tonight at midnight, begins the madness

Even six months after the IU men's basketball team made it to the NCAA Championship in 2002, the magic of it all still lingered in the fans around campus and made for one hyped-up crowd on the night of Midnight Madness.\nWith last season's team losing to the University of Pittsburgh in the second round of the tournament and finishing with a 21-13 record, one might think the excitement would be down for tonight's Midnight Madness.\nBut the players know better.\n"It's Indiana basketball," said senior guard A.J. Moye. "Every year you expect the best, and the best team competes for a national championship."\nMidnight Madness has come a long way since former coach Bob Knight was in charge. Senior center George Leach and Moye both say they remember when it was just a practice at midnight and for the men's team only. \nSince coach Mike Davis has taken over, the women's team is included in the events, including a three-point contest and spot shot contest, all things that Leach said he thinks help make Midnight Madness more pleasing for the fans.\nLeach isn't a contender this year for the slam-dunk contest and said he is leaving it for the younger guys. If he were in the contest however, he said with a laugh that he's pretty sure he'd win.\nMoye said there is no question that freshman forward Patrick Ewing Jr. will win the slam-dunk contest.\n"Patrick Ewing Jr. is a freak," Moye said. "He can do a couple of dunks that I've never seen a human being do. They just aren't humanly possible."\nSophomore guard Roderick Wilmont said he might join the group competing for slam-dunk champion, but that he too thinks Ewing Jr. has something up his sleeve.\nA former winner of the slam-dunk contest and spot shot contest, Moye said he is determined to win the three-point shooting contest. Last year's winner on the men's team was junior guard Ryan Tapak.\nWilmont described the atmosphere at Midnight Madness as crazy. Moye may agree, but as a senior, he said his favorite thing about Midnight Madness is watching the freshmen get their first taste of IU basketball.\n"It's fun to see the younger guys now," Moye said. "I know probably my first Midnight Madness Kirk Haston was probably laughing at me from behind like, 'What is he doing?' I can't wait to see Pat Ewing, (freshman forward Jessan Gray-Ashely), and Wilmont."\nThe doors of Assembly Hall will open to the public at 10:45 p.m. tonight. Admission is one canned food item to benefit the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. \nRaffles for students to enter some shooting contests and sit courtside for the evening will be available to students when they enter Assembly Hall.\nMidnight Madness will wrap up with a 15-minute scrimmage.\nMoye said he knows his role on the team this year is being a leader, and that the fans should be just as excited for this year's team as any other team.\n"I mean look at our team," Moye said. "It might not look like much on paper, but I'm a winner and we all want to win. This kind of team should help for a good atmosphere on Friday"