‘There’s no place like that.’ Cauley-Stein savors UK return in The Basketball Tournament.

Of all the players set to make their Central Kentucky and Rupp Arena returns this month with La Familia — a Kentucky basketball alumni team taking part in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a single-elimination, 64-team event — none are as excited for the occasion as Willie Cauley-Stein.

The former three-year UK star and 11-year NBA veteran seems especially enthused about, frankly, all aspects of the TBT experience.

“After talking to (f ormer UK player Twany Beckham , the general manager of La Familia) and seeing how he was kind of buzzing about it, and his plans toward the whole week, I was kind of like, ‘Man, I think I need that energy right now,’” Cauley-Stein said. “It’s been a rough few years, so coming back and soaking up all that love out there ... I’m excited to feel that and I think it’ll be refreshing.”

There’s the basketball side of things, with Cauley-Stein set to suit up alongside the likes of Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton and James Young among other ex-Cats on the hardwood.

Cauley-Stein and Young both played overseas on the same professional team in Italy this past season.

“Me and Willie, we’ve always been connected off the court throughout the years,” Young said. “... We’ve got so many memories together. I can’t even like explain it. Me and Willie are like brothers.”

The La Familia team — which also includes Brennan Canada, Kellan Grady, Kerem Kanter (the brother of Enes Kanter Freedom) and Nate Sestina — will be coached by Tyler Ulis, the former standout UK guard and coach.

Other aspects of the TBT reunion also filled Cauley-Stein with anticipation. This is highlighted by the chance to return to Central Kentucky, which he called home as a UK player from 2012-15.

Among La Familia’s participating players and coaches, these sentiments aren’t unique.

But Cauley-Stein certainly is, and the bond forged between himself and the Kentucky fan base over the course of his three seasons in Lexington (which featured a combined 88 wins) adds extra weight to the meaning of his Rupp Arena return, which will occur Friday night when La Familia plays 305 Ballers at 8 p.m. in an opening round TBT game.

“There’s no place like that, like that fan base,” Cauley-Stein said of Big Blue Nation. “Just seeing the excitement, seeing how much they love, that sport for one, but just athletics period. ... Just getting back in that community is what I’m really excited about. The basketball is a byproduct of all of that.”

Cauley-Stein recalls best moments from Kentucky basketball career

What comes to mind first when you recall the 7-foot Cauley-Stein’s three-year playing career at Kentucky?

For most fans, it’s probably his role as an everyday starter on UK’s famed 2014-15 squad, which went 38-1 and fell just two games short of the first undefeated season in NCAA Division I hoops since 1976.

That special season featured three of the most prominent college basketball moments involving Cauley-Stein, who was named a consensus first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

There was UK’s 83-44 vaporization of UCLA in December 2014 in the CBS Sports Classic in Chicago, a blowout win that saw the Wildcats lead the Bruins by a 41-7 score at halftime.

“I think all of us were just so hyped to get the game done because we were about to get to go home for Christmas. ... I think that night we were super motivated. ‘Let’s just go in here, take care of business, get it done and get on home,’” Cauley-Stein recalled from that game.

“... When I go back and watch it, I’m still astonished by that big a-- run that we had.”

Later that season, Cauley-Stein had highlight-reel worthy dunks in games against Florida and Cincinnati.

“Those are the ones that get replayed in my head all the time,” Cauley-Stein said.

And sprinkled throughout Cauley-Stein’s college career were plenty of big blocks: He averaged 2.2 rejections per game at UK and had 106 blocks during the 2013-14 season alone.

“I think Willie’s definitely an X-factor for us because of what he brings defensively,” said Ulis, La Familia’s coach who was a freshman guard on the 2014-15 UK team with Cauley-Stein. “He’s so versatile and he can guard so many guys. And offensively, catching lobs for us. I know he’s added a little more to his game that he would like to show.”

“I’ll never forget when (Cauley-Stein) dyed his hair. He just came to practice with his hair dyed and Coach Cal lost it,” added Aaron Harrison, another notable La Familia player who spent two seasons with Cauley-Stein at UK. “That was probably one of the funnier memories that I have.”

It all added up to Cauley-Stein — a former four-star prospect in the 2012 recruiting class — being selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

With Calipari’s Kentucky coaching career now over after 15 seasons, Cauley-Stein will go down as one of 50 UK players from the Calipari era to be selected in the NBA draft, and one of 37 players to be taken in the first round.

Cauley-Stein and his La Familia teammates also have the chance to help mold the next generation of UK basketball talent under new head coach Mark Pope: La Familia players are allowed to share court time with current Kentucky players.

“There’s little tricks and things that you’ll see and get out of playing each other,” Cauley-Stein said. “It’s just a good opportunity.”

Cauley-Stein hopes to use TBT experience with La Familia to continue career

Cauley-Stein, who will turn 31 in August, has played 422 games in the NBA, but none since he split time with several teams during the 2021-22 season.

In recent years, Cauley-Stein played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the NBA G League affiliate for the Houston Rockets) and overseas.

While Cauley-Stein may be quick to joke about the aspects of aging that are noticeable since his time at Kentucky — “three kids, that’ll make you a lot wiser,” he quipped — he also believes he has more to offer when it comes to playing high-level basketball.

“You don’t want to stop playing for too long, I know that for sure,” Cauley-Stein said. “Especially if you’re trying to keep it going. When you get to stopping a little too long, it doesn’t matter how young or old you are, I feel like, ‘Nah, you haven’t played in a couple years? It’s on to the next guy, the next wave.’”

Like several of the players on the finalized roster for La Familia in The Basketball Tournament, their participation in the event with the UK alumni team is multi-faceted.

To be certain, this includes reconnecting with old teammates and other ex-Cats, returning to Central Kentucky, suiting up for competitive basketball again at Rupp Arena and pursuing the $1 million prize awarded to TBT’s winning team.

But there’s also the desire, for Cauley-Stein and others, to show there’s still tread left on the tires, and to impress enough to potentially get another chance at returning to the NBA.

“I think it’s a great platform to do your thing and whatever comes from it, comes from it,” Cauley-Stein said. “But really just going out there and playing hard and showing that ... there’s still a lot of game left (in me). Hopefully, something comes out of it.”

Former Kentucky basketball players call on fans to ‘pack Rupp out’ for TBT this summer

Pope’s UK players vs. former Cats? It’s happening this summer. Both sides are excited.

Tyler Ulis is following John Calipari to Arkansas. He has unfinished business at UK first.

Tyler Ulis returns to Rupp this summer. This time he’ll be coaching former UK stars.