Watch the Madness Live...

Andy Katz gives his top 5 college basketball stories for the upcoming season...

Tonight is the Night of all Nights...

Okay, so maybe we're getting a little carried away, but who can blame us? Right? We've been waiting for this night since Calipari was named coach, and finally, it's here. So, let's break the evening down and tell you what you can expect...

Television Coverage...
The Big Blue Sports Network will be covering the event and ESPNU will air portions of it, as well. UKAthletics.com will stream the entire event on their website for free.

Big Blue Sports Network affiliates:
WBKO-CW Bowling Green 7:00 p.m. ET (live)
WYMT-TV Hazard 7:00 p.m. ET (live)
WKAG-TV Hopkinsville 7:00 p.m. ET (live)
WKYT-TV Lexington 7:00 p.m. ET (live)
WMYO-TV Louisville 7:00 p.m. ET (live)
WTVW-TV Evansville 10:00 p.m. CT (delayed)
WSAZ-DT Huntington 10:30 p.m. ET (delayed)
WDKA-TV Paducah/Cape Girardeau 9:00 p.m. CT (delayed)
Fox Sports South (Regional) Oct. 17 at 4:00 p.m. (delayed)

The Details...
- Players and coaches introductions
- Key note message from Coach Cal
- Video Messages from Past UK Players
- Slam Dunk Competition
- Blue-White Scrimmage
- Introduction of the Women's Team and coaches

Rumored Special Guests...
Recording artist and actor, Drake
Tayshaun Prince
Rojon Rondo
(Rondo and Prince are rumored to appear as guest coaches for the scrimmage game)

Recruits in Attendance...
Tobias Harris
CJ Leslie
Achraf Yacoubou
Kyrie Irving
Michael Gilchrist

All in all, tonight is a huge night, and all of the college basketball world will be looking to Lexington before anywhere else as the new season finally begins. As Coach Cal would say... "Let's have fun with this!"

Go Big Blue!

Quick Clicks for Madness Day...

:: John Clay covers UK Media Day, with videos from players
:: Lots of good UK links at Aaron's Sports Blog
:: Several top recruits coming to town for Madness
:: Calipari: "This year's Madness is for the fans"
:: Patrick Patterson is a class act , second to none
:: Pre-Season Q&A with DeCourcy
:: Kentucky already in the conversation as potential National Champs

Lot's more later as we wait for the Big Show tonight! Stay tuned.

Video of Cal's Media Day Presser (10/15)

Click here to watch the video!

Cousins on Wall...

Jeff Drummond from Catspause.com says this, via his Facebook page...

"I'm covering UK basketball media day this afternoon. Interesting comments from freshman Demarcus Cousins who said there's no doubt in his mind John Wall is the top player in college basketball. After a couple of 'Really?' follow-ups, he emphatically said he's never seen anybody better."

Putting the Pieces Together

Now that the St. Louis Cardinals have been unceremoniously eliminated from the playoffs and golf season is over, my focus is now directed solely toward the Cats. As most UK fans can relate, the Cats are always at the forefront of my interest, but now that attention is as undivided as I can remember. Cats fans have a lot to be excited about for the upcoming season and beyond.

More than anything I am curious to see what shape this team takes. Who is going to start? Who is going to finish? How many minutes will the new guys get? How will Harris and Stevenson adjust to a more limited role? Will Coach Cal always go with the slicked back look?

Of course the newness of this team prevents us from answering most of these questions, but that can't stop our rabid fan base from speculating anyway. I have read comments from our coach placing praise on just about everyone of our players, including Mark Krebs. No offense to Krebs, but the praise placed on him by our coach make it hard to read anything into this praise of the other players.

Not having any factual evidence will never stop me from speculating on what lineups we should and should not see. With that being said, here is how I see the lineup shaking out.

C: Cousins (20-25 minutes)
PF: Pat (25-30 minutes)
SF: Miller (20-25 minutes)
SG: Dodson (15-20 minutes)
PG: Wall (25-30 minutes)

Bench:
Bledsoe (20-25 minutes)
Orton (15-20 minutes)
Liggins (15-20 minutes)

Hood, Harris, Stevenson, Harrelson, and Krebs role's are unclear at this point. I can see opportunities for all five to get some playing time, and I can also see the Top 8 being good enough to keep them off the court for any significant periods. There are too many possibilities to count with the different units CAL will have at his disposal. One look I like from our reserve corps would be going with a versatile unit that looks something like this.

C:Orton/Stevenson
PF: Miller/Harris
SF/SG: Hood/Dodson/Liggins
PG:Bledsoe

I can't see Perry Stevenson effectively playing with another one of our bigs besides Patterson in this offense. The Center position is the only position on the court in the DDM that you can hide to a degree. Perry Stevenson could potentially be an anemic version of what Joey Dorsey was for Memphis a few years ago.

