Big Blue Nation knows how to bring the noise — but this time, the Wildcats are making sure they’re ready for it before they even step foot inside Rupp Arena.
With top-ranked Purdue coming to town for a first-of-its-kind October exhibition between two legitimate national title contenders, Mark Pope is taking no chances when it comes to game preparation. To simulate the intensity of Friday night’s environment, Kentucky has been pumping artificial crowd noise into practice.
The goal? To make sure communication and chemistry hold strong even when the building is rocking.
“There are some things that make me smile — like the fact that I can’t get these guys to shut up,” Pope joked when previewing the matchup. “We actually had a practice yesterday where Coach Alvin Brooks made a great suggestion. He said, ‘Coach, the next step is to add a ton of crowd noise — make it feel like the real thing.’”
The adjustment worked exactly as intended. The blaring noise forced players to find new ways to communicate — whether through hand signals, eye contact, or instinct. It also tested how well Kentucky’s players could stay composed when verbal commands weren’t an option.
“It’s disorienting,” Pope explained. “The first thing players do is stop talking because they think nobody can hear them. But the truth is, talking out loud keeps your mind sharp. When you stop, your reactions slow down. So we stopped practice a couple of times just to remind them — even if your teammates can’t hear you, keep talking. It’s how we play.”
According to Pope, the experiment revealed how quickly this team learns. Even in chaos, Kentucky’s competitive spirit and connection stayed strong.
“I love our team’s communication right now,” Pope said. “It’s going to be a huge part of what makes us good this season. And I love how much fun they make practice — every guy is locked in, nobody disengages, and they’re just hungry to win.”
Friday’s matchup may technically be an exhibition, but it won’t feel like one. Ticket prices are sky-high, the energy will be postseason-level, and the No. 1 team in the country will be waiting across the court.
If the noise experiment worked, Kentucky should be more than ready when Rupp Arena gets loud — because they’ve already heard it all week long.
