Good morning, BBN. It is officially GameDay in Lexington and the whole ESPN basketball crew has converged upon Lexington, Kentucky. The ESPN tradition is making its first appearance in Rupp this year and of course the biggest crowd of the year is expected. Early estimates had the crowd expected around 17,000 but we will see if the BBN will fill up Rupp for the national audience. As you can see from the picture above, Rupp Arena is already a virtual sea of blue.
GameDay will air on ESPN-U from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and then on the main ESPN channel from 11:00 AM to noon. This is all in preparation of course for the big event, the basketball game tonight. Kentucky 18-8 (9-4) will host the Missouri Tigers 19-7 (8-5) in a game which is crucial to both teams SEC and NCAA chances. So join along as we try to bring you the sights, sounds, and flavor of ESPN’s GameDay.
Jalen and Digger pick Kentucky, Bilas picks Missouri. And that’s it for GameDay
Dude had one shot rim out and had two other off the rim …. close but no cigar but he takes home $1800
Time for the half court shot for $18K
Fun fact: both WCS and Noel have autographed babies
What is Noel’s favorite UK player of all time — Rondo. WCS’s? Derek Anderson
Noel says Nothing will make him change his hairstyle .. WCS guesses his mi=om
Noel gues WCS will say he is the best dodgeball player, he is right
Willie guesses he is the best dodge ball play, Noel guesses Goodwin
Noel says he will review NBA decision with his family
WCS and Noel playing “Know Your Team Mate” now
Calipari says a charge does as much mentally to the other team as a block
Calipari says that WCS was preaching accountability for the rest of his team mates after the Vandy game
“we have the talent and I still believe in this team”. They have to want this”
Cal says Coach O is the best talker on the team.
Calipari says the projections don’t matter right now and to “stay in the moment”. Says this is a big game because it is the next game
Cal preaching playing well and having fun
Cal said he got hit quickly because he had every ball coming at him
rehashing the Dodgeball game
Calipari package of Cal dowmplaying his team
Looks like UK fan Ralph Coldiron will get a chot at halfcour shot soon but first Cal
A cool view of one of the cameras on set and the video screens it contains. (Video)yfrog.us/16w8byzgmdwpqk…
— Erin Ashley Simon (@ErinAshleyS) February 23, 2013
15,087 is the official attendance. Largest of the season
Calipari strolls out in his Blue tracksuit … will be up next
GameDay featuring the 7″ former tuba player for LSU. Old story. Weird to be featured now
like 7 Missouri fans shown and booed. Cute
Panda dude and Guy in horses head getting some exposure with Jalen
MT @kywildcatstv: New Video: Gameday is underway in Rupp! #BBN #WeAreUK #LetsFight youtube.com/watch?v=RoDpUQ…”
— Kentucky Athletics(@UKAthleticsNews) February 23, 2013
Another commercial break. Cal should be back soon
Wow. Bilas not making fans with picking Duke. More boos and then St. Louis
Shot of the team who looks scared
Jalen goes with the homer pick for Kentucky as his unranked team and cites the coaching of Cal
Jalen with Syracuse. Digger with an interesting Creighton pick and Kansas which gets boos
Jalen picks Michigan State, Bilas with two picks in a row. Picks Louisville which gets big boos and Florida. Bilas not making fans with this
Bilas picks Indiana, Jalen Gonzaga, Digger Miami and Michigan
ESPN crew doing some type of fantasy draft of NCAA teams
Looks like “GameDay” crew is set up for some kind of skit after the break. twitter.com/KyleTucker_CJ/…
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
Calipari should be on GamaeDay in a few….
Bilas on the BBN at GameDay, “Most places don’t have this for a game. We’ve got this for a television show.”
— Chip Miller (@UKBIGBLUENATION) February 23, 2013
Fans are chanting each player’s name. At the Kyle Wiltjer chant, Wiltjer pumping the crowd up – players are loving this.
— Ashley Scoby (@AshleyScoby) February 23, 2013
Watching the UK team listen to a video of fans dogging them felt a little awkward.
— Thomas Beisner (@thomasbeisner) February 23, 2013
Digger says UK is where they should be “focused and the the now” and praises WCS more
Shot of the team on the bench now in what looks to be new Blue/Black warmups. Brian Long tries to act like he is bored
Doing a package of what seems to be UK radio callers bashing UK after enn loss. Nice
going over the Lunardi “First Four Out” …Right now, Kentucky is listed at first team out and greatted with boos
Crowd estimated at 16K … Digger says BBN is best ever
Big Blue Shake starts the Gameday. When is that trend going to be over
Coverage switching over to ESPN now …
How can Miami’s coach NOT be COY?
Referee guy leading cheers in the background now
we are about five minutes away from this switching to the bigger ESPN audience
Kid just got escorted out of the building.. what do you have to do to get kicked out of GameDay??
— Ashley Scoby (@AshleyScoby) February 23, 2013
Kentucky fans can not dance. Just saying
I agree 1000% with Bilas’s NCAA rant but the crowd is getting bored
Team on its way RT @sammaloneuk13: On our way to #CollegeGameday !!!!!!!!
