An ESPN host gives Kentucky basketball a lot of credit against Florida. What does this mean for BBN the rest of the year?

Some people might have thought if the early start time of 11 a.m. Saturday between Kentucky and Florida would make the crowd less excited in Rupp Arena. As soon as the ball went up, those worries went away. Twenty-five hundred fans from Big Blue Nation came in full force, making it one of the loudest and most exciting games of the season.

CBS Sports’ Dan Shulman, who covered the game and has been covering college basketball for 30 years, said it best in a tweet after the game: “I’ve been doing this 30 years.” There have only been a few times when both the game and the atmosphere were as good as they were today at Rupp for Kentucky-Florida. “The best college basketball ever.”

Rupp Was Dancing

The crowd played a role in Kentucky’s exciting 106–100 win from the first tip-off to the last buzzer. There was a lot of noise, intensity, and emotion in Rupp Arena, even though the game started early. It had that unique feel that hadn’t been there in years.

Koby Brea, who played a big role in the Wildcats’ win, agreed: “Honestly, it felt amazing just being able to look up into the stands.” The gym was packed with people who were all loud and excited about the game. I think that’s the loudest I’ve heard it all year.

This week, coach Mark Pope talked about how special it was to be able to play at Rupp:

“This building makes you feel something just by walking in.” This is amazing. Even though it’s the middle of the season, you still feel lucky to be in Rupp today.

A Game That Lives Up to the Expectations

The early start not only made for a great environment, but it also led to one of the best games of the season. Kentucky and Florida went back and forth in a high-scoring game that showed both teams’ great shot-making and never-ending work.

UK went on three different 10+-0 runs to take leads, but Florida answered with timely threes and second-chance points. Both teams gave it their all on the court, and the crowd was always loud and excited, especially when it mattered most.

What BBN Means

From the moment the doors opened, Big Blue Nation’s commitment was clear. Fans set their alarms early to fill Rupp Arena well before the game started, making it a loud and tense place to be.

A Morning to Remember

Even though Dan Shulman has called a lot of big games in his long career, this one stood out. What people who were there already knew is summed up in his tweet:

“College basketball at its best.”

If you show up like that every game, BBN, the Cats will be hard to beat.