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, October 18, 2013. Photo by Eleanor Hasken
October 15, 2014
By Nick Gray
Most five-star recruits are lured in by the iconic college basketball bluebloods that have historically dominated the sport.
Powerhouses like Duke, Kansas and North Carolina have won a considerable amount of games; and its coaches are among the best in the game’s history.
UK is one of those programs that attracts the top talent in the country. However, the reason why UK stands out among others is not because its coach shoots himself out of a cannon — like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo last season — or dresses up like the No. 1 pick from last season — like Kansas’ Bill Self this season.
The Cats shine because they twist things like the first practice of the year and make it a must-see televised spectacle. The big-time recruits, that the bluebloods are chomping at the bit to attend UK’s annual Big Blue Madness.
Look at the recruits whohave made their way to Rupp Arena in October — No. 1 overall picks Andrew Wiggins and Kyrie Irving, along with a host of four-and-five-star recruits who eventually committed to the Cats.
UK head coach John Calipari has turned an event that attracted recruits from around the state into an event that attracts recruits across the country.
At Big Blue Madness, players are at the point of the season where they are least scrutinized and enjoy being in front of the fans the most. Players hear 23,000 members of the Big Blue Nation at their highest volume. Even the eRupption Zone chants for recruits throughout the event.
Big Blue Madness is an exclusive event for recruits. Not every high school basketball player gets the opportunity to attend the event that so many recruits want to watch in-person.
A two-hour glorified celebration of a program should play a huge role in why someone would attend school and play basketball at UK. But a 17-year-old will most enjoy an event like Madness because he will see himself rising up from the stage. He will dream about the fans drowning out the fireworks and imagine his name belted throughout Rupp Arena.
And for a person who has his choice of the world, that may be enough to push him to UK, where the stage, noise and fireworks seem just a little more noticeable than anywhere else.
