Midnight Madness
Kicks off Westerns Basketball Season
Sam Summers
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Big Red Sports
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In the past, Midnight Madness has been held in November, this year it is being held earlier to allow the team to advertise the first basketball game of the year. Instead of being a preview of the team's regular season, this year's celebration will be kicking off the team's practices as well.
As in past years, Jammin 95.5 will be heading up the ceremonies. They will be playing music, emceeing and holding giveaways throughout the night. The Western Oregon Cheerleaders and the Dance Team will be performing short routines to start the festivities. Fans are encouraged to show up and make as much noise as possible to show their support for the team.
Finally, the basketball team is revealed at midnight. The revelation must occur no sooner than midnight since NCAA rules state that teams may not practice for the upcoming season prior to Oct. 15. At one minute past the stroke of 12, the players will come onto the court to be introduced to the students and to warm up. After the warm up the team will conduct a short showcase of their skills which includes a 3-point contest and a slam dunk show down. By 12:30 a.m., Midnight Madness will end and the basketball season will be officially underway.
Midnight Madness is an opportunity for the basketball team to show off their skills and generate a fan base that will show up at games. Last year's team was ravaged by injuries and did not perform in the way they thought they could. This year returning seniors and new key players make the squad a strong one.
Head Coach Craig Stanger is encouraged by this year's team. With the return of players that had been injured, and the infusion of some new members, the team looks promising. "The team chemistry and attitude looks good and we haven't even started practices yet," said Stanger.
The first thing that strikes people is the size of the Western squad. "Our wings are bigger than normal," according to coach Stanger, "at 6'8" some of the wing players are bigger than some at the post." New players always bring a new dynamic to any team. This year Western gains the 7'3" Oregon State transfer, Liam Hughes, who will bring depth to the team at center and challenge the current post, Junior Arrington, for playing time. As always, returning players are a key to the team's success. Stanley Ratcliff and Mike McLaughlin are two players back from injury that are expected to significantly help the team.
With a new year comes new life, and in sports that is especially true. With a new group of players, Coach Stanger hopes to put last year's disappointment behind him and on Sunday, at Midnight Madness, start fresh. So come out and watch the evolution of a team.
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