The tip-off to basketball season is a familiar concept for Kentucky fans. Big Blue Madness has become a legitimate and exciting starting point for the college basketball season, signaling a new beginning for the sport Big Blue Nation loves.
But down the street from Rupp Arena, the Ashland Elementary School Eagles are making their own madness.
"This is what makes Ashland special," head coach and special education teacher Jeff Richards told BBN Tonight at the inaugural event. "This is to showcase the things this league can do for this community. It gives students who might not have an opportunity to play AAU ball a chance to play and learn about perseverance, never giving up, and some hard life skills they may need to be successful in life."
And about surprises.
"They never would have woken up this morning and thought, 'Oh my goodness. I’m going to get to see three Kentucky players who helped us beat Tennessee the other night,'" Richards said. "I think it shows them anything is possible and to never give up."
It's Big Blue Madness... with a ~small~ twist 😼
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) February 20, 2025
Check out @MaggieDavisTV and @NickelLaz's full story with the Cats & the Eagles coming up tonight at 7:30, only on BBN Tonight! pic.twitter.com/DUeVcIKm8a
Travis Perry, Trent Noah and Collin Chandler walked into the gym with a purpose and a spotlight. The event's DJ announced the Wildcats over the loud speaker to the crowd of players, cheerleaders, parents, teachers and fans, and Kentucky's trio of freshmen quickly took their spot at center court. As each member of the elementary school team was announced, he'd make his way through strobe lights, smoke and streamers to hive five a Wildcat, get a quick word of encouragement, and maybe even show off a dance move or two.
"I’m a big, huge UK fan anyway, so I always watch Big Blue Madness, and I’m thinking, you know what? It would be really cool to have this for our kids," Coach Richards said as he watched the event unfold. "Each year we try to step it up and do something different. Right now, this is about making experiences they’ll never forget."
"I would do anything for these kids. I think they need to see that in their lives. I really try to be who I needed when I was younger."
He referenced how the event and the league as a whole impacts the players and cheerleaders, as well as the team's more-outgoing mascot and the school's more-shy students, who are coming out of their shells by delivering the final score on the school's morning news.
"It’s something I would have loved as a kid and hopefully they enjoyed it as well," Travis Perry told BBN Tonight.
"I think being a kid, we would have all been on cloud 9," Trent Noah added.
Chandler tossed up the first jump ball of the season, while Noah and Perry weighed in with advice for the team made of up their fellow Kentucky kids.
"For me, it’d be to keep having fun with it," Perry said. "You can tell how much they love basketball [and] how they get to enjoy getting to do it with their friends. That’s hopefully something they can make last a lifetime, but eventually you’ll look back and this will be the best time of their life. To make the most of it... And keep enjoying the game of basketball."
"Cherish nights like this," Noah reiterated. "Looking back at it - middle school, this is everything. This is the most-fun time of your life so enjoy it."
For the full story by BBN Tonight anchor Maggie Davis and Photojournalist Nick Lazaroff, watch here:
For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, watch BBN Tonight weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18.
