Friday Headlines: Big Blue Madness preview, viewing info, and open thread

Rupp Arena floor court — Dylan Ballard – A Sea Of Blue

How to watch and follow Kentucky’s Midnight Madness.

Kentucky Wildcats basketball returns tonight at Rupp Arena with the annual Big Blue Madness.

The event will feature both the men’s and women’s teams on the new LED, interactive glass floor. Each team will be led by a new head coach. Former Wildcat Mark Pope will lead the men, while Kenny Brooks will lead the women.

Tonight’s entertainment will begin at 7 PM ET and be televised on the SEC Network. You can also LIVE stream the event on Watch ESPN at this link.

All of Big Blue Nation are in for a treat tonight as both teams will have special introductions, as well as unique contests, drills and more interactive stunts.

The men have a completely new roster, not returning a single player who saw real game action for John Calipari’s team a season ago. An entirely new group might raise concerns for some, but new head coach Mark Pope and his staff have clearly worked tirelessly to integrate some team chemistry.

Meanwhile, Brooks has a mix of his own players that he has brought in as well as players he inherited by taking the UK coaching job.

Both teams are expected to be relatively productive in their first season with their new coaches. And honestly, that’s okay. After all, this is Kentucky basketball. The expectations should be high.

This will also be tonight’s open thread, so be sure to join the fun when it starts!