UK men’s, women’s basketball teams
kickoff 2011-12 season at Big Blue Madness

On a night when University of Kentucky men’s basketball head coach John Calipari tried to define the “Kentucky effect,” the phenomenon may have been best illustrated by the capacity crowd to watch the first official practice of the 2011-12 season.

“What an incredible night to celebrate the things that make our program great, that make the Commonwealth’s team the best program in the country,” Calipari told the crowd after his current team was introduced at Big Blue Madness.

“That is the Kentucky effect, having high aspirations and standards in everything you do,” Calipari said. “The Kentucky effect is about being the best in all areas. It is pushing and promoting our players and putting them in the best position to reach their dreams. They will in turn help us create the lifelong memories and lift the banners that we all yearn for.”

The Kentucky effect could be seen elsewhere at Big Blue Madness, the annual kickoff to the basketball season.

It was in the crowd. It was in the players. It was in the nine current NBA and former UK players who came back to Lexington for the event. It was in women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell, who entered Rupp Arena in a Michael Jackson-esque costume and danced his way onto the court.

“My challenge to this program, its fans, these players and this coaching staff is to embrace the belief and have an attitude that our potential is limitless, we see no plateaus and we see no stopping points,” Calipari said. “Let’s persist beyond what is and create what was never before imagined.”

In addition to speeches and player introductions, the night featured a snippet of basketball — giving fans their first taste of what to expect this season. In a short scrimmage, UK’s Blue and White teams combined to score 142 points.

While UK fans can remember this night as the first time they saw freshmen Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist play, they can also remember it as the night Calipari re-asserted his vision of the present and future of the UK program.

“We are still aiming for the mountaintop,” Calipari said. “But just like every team we’ve had here, we’re starting at the bottom of the mountain with a new team and a lot of young players. Once again, it is about becoming one unit with a single heartbeat, a single cause and a unified love shared among teammates, coaches, staff and the greatest fans in the world, the Big Blue Nation.”