UK Hoops ushers in the Madness at Rupp Arena
October 18, 2014
By Joshua Huff
The electricity of the crowd rippled through Rupp Arena Friday night as the annual men’s and women’s UK basketball showcase commonly known as Big Blue Madness kicked off the start of the 2014-15 UK college basketball season.
With a near capacity crowd awaiting feverishly, the night began with UK’s two mascots, The Wildcat and Scratch, descending from the rafters as the crowd roared to life. Not to be outdone, the UK hoops team took to the stage for the player introductions and the night was stolen by a show-stopping performance from head coach Matthew Mitchell.
With the lights dimmed, Mitchell took to the stage and serenaded the crowd with a heartfelt rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are” and “Locked Out of Heaven,” but with a twist. He altered the lyrics and instead of singing “Because You’re Amazing” he sang “Big Blue Nation” in its place. Decked out in a fake wig replicating Mars, he channeled his inner pop star and blew the roof off Rupp to the delight of the crowd.
With the introductions aside, the team took to the court for a short blue and white scrimmage with two 10-minute halfs. With injuries hindering the team, the Cats were able to only dress nine players but that did not stop them from putting on a show that ended with the blue team winning 19-to-11 over the white squad.
