Big Blue Madness 2017 was a family affair.
In a gesture that evoked memories of his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame two years earlier, Kentucky Coach John Calipari sought to make the latest Madness celebration about sharing something special.
Calipari invited former UK players in attendance to join the current Cats on the court for what he called a “family photo.” A video played on the overhead scoreboard as maybe 50 players descended from the Rupp Arena seats. The video showed player after player saying a simple declarative sentence: “Welcome to the family.