John Calipari on Kentucky fans: "They are crazy and I love them"

After No. 8 Kentucky's 90-77 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Kentucky head coach John Calipari took the opportunity to give the fans their credit.

"Yeah. I would say it again, our fans are crazy and I love them," Calipari said about Kentucky fans raising money to put a billboard that read "Free Big Z" close to the NCAA headquarters. 

The billboard was about Zvonimir Ivisic's eligibility still not being cleared by the NCAA.

Calipari had more to say about the support shown to the team by Big Blue Nation.

"Let me say this, when you have -- everybody wants to have engaged fans," Calipari said. "I just walked into that arena. This Georgia game, I want it to sound -- when I went to the Philadelphia Phillies playoff game, folks, I got chills. It was so loud and people were so engaged. I want that Georgia game to feel that way, like it is -- that's our fans having a ten-point edge, being those people. And today they were really good."

"Calipari made an additional comment on the level of dedication shown by Wildcats fans," Calipari said. "But I would say that doing that shows how the fans are here. You know, you have got places where they are trying to sell tickets, where they are trying to get people involved. That doesn't happen here. These -- you know, this is -- they are here, they will be waiting on the radio show. It is four degrees out. They will drive back to East Kentucky. They love it and they are a part of this. And that's why if you lose sometimes they are still engaged. They are not, like, not engaged. But some -- like I said, you know, some of the statements you wonder sometimes, is it their hope or their real opinion? And I am not talking fans."

Big Blue Nation has gained a reputation of being one of the best fanbases in college basketball and Calipari recognizes how important they are to the team's success.