Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness was all that again … with a hiccup or two.

By their standing-room-only presence in Rupp Arena on a night in middle of football season, Wildcat basketball fans renewed their all-out allegiance to all-things-Calipari.

It was a Spectacle. Never mind slide-show foul-ups.

Perhaps in sympathy with America’s Wall Street Occupiers movement, UK event planners began the men’s hoops portion by trotting out the unemployed. Nazr Mohammed, John Wall, Brandon Knight and others wandered on stage looking less like cool heroes past enjoying the love, and more like guys worried, looking for a job.

But this Show belonged to the fans. A stage for their annual high decibel statement on the state of (Blue) nation. They like it. They love it. They live it.

Their team? Like a can’t-miss-greatness stallion standing at a Keeneland fall sale, Kentucky’s roster is a brawn and brains collective that needs only re-indoctrination from McDonalds prima donna land to moneyball. Embrace the discipline, execute quickly and adjust to play time reality that comes hard to some who will hear a coach say: “your days of being The Man for 40 minutes are over!”

Apparently, they will learn things that can be provided only by a Four Million Dollar man.

The Wildcats may go at Kansas, St. John’s, North Carolina and the rest, in a two-platoon wave. At every position except center, player pushing teammate for PT. No center? This team may not need one.

And, Calipari has what every coach coaches for – multiple position options. Maybe two power forwards and three guards all of whom dribble drive, shoot and pass with delightfully entertaining efficiency.

That’s what Kentucky basketball is after all, entertainment.

Blend. I like the mix most. Darius Miller, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb have ridden a star to a Final Four already. Eloy Vargas, Twany Beckham and Stacey Poole are college ball savvy too. A layer of veterans from whom starlets-to-be can learn much. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, by reputation a hard nosed, unselfish star-maker can flower here; ditto Marquis Teague at point. Anthony Davis is Chicago-wise and remarkably Marcus Camby-like; and Kyle Wiltjer may be the new Jared Prickett utility man.

Whatever, it’s all aces at Kentucky.

FRIDAY NIGHT HICCUPS?

The big screen slide-show got stuck awhile on Jarrod Polson. A good thing for one of three native sons on a 13-man roster.

The other hiccup was a Calipari CLANK. In zeal aimed at recruits in the house and energized by partisans, John Calipari let his lips flap too long. His preachment (to the choir) that UK basketball IS Kentucky, and people “around the world!” pay attention to what happens here, was over the top if understandable.

The CLANK came when this coach named-dropped Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall and “coach Smith,” as leaders-to-greatness then bounded over all else to trumpet his resurrection of Kentucky’s program.

To skip over Billy Clyde Gillispie was fine, Eddie Sutton too, although the man who said he would have crawled to Lexington from Arkansas, gave fans seasons of 32 and 25-wins, before the NCAA hammer fell.

But, to ignore Rick Pitino and two banners Da Coach brought to UK, was petty and cheap. Dissing Pitino, Cal played to the fringe of UK fandom. His slight should be an affront to those who enjoyed arguably the most glorious ride in Kentucky’s illustrious history – 1989-97. Consider, Wildcat fans were made deliriously happy on 219 nights out 269. The revival, fueled by the Unforgettables with narrative by Cawood Ledford, was magical. A national championship, two Final Fours and a part in college basketball’s best game ever played (Duke, 1992).

Calipari’s lack of respect was poor form. I think it a sign that his rise to fame and become a household name has swelled Cal’s sense of importance to a level he believes it safe to ridicule a colleague with no fear of repercussion.

Thing is, it raises the temperature and could inflame a heretofore friendly if grudging rivalry and threatens to move it to an ugly place fans at both schools won’t like.

In fact, University of Kentucky basketball tradition and success require no preachments that ignores another of America’s winningest programs, Louisville.

Cal assailing Pitino and bragging that UK IS basketball in Kentucky delights Big Blue Nation, but also insults unnecessarily fans at Morehead State, Western and Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.

IDEAS DEPT.

Note to Big Blue Madness event planners, do a poll. Music chosen for the gala targets visiting recruit prospects, but ask fans who fill Rupp Arena and see how many vote to dump the trend to rap music.

KENTUCKY’S TEAM: HILLTOPPERS

Think sound of bowling pins crashing.

Western’s second win last week caused a scramble to the archives – not since 2007 had the Hilltoppers won back-to-back games. The Hilltoppers handed Howard Schnellenberger’s Florida International a goose egg last week. Today, WKU has won more games this season than in two previous years combined.

The irony? We arrive at midseason and words bowl eligible have vanished from conversations in Lexington or Louisville. The Wildcats are on a four-game skid and Louisville’s nose dive stands at three.

This week Western is Kentucky’s team and opportunity knocks. The Commonwealth’s team hosts Louisiana Lafayette (6-1) Saturday. Coach Willie Taggart’s team can celebrate homecoming.

Theme? How about Win One for Jimmy (Feix).

WORTH REPEATING

Ex-NBA star Charles Barkley on tweeting, told USA Today, “Tweeting is for losers. And what I mean by tweet, if you wake up in the morning and you’re worried about what I’m doing, you a damn idiot. You are a damn idiot.”

And so it goes.