basketball fans have never met a ranking they didn’t want to argue about. Point guards. Coaches. Greatest teams that didn’t cut down the nets. Most painful losses we still bring up at family gatherings. If it can be debated, Big Blue Nation will treat it like it belongs in the rafters. So on Christmas, let’s apply that same energy to something else we all secretly rank anyway. Side dishes.
Kentucky fans know the difference between elite and “just there” Just like with players, not every side dish deserves the same respect. Some foods elevate the entire plate. Others survive on tradition alone. And a few somehow keep getting invited back despite nobody defending them publicly. BBN understands tiers. Always has. Anthony Davis is mashed potatoes Mashed potatoes are the backbone of the plate. They don’t need to shout. They don’t need toppings to justify their presence. They just make everything work.
That’s Anthony Davis at Kentucky. When he’s there, everything feels right. The defense, the spacing, the confidence. You stop overanalyzing because the answer is obvious: this is what dominance looks like. John Wall is mac and cheese Mac and cheese doesn’t blend in. It demands attention. It’s the first thing people scoop. The first thing to disappear. The side dish that changes the mood of the table. That was John Wall. Flash, speed, confidence. Suddenly Kentucky basketball felt louder, faster, cooler.
Everyone wanted more, and no one was satisfied with one serving. Jamal Mashburn is dressing Dressing isn’t for casuals. It’s the side dish that separates a decent meal from a serious one. When it’s done right, you notice immediately. When it’s missing, something feels off. Mashburn had that same gravity. Talent, toughness, presence. The kind of player who changed the room without saying a word. Dan Issel is green beans done right Green beans can be forgettable — unless they’re done properly.
Then they’re elite, reliable, and you feel a little smarter for choosing them. That’s Dan Issel. No flash. No gimmicks. Just production, history, and a résumé that holds up no matter the era. Sweet potato casserole is the one-and-done era Some people swear by it. Some people insist it shouldn’t even be on the plate. High upside. Polarizing. Capable of stealing the show — or completely throwing off the meal. That’s the one-and-done era in food form. When it worked, it was unbeatable. When it didn’t, you were left wondering how something with that much talent didn’t go further. The 2020 season is green bean casserole Nobody asked for it.
Nobody defends it. And yet, somehow, it keeps showing up. Kentucky basketball is best when the plate is balanced This is the part where we pretend this was only a food post and not a Kentucky basketball lesson in disguise. The best meals aren’t built around one dish. The best teams aren’t either. Merry Christmas to Big Blue Nation — and may your plate, like Kentucky at its best, be stacked the right way.