— Ashley Scoby (@AshleyScoby) February 23, 2013
Bilas going on a lengthy NCAA rant now
Dakari Johnson alert … RT @dslowmotion22: About to head out to college gameday at Kentucky should be fun.
— Chip Miller (@UKBIGBLUENATION) February 23, 2013
Bilas’s tweet that Emmert should resign gets a good cheer from Rupp crowd
Discussing the Miami football situation now. Will there be a Hurtt mention
Every
Single
Person loves
Noel sign
ESPN keeps cutting away from posing belly guy
Bored UK crowd starts “We love Nerlens” chant
Getting weird as Digger says he has had players touch him. Awkward silence
ESPN cuts to a long shot from a UK fan rubbing another fans ample belly
Discussing the Mike Montgomery shove now. And for some reason, someone front and center has their phone number on a sign
Headed to another commercial break…
Rupp crowd getting bored with the Gonzaga talk and starts the Blue/White cheer again
Would be cool if these State Farm signs were in team colors … blue and white, rather than Red
Ha. Nothing weird in this picture. RT @ukphotogs: College GameDay at Rupp Arena has begun. twitter.com/UKphotogs/stat…
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
Can’t get a good picture from my seat, but there appears to be a fathead that has added a unibrown and flattop to Bob Knight.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
Boos must be louder in Rupp rather on TV as Reece Davis mentioned how much the BBN loves Crean
Tom Crean dropping Jim Harbaugh’s name
Kind of shocked the boos are not louder for Crean
Wow Tom Crean appearing via phone and gets a healthy chorus of boos
Get rady for some boos. gang duscussing bracketology
Bilas saying that the Oladipo/Jordan comparision is stupid in the nicest possible way
I’m sorry. I like Oladipo but comparing him to Jordan is just plain stupid
Vitale talking about the Hoosier gets boos. Vitale comparing Oladipo to Jordan and then says not to compare him to Jordan
Indiana promo gets a healthy dose of boos
Kentucky fans are making the most of GameDay returning to Rupp Arena. They’re making Digger Phelps listen to them.
— Aaron Smith (@ASmithRivals) February 23, 2013
CRowd at Rupp is insane right now. Love to see a regular seasn game with this bunch in those seats
Dude with hte pandahead is front row and center. Nice
Sign here at GameDay: “Hey Wiggins, even Stoops doesn’t want to be a Seminole”Well played.
— Ashley Scoby (@AshleyScoby) February 23, 2013
Shirts you can see: ‘I still hate Laettner’, ‘Tuck Fennessee’ and an Anthony Davis unibrowed one. Plus, a dude wearing Panda head.
— Matt May (@TCPMattMay) February 23, 2013
UK distributed 14,600 tickets for GameDay as of Friday afternoon. Today’s crowd will easily be the biggest GameDay has had this season.
— CoachCal.com (@CoachCalDotCom) February 23, 2013
Gameday talking non UK games now….
Digger says Vandy is first times UK really identified who they really are and singles out WCS again. Says Mizzou can’t win on the road in the SEC
Jalen Rose: says UK “recycles” McDonalds’s All Americans and others need to step up
Bilas: Kentucky has to get 75-80% of 50/50 balls and needs to be more “blue collar than blue blood”
The ESPN crew recapping the impact of the Noel injury. Digger says that UK “became a team” against Vandy and singles out WCS. Digger and Bilas both agree UK has real shot at NCAA. Need to win tonight though
Blue/White cheer drowning out the announcers almost
Rece Davis says the BBN is showing America that “we are Kentucky and you are NOT”
GameDay crew plays a little dodgeball of their own. twitter.com/KyleTucker_CJ/…
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
Rupp is ready!#bbn #gameday twitter.com/ESPN_ReceDavis…
— Rece Davis (@ESPN_ReceDavis) February 23, 2013
Rupp Arena is rocking although not full. The ESPN crew starts off with a game of dodgeball. The Wildcat mascot takes out Digger. Nice
Arena goes quiet and a man behind me in the upper deck shouts loudly “Digger, you suck! Hey, Digger, listen to me!” Cat fans hold grudges.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
RT @derekwymt RT @coachcaldotcom: Here’s a panoramic shot of ESPN College GameDay at @rupp_arena. twitter.com/CoachCalDotCom…
— Josh McKinney (@JoshWYMT) February 23, 2013
Lots of “prayers for Nerlens” signs also. One says “warning: Nerlens still blocks from the bench”
— Lyndsey Gough (@lyndseygough) February 23, 2013
About nine minutes from the start of GameDay on ESPN-U
The view from behind the set. Students, dancers and cheerleaders don’t seem to know it’s not 10 a.m. yet twitter.com/UKAthleticsNew…
— Kentucky Athletics(@UKAthleticsNews) February 23, 2013
Lotta fans wearing State Farm hats that are basketball nets. I want one of those.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) February 23, 2013
Topics: Basketball Articles, ESPN GameDay, Kentucky Wildcats
I'm the founder and creator of the Wildcat Blue Nation and am a proud UK grad and was born in Madisonville. After graduating from UK, I bounced around the media industry, working in TV and radio. Evenually I crossed over to corporate America and am now self employed .... but I've always been a sportswriter at heart. So I started this site on May 23,2009 to provide Kentucky Wildcat news and opinion ... without the drama.
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