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Kentucky had an event to unveil their basketball team's new uniforms for this year. The event drew more fans than some teams draw for their games. Scroll through the pics--
But the big event that Kentucky held last night was their "Midnight Madness". Accompanied by fireworks and other pyrotechnics and a capacity crowd of 23,000+.
When tickets went on sale for the event 2 weeks ago, all 23,000+ sold out in 40 minutes.
Coach Billy Gillispie moved Madness up a week by using an NCAA loophole that allows coaches to spend two hours a week on the court with their players before the official start of practice.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...44/1002/SPORTS
http://www.kentucky.com/818/story/552202.html
Many other college coaches are upset by this ploy of holding a public "practice" a week earlier than the NCAA allows.
Early "Madness" irritates some coaches--
Four schools — Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois and Marshall — have opted to take to the court a week earlier.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches have filed a complaint to the NCAA asking them to prohibit coaches from using this new "loophole" as a recruiting tool. The NCAA has set up an emergency meeting on October 29 to make a decision, and it's expected that in the future they will prohibit public preseason events like these prior to the official start of practice.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli said, "We have a beautiful thing going with individual instruction. We have an opportunity to make a difference in our game and it's working well."
"It's about the game and not the individual programs," he added. "It doesn't matter who it is. We've made great advances in the game and now some coaches want to use it as a recruiting advantage."
Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said, "Coaches have fought for this for a long time to get a couple of hours a week to work with the players for instruction, not for showboating, but for teaching."
In typical Bob Huggins fashion, the West Virginia coach said that the Mountaineers would get on the court at 9:30 p.m. Friday "because we can."
Bruce Weber's situation at Illinois is a little different. He's going to use about a half-hour to put on what is being billed as the largest outdoor basketball practice immediately following Saturday afternoon's home football game on a portable basketball court. It's also an event that will hopefully raise $50,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer by selling "Zook Zone" towels for $1 apiece. Weber plans to utilize the remainder of the two hours to work with his team behind closed doors.
Weber said he offered to cancel after the NABC came down on those who are holding the event a week earlier.
"It's just really a fun promotion," Weber said. "And next Saturday is a night game and won't end until around 10:30 or 11 at night. It's going to be 30 degrees out and no one is going to stay."
"I really didn't think it was a big deal," he added. However, he received calls from NABC boss Jim Haney and also Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who is on the NABC board.
But the big event that Kentucky held last night was their "Midnight Madness". Accompanied by fireworks and other pyrotechnics and a capacity crowd of 23,000+.
When tickets went on sale for the event 2 weeks ago, all 23,000+ sold out in 40 minutes.
Coach Billy Gillispie moved Madness up a week by using an NCAA loophole that allows coaches to spend two hours a week on the court with their players before the official start of practice.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...44/1002/SPORTS
http://www.kentucky.com/818/story/552202.html
Many other college coaches are upset by this ploy of holding a public "practice" a week earlier than the NCAA allows.
Early "Madness" irritates some coaches--
Four schools — Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois and Marshall — have opted to take to the court a week earlier.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches have filed a complaint to the NCAA asking them to prohibit coaches from using this new "loophole" as a recruiting tool. The NCAA has set up an emergency meeting on October 29 to make a decision, and it's expected that in the future they will prohibit public preseason events like these prior to the official start of practice.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli said, "We have a beautiful thing going with individual instruction. We have an opportunity to make a difference in our game and it's working well."
"It's about the game and not the individual programs," he added. "It doesn't matter who it is. We've made great advances in the game and now some coaches want to use it as a recruiting advantage."
Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said, "Coaches have fought for this for a long time to get a couple of hours a week to work with the players for instruction, not for showboating, but for teaching."
In typical Bob Huggins fashion, the West Virginia coach said that the Mountaineers would get on the court at 9:30 p.m. Friday "because we can."
Bruce Weber's situation at Illinois is a little different. He's going to use about a half-hour to put on what is being billed as the largest outdoor basketball practice immediately following Saturday afternoon's home football game on a portable basketball court. It's also an event that will hopefully raise $50,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer by selling "Zook Zone" towels for $1 apiece. Weber plans to utilize the remainder of the two hours to work with his team behind closed doors.
Weber said he offered to cancel after the NABC came down on those who are holding the event a week earlier.
"It's just really a fun promotion," Weber said. "And next Saturday is a night game and won't end until around 10:30 or 11 at night. It's going to be 30 degrees out and no one is going to stay."
"I really didn't think it was a big deal," he added. However, he received calls from NABC boss Jim Haney and also Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who is on the NABC board.
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