Kentucky opens season with Big Blue Madness

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- High-flying freshman Joe Crawford dazzled the crowd and got a personal congratulation from actress Ashley Judd early Saturday morning with a double-pump reverse dunk during Big Blue Madness, the ceremonial start to Kentucky's preseason practices.

"He's been working on that all summer," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith commented to the capacity crowd of mostly students at Memorial Coliseum.

Judd, a 1990 Kentucky graduate, then wandered onto the floor, microphone in hand.

"I'm Ashley," she said, drawing laughs. She then walked over to Crawford and shook his hand, flashing her movie-star smile.

"Nice dunk," she said.

Crawford is one of the stars of a highly touted freshman class that also includes Ramel Bradley, Rajon Rondo and Randolph Morris. Crawford is a 6-foot-4 guard from Detroit, Mich.

Rondo, a 6-1 point guard from Oak Hill Academy, topped Crawford's dunk moments later. He told Bradley, a 6-1 guard from New York City, to sit in a chair in the lane. After a running start, Rondo leaped over his seated teammate and threw down a one-handed slam.

The Wildcats were christening their season with a midnight practice at Memorial Coliseum for the 23rd time.

Former Kentucky player and current broadcaster Larry Conley and former Kentucky standout Sam Bowie hosted the event.

Expectations, as usual, are high for the men's team, even though Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike are the only starters back from last season's 27-5 team that lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

"I'm anxious to see if this talent level that we've been able to recruit can overcome that lack of experience," Smith said. "It will take a lot of patience early on in the season, so we can help them understand and appreciate our style of play."

Bowie, who played at Kentucky from 1979-84, said that no matter how talented the freshmen are, they had to be nervous about taking the court for the first time. He knows because he's been there.

"I had butterflies and I was extremely nervous, more so than playing a road game," Bowie said. "I think it has a lot to do with being an 18-year-old. You want to impress the fans in your first outing. It's their initial appearance, and you want to put on a show for the Commonwealth."

The theme of this year's Big Blue Madness, "This is Kentucky Basketball," was a takeoff on ESPN's "This is SportsCenter" series of commercials. That's one reason Conley -- who played under coach Adolph Rupp and was one of ESPN's original basketball commentators in 1979 -- co-hosted the event.

The theme might have come from a commercial, but truth be told, there isn't much need to advertise Kentucky basketball -- the 8,700 tickets for the event, which are free, took only about 30 minutes to distribute last week.

The event has grown so popular that serious consideration is being given from moving the event from Memorial Coliseum -- its home since 1982 -- to 23,000-seat Rupp Arena next year.

"This is unique," Smith said. "You don't find this at too many schools. That's why it's such a spectacle, such an event, such a happening."

Bowie said that when the Wildcats take the floor for their first real practice Saturday afternoon, the glamour will be gone.

"The next day is nowhere near the fun they're going to have tonight," Bowie said.

For the first times in years, hopes are also high for Kentucky's women. The Wildcats set an overall attendance last season and second-year coach Mickie DeMoss' recruiting class was ranked as one of the nation's best.

"It's a great foundation for our future," DeMoss said. "In the first year, having the ability to sign that type of class was really beyond expectations."