Written by John Mark Adkison
For the past 18 years, basketball season at Harding has started off with a bang. The sort of bang that goes off when cheerleader performances, Thundering Herd music, dunk contests, basketball player enthusiasm and $5,000 prizes collide in a single night. This event is commonly known as Midnight Madness. “It is a way for us to kick off the year and let everyone know how much we appreciate their support,” said Jeff Morgan, head coach for the men’s basketball team. “There has always been a strong connection between what’s taking place on the court and what’s taking place in the stands, and that connection is a huge part of our team. [Midnight Madness] is not just about energizing basketball spirit, but school spirit as a whole, making us all proud to be Bisons.”Each year Midnight Madness opens the basketball season with a night of fun, games and cheering. This is the night for the basketball players to be recognized and have their hour-and-a-half of fame, whether it is catching rebounds for the club shoot-out or getting their names announced as they run onto the court.”There is just so much hype,” said junior Sierra Rollins, a guard for the women’s basketball team. “You have your own five seconds of fame and then you get to cheer for teammates as they come on afterwards; everybody gets their individual moments of attention. It is a great way to bring in the season.”Freshman Kristen Celsor, who plays forward for the women’s team, described the moments before as “nerve-racking” but “so exciting.””The coaches and the players really built-up the night for me and really got me excited. Before I ran out onto the court, I kept thinking, ‘Don’t Fall,'” Celsor said. “But I loved being out with my teammates, and it was all for us. It really pumped me up for the season. Now the season is starting, and our hard work and dedication is going to pay off.”Two major changes were made for this year’s Midnight Madness: Curfew was extended to 1 a.m. so that students truly could have “Midnight Madness” at midnight, and there were big, flashy lights.”We pulled some ideas from past years, such as the Dash for Cash and of course the $5,000 half-court shot,” Morgan said. “But the major change were the lights. I really appreciate Corey McEntyre and the Campus Activities Board for hooking us up with the lights and working with us. I just really appreciate all of the support we get from Dr. [David] Burks and the deans for helping us make this happen.”And naturally, Burks was sure to make an appearance at Midnight Madness. This year he had the pleasure of being jumped over and used as a springboard by freshman forward Jordan Layrock for an impressive dunk. “The dunking contest was definitely my favorite part of the night,” freshman Clay Smith said. “I went in [to Midnight Madness] honestly because it was something to do on a Thursday night. The energy level did surprise me, and it did get me excited.”Smith said he looks forward to his first basketball season at Harding and cheering for the Bisons. “I love the atmosphere when everyone is so pumped-up,” Smith said. “I know it could really help the players when we are excited for them.”The first home game of the women’s team is Monday, Nov. 15, and the first home game for the men’s team is Thursday, Nov. 18.
