This is a really likable Kentucky Basketball team

Justin McBride spoke for nearly 35 minutes on Thursday at a media availability that included him, Zoom Diallo, and Braydon Hawthorne. Most of the media members, including me, originally flocked to Diallo’s dais, but as McBride kept enlightening the pool of reporters present, the conversation kept going.

Reporters played off of McBride’s energy, continuing to engage in conversation with him with light-hearted conversational questions.

In this day and age of college athletics, with all of the turmoil and volatility, the word “likable” is becoming less commonly associated with teams across the country. But after being in attendance at Thursday’s media availability, I found myself thinking about how likable this team is.

After all, this is still Kentucky Basketball. Tradition is still prevalent in Big Blue Nation. Expectations aren’t changing. Even with this roster being filled with numerous transfers, it’s coming together. McBride, Diallo, and Hawthorne all hinted Thursday about how this team is coming together on and off the court.

When you come to Kentucky, you instantly feel the pride Big Blue Nation exudes. Diallo said someone already knew his name when he got off the plane in Lexington. McBride talked about living at Wildcat Lodge and bonding with teammates off the court.

While Hawthorne mentioned that Mark Pope has been intense at practice, that should be expected. We know how much Pope cares about winning at Kentucky. But what’s most impressive, especially in this day and age of college athletics and all the drama of big stories that have unfolded this offseason, is how this team is coming together on and off the court.

Diallo talked assertively of how much Big Blue Nation is going to love Frank Kepnang, a big man transfer from Washington, like Diallo, who Diallo described as having a gnarly nature underneath the basket.

It’s still late June, and talk can be cheap this time of year. But still, hearing what McBride, Diallo, and Hawthorne hint at how this team is coming together is encouraging. After the way last season unfolded, having a likable group to get behind as a fan should feel like a breath of fresh air.