I could also see Ramon carving a niche for himself as a smaller PF in a unit designed to run, as well as Darius Miller serving a similar role if we decide to go smaller with our starters. The parts on this team are very interchangeable. Calipari will be able to mix and match to counter pretty much anything anything an opponent could throw at us. We could see three Point Guard's together with Liggins, Wall, and Bledsoe playing alongside two bigs. We could also see Patterson at the wing alongside two other bigs. Patterson has supposedly improved his shooting and athleticism and might be allowed to showcase his game on the wing at some point.

The main drawback with this talented group is the limited time we will have to find out how these parts go together as several of these players likely won't be with us next year. The only other team in the BBNR Top Ten with near the roster turnover would be UNC. The only other team that can compare to this one in recent memory is the Thad Five team a few years back from Ohio State lead by Greg Oden and Mike Conley. It is extremely rare for a team to be ranked so highly with as many questions as the Cats have going into this season. Here is to hoping that Coach Cal can put the pieces together in time for a run in March similar to the one enjoyed by that Ohio State group.

Madness will be streamed live at UKathletics.com...

University of Kentucky Athletics has announced that Big Blue Madness will be streamed live and free of charge on UKathletics.com.

The event will also be televised live on the Big Blue Sports Network.

Big Blue Madness, the first practice opportunity for Kentucky's 2009-10 men's and women's basketball teams, is Friday, Oct.16, at 7:30 p.m. Fans will be allowed to enter Rupp Arena beginning at 6 p.m. the night of the event.

This will be the fifth time Madness has been held at Rupp Arena.

BBNR's Pre-Season Top 25

The BBNR team all voted for our pre-season top 25, and what you'll find below is the average of those rankings. The top 3 were all the same, but in some different orders, on all the ballots. After that, it got interesting, but the final rankings are a fair assessment of what we think will be the best of the best in the new season. Give us your Top 25 in the comments section.

1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Kentucky
4. Villanova
5. Texas
6. North Carolina
7. Purdue
8. UConn
9. West Virginia
10. Duke
11. Tennessee
12. Oklahoma
13. Washington
14. Butler
15. California
16. Ohio State
17. Minnesota
18. Clemson
19. Michigan
20. Georgetown
21. Illinois
22. Mississippi State
23. Oklahoma State
24. Louisville
25. Georgia Tech

Other receiving votes: Dayton, Siena, Gonzaga, UCLA, Florida, Vanderbilt, Xavier, Syracuse

Forgetting Billy Clyde

This week UK Basketball laid to rest maybe the greatest error of it's existence. There are some black eyes in our program's rich history and plenty of skeletons in our closet, but the last two years of the infamous Billy Clyde era may be atop the list. It's been well documented as to why this change had to be made, and I don't think anyone locally or nationally can make a fair case that Billy Clyde should still be in Lexington. With the breaking news this week that UK has settled with the former coach, we can officially receive closure from the Billy Clyde era in the Bluegrass.

It really closes a chapter of irrelevance for UK over the last 4 years. Despite some fine moments in the Tubby era, we all know how that ended. Billy Clyde was a beacon of hope when he took the job in April of 2007. His rebuilding projects at Texas El Paso and A&M were the talk of the college basketball world and after his Aggies beat Rick Pitino in Lexington during the 2006 NCAA tournament, he seemed like a logical choice for the position. However, from the get-go, we had red flags that caused the Big Blue Nation and the University to wonder if it had made a bad choice. Gardner Webb beat UK in a nationally televised game and marked a rocky start for the new coach. Yet, many of us gave him a pass for inheriting a team devoid of talent, save a couple of players, one of which was a freshman. The team rebounded and finished 12-4 in the conference and hope was reborn. Heck, Clyde even won co-coach of the year honors in the SEC. However, the very next season, our optimism quickly melted away with a train wreck 8-8 finish in a weaker SEC, including an embarrassing loss to the woeful Georgia on Senior Night. Missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991 was the final nail in his coffin. Of course, we know that shortly after the team's NIT loss to Notre Dame, Clyde was canned, but with a DUI arrest and the cloud of his law suit hanging over the program's head, it was hard to forget the man.

So that brings us to the now and the start of a new era, an era that officially begins Friday night with Madness. The check is in the mail to Billy, and I hope he spends it wisely because the chances of him landing another high paying gig anytime soon is slim to none. For the Big Blue Nation, the settlement means we no longer have any reason to remember him, other than the fact that his departure finally brought us the right man for the job.

Big Blue Nation Report wishes Billy many brighter days ahead, but we are officially saying good bye. After Friday night, he'll merely be another bump in the road. UCLA and UNC both rebounded from Lavin and Doherty with Final Fours and National Championships, one only figures it's a matter of time until UK has a similar happy ending with it's new beacon of hope... Coach Cal.

History Repeats Itself...

Compliments of Mr. Larry Vaught's Twitter Feed.

Just for laughs...

BBNR on the air...

