Midnight Madness to kick off hoops season

(10/13/03)

UIC will hold Midnight Madness—the official kickoff to the college basketball season—this Friday night at the UIC Pavilion.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will take to the Pavilion floor for a 15-minute scrimmage. The men’s team is the overwhelming favorite to win the Horizon League championship, according to many pre-season publications. It will be the first opportunity for Flames fans to see newcomers like Elliott Poole, Justin Bowen and Josip Petrusic in action.

Festivities begin at 10 p.m. and admission is free. The cheerleaders and the Dancing Flames will be there to entertain and fire up the UIC supporters. There will be food, music and great prizes, such as a 25-inch TV and a DVD player.

The university shuttle will provide service for students from the dorms from 9:45 p.m. until 1 a.m. Midnight Madness is also accessible via the Racine stop on the CTA Blue Line, which runs 24 hours.

The Flames’ first game action will be Nov. 5 at the Pavilion in an exhibition game against a team still to be announced. The regular season begins Nov. 17 in Cincinnati when UIC takes on UC-Irvine in the first round of the Black Coaches Association Classic.