If you still don’t think Kentucky fans are crazy, there’s something wrong with you. We already knew that was the case prior to this season, but their championship run over the past month or so has completely sealed the deal. Between the insane rioting in the streets and the dude who offered his wife in exchange for Final Four tickets, we saw some truly disturbing displays of Wildcat pride throughout this year’s tournament. That passion apparently trickles over onto the recruiting trail, as well. I guess it makes sense since Kentucky’s entire starting five is probably going to declare for the NBA draft.
In his ESPN blog which highlights his path to picking a school, No. 1-ranked high school recruit Nerlens Noel told an interesting story about a Kentucky fan who did his best to convince Noel that joining the Wildcats next season is the right move. This after his return trip from New Orleans, where the All-American Championships overlapped with the Final Four:
I literally got stopped hundreds of times and took dozens and dozens of pictures. The fans were showing me so much love out there, and I definitely have to say that most of the fans were from Kentucky.
Now, of course that had a lot to do with the fact that they were playing there, but I’m always just shocked at how dedicated Kentucky fans are. One man asked me if I wanted to take his wife home with me, ha ha. I couldn’t believe it. I was like, “Nah, I’m good,” but that’s just how insane the fans were down there. Great atmosphere.
Noel is reportedly considering Syracuse and Georgetown along with Kentucky. If interacting with fans like the one he described above is his thing, Kentucky is the right choice. You won’t find people like this dude many other places across the country.
Photo credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE
