It’s always a show at Kentucky, and Michael Buffer made it an even bigger spectacle when he announced the starting lineups for Saturday’s game.
If there’s one thing we know about John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats, it’s that they put on a show when the moment calls for it.
The Wildcats rolled out all the stops for their top five matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday night, including attempting to set a Guinness record for loudest indoor arena, putting their championship trophies out at mid-court and having famed announcer Michael Buffer introduce the teams.
defpensports: Buffer! ESPN College Basketball: Kansas at Kentucky https://t.co/hvYxCE47WY pic.twitter.com/yWQQAa5k8d
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) January 28, 2017
This is nothing new in Lexington, either. The Wildcats have a running relationship with Drake, for example. The rapper performed for the team’s Big Blue Madness event in 2009 and has visited campus multiple times. He even earned the team a secondary violation with the NCAA!
Make no mistake, Calipari and Kentucky aren’t stupid. These antics have a point and with plenty of top high school recruits in the house for Saturday’s affair — the no. 2 recruit in the class of 2018, Zion Williamson, is there — the message was clear: “Other places don’t do things like we do them at Kentucky.”
Whether or not the moves been effective is tough to tell, but the Wildcats continue to be dominant on the recruiting trail. They have five recruits — including four five-stars — committed for 2017, already giving them the top-ranked class in the country.
Next: 12 Biggest Cinderellas In March Madness History
Kentucky also added Hamidou Diallo, another 2017 five-star who may play next season, to the team at semester. He is practicing with the Wildcats this season, but won’t play in 2016-17 and is likely eligible for the 2017 NBA Draft where he would potentially be a first round pick.