Annual Hoops Madness event to kick off soon

By Liz Wagner
Collegian Staff
October 31, 2007

To kick off the La Salle basketball season, the Athletics Department will be teaming up with other University organizations to host Hoops Madness, a pep rally for the men and women’s basketball teams. The event will begin Nov. 1 at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 p.m.) in Gola Arena of the Hayman Center. The first 300 students that come to the event will receive freet T-shirts.

Mike Dao - The La Salle Basketball team hopes to dazzle you with Hoops Madness.

This event is annually sponsored by La Salle Athletics to promote one of the University’s most popular sports.

“I wish they would’ve done Midnight Madness,” said sophomore English major Rob Kirkner, referring to an event the other Big Five schools hold on the first night where students are allowed to come and watch the first basketball practice, “but I still think that this is a good idea.”

The event has grown substantially over the past 10 years, and now includes a dunk contest by the men’s basketball team and a three point shot contest by the women’s team and choice members of the Explorer Entourage. During the night, students will be pulled from the audience and offered $1,000 to land a half-court shot.

A major highlight of this year’s Hoops Madness is a dance contest sponsored by several campus organizations. Four men and four women from the basketball teams were sponsored by $50 donations from the Resident Student Association, Delta Phi Epsilon, the pep band, the X-Plorettes dance team and Fellowship of Community and University Services to compete in a dance competition that will be judged based on the applause from the crowd. One winner from each team will be chosen, and the organizations that sponsored the winners will each receive $125.

Sophomore Eric Donovan, a Communication major who is the president of Resident Student Association in St. Basil Court, was thrilled by this idea. “It’s a great opportunity for University organizations to collaborate and put on a program for the students. And any extra money helps these organizations, so this is a really neat way of getting it.”

Philadelphia retailer Sneaker Villa will also be contributing to the event by scheduling radio station 100.3 The Beat, to DJ the event. Accompanying the station will be renowned host Da Truuf. The station will be around campus on Wednesday handing out fliers to promote the event.

The night will also include performances by the La Salle step team, the dance team, and the pep band. Freshman Joe Cain, a percussionist from the pep band, is also looking forward to the event. “It should be a good time, and I’m excited to show my school spirit.”

Hoops Madness coordinator Alicia Pennacchia has high hopes for Thursday night’s event.

“Ideally, we would love to have every student there, as well as faculty and staff members. We hope to have a great turnout because the teams are working hard toward this season and I think the campus will have a great time seeing this sneak peek of the season ahead.”

wagnere1@lasalle.edu