Kentucky basketball fans will get another opportunity to watch the Wildcats before the regular season, but this year’s event will look different from the traditional Blue-White Game.
Instead of staging an official Blue-White scrimmage, head coach Mark Pope revealed that Kentucky plans to host an open practice or a similar fan event sometime between Big Blue Madness and the Wildcats’ first preseason exhibition against Little Rock on Oct. 16.
Pope explained that the program is taking a one-year break from the traditional Blue-White format after an injury to former Kentucky point guard Jaland Lowe during last year’s scrimmage.
“So, we’re working on a simulated Blue-White/open practice,” Pope said. “I’m gonna take a one-year hiatus from the exact naming of the Blue-White scrimmage because I lost my point guard in the last one, so I’m walking away from that. I’m not superstitious, but I do appreciate data.”
Lowe suffered a shoulder injury during the second half of last year’s Blue-White Game at Historic Memorial Coliseum. Although he eventually returned, the shoulder became a recurring issue, and he was limited to just nine games during the season. Lowe has since transferred to Georgetown and was only recently cleared to resume practice.
Kentucky’s decision means fans will still have several opportunities to see the new-look Wildcats before the regular-season opener against Manhattan on Nov. 3.
The Wildcats are scheduled to host three preseason exhibitions this year, beginning with Little Rock on Oct. 16. Texas Tech will visit on Oct. 23, followed by UCF on Oct. 28. The additional open practice, along with the five-on-five action expected during Big Blue Madness, will give BBN plenty of chances to see the team in action.
Before all of that, attention turns to Big Blue Madness this Friday.
Pope is clearly excited about the event and hinted that Kentucky’s players have some surprises planned for the sold-out crowd.
Big Blue Madness tickets sold out in just 22 minutes, while thousands more fans remained in the queue hoping to get inside.
“It’s going to be a spectacular show,” Pope said. “I’m nervous about some of the things that our guys have planned, but I think they’ll survive.”
Fans who couldn’t secure tickets will still be able to watch Big Blue Madness through SEC Network+, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Friday.
The following day, Kentucky will host its annual Big Blue Madness Fan Fest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Central Bank Center.
With Big Blue Madness approaching and three preseason exhibitions on the schedule, Kentucky fans won’t have to wait long to get an extended look at Mark Pope’s latest Wildcats.
