
The University of Kentucky raised its eighth national title banner at Rupp Arena last spring. The Wildcats raised it again Friday night at Big Blue Madness, along with the other seven. Coach John Calipari used the Cats’ highly anticipated celebration of the start of basketball season to pay homage to all the program’s championships. After UK lowered the banners of the 1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98 and ’12 title seasons from Rupp’s rafters, Calipari invited stars from the title teams, including Ron Mercer, Cliff Hagan, Jack Givens, Vernon Hatton and Wah Wah Jones, to center court to simultaneously pull a rope that lifted them back up.