If you missed Michael's Monday afternoon appearance on the Travis Turner Sports Show on 1130 AM ESPN Radio out of Murray, Kentucky, click this link to listen to the archived show. As always, there's a lot of great information on the show about all kinds of sports talk, but if you're most interested in listening to the segment with Michael, fast forward to the 1 hour and 4 minute mark.

The QB Update...

There are several rumors around the net, including whispers among the players, that Morgan Newton will start as quarterback this weekend when the Cats travel to Auburn. Newton was going to redshirt but with Hartline's injury, Coach Brooks was forced to place the true freshman on the active roster. Here's a cool article about Newton from last year, talking mainly about the upside of the QB and what he can bring to the table. One thing's for certain, he'll have his work cut out for him against a tough Auburn defense, especially after the beating they took at Arkansas last weekend. Look for them to be ready to play and to expose the inexperience of whomever lines up under center.

How long Newton might start (if he indeed does) remains in question. Fidler is still competing for the position, and there is some cautious optimism that Hartline might return before the end of the season. Randall Cobb will also play some QB in the Wildcat formation, as well.

Well that's settled...

Michael here... I don't think it's an accident that UK settled the contract dispute with former head basketball coach, Billy Gillispie just a few days before the beginning of the new basketball season. One thing Kentucky didn't want is the lingering fallout from the Billy Clyde era to drag into the new season. While $2.98 million is a lot of money for anyone and any organization, the situation wasn't going away anytime soon, had UK not decided to pay up. Perhaps now, everyone can just focus on the main thing... the beginning of the Calipari era and the return of the real Kentucky Basketball that we all love and have missed for the past several seasons.

Let's get ready for the Madness!

BBNR Within Smelling Distance...

This is my brother who also writes for the site and my cousin Dusty representing Big Blue Nation Report at the Carson Center in Paducah a few weeks back. Being that close, does Coach Cal actually smell like victory? Is it a glorious scent? I bet it had a hint of bacon.....whoa sorry about that got carried away....

Closer every second...

Following the Cat Alumni

Don't forget as the NBA is also winding down the the start of their season to stay on top of your former UK fav's as they begin their seasons. It will be fun to see how these guys represent the Nation. Congrats again to the newest edition to the Association, Jodie (54 points in your face Bruce Pearl and the UT Convicts) Meeks! Here is the complied list of active Wildcat's in the NBA. Any predictions to the NBA Season or how well you think our alumni will do this year are welcomed for discussion.

Michael Lee Bringing It Home!!!

First off thanks to Travis Turner and Froggyland Sports for allowing Michael to represent Big Blue Nation Report on The Travis Turner Show. Great job Mike Lee.

Michael Lee announces his top 3 Cat's of all time:

1. Rex Chapman
2. Jamal Mashburn (Hi...I'm Jamal....)
3. Chuck Hayes

Sleeper: P-Pat

This is your chance to let us know at the BBNR who your favorite Cat's of all time are. Let's go ahead and make it your top 5 or even 10. Be creative, this doesn't have to be the best players of all time but your favorite players.

This segment definately got me pumped for the beginning of the UK basketball season.
Please tune in regularly as the season gets a jump start this Friday as Midnight Madness peels the lid off what promises to be an exceptional season.

Check back often, weekly, no daily, no hourly...well you know.

By the way, yes, Pat Forde is still an idiot.

Basketball Preview: The Weak Spot

Michael here... Kentucky is on everyone's top ten list, and in some's top two or three, and its easy to see why. We have two Player of the Year candidates in Patrick Patterson and John Wall and one of the best recruiting classes of all time to support them. In addition to Patterson, we have a strong returning core, especially Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins. Meanwhile, we have a top-tier coach in John Calipari, which brings his exciting brand of dribble-drive basketball to the Bluegrass State. What we don't have is a proven shooter, and this is our only weakness... but it's a big one.

Gone from last year's team is Jodie Meeks. You might remember him and his 24 points per game average, including three games with 40 or more. He by far lead the team in three-point shooting and no one else was even close. In second place was Michael Porter, the highly criticized point guard that has since decided against returing to the program. So our top two three-point shooters from last year's team are no longer with us, and there are no returning players known for their jump shooting abilities, except for perhaps Darius Miller, who might have some potential in that role.

The freshmen class isn't filled with shooters either. Wall and Bledsoe are known for the ability to both pass and get to the rim but not for outside shooting. Cousins and Orton are expected to stay around the rim, as well. This leaves Jon Hood and transfer Darnell Dodson as potential shooters, but both are unproven at this level. This will cause opposing teams to show the Cats alot of junk zone defenses, packing it in around Patterson and Cousins, and daring the offense to shoot it from outside. Had Jodie Meeks stayed, that would have been just fine, and Kentucky truly would have been without any major weaknesses and probably considered the number one team in the country; but without him, it remains to be seen how the Cats will shoot the ball. If they do find a shooter or two who can knock it down on a somewhat regular basis, this team will be hard to beat.