When the clock strikes 8 p.m. on Friday and the doors open for Midnight Madness, it will signal the change of the season for the Georgetown sports fan.
Let’s be real, for most students there are only two sports seasons on the Hilltop—basketball season and basketball offseason. Midnight Madness is the start of the better one. As much as I love talking about recruiting and having the never-ending debate about whether the Princeton offense is good for the Hoyas or not, I’d rather be sitting in the student section, watching Georgetown destroy Duke while hanging out with Barack.
Not only is Midnight Madness a great opportunity to see new players, cheer for returning upperclassmen, and maybe even get some target practice in the bathroom, it signifies a fresh start. After three consecutive postseason flameouts, that is something that Hoya Basketball fans have been dying to get. The old adage “there’s always next year” never comforts a fan after their favorite team’s season has just ended disappointingly. It is only when “next year” actually arrives that the fan is happy again.
After a humiliating loss to Ohio in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Midnight Madness is just what the doctor ordered for the Hoyas and their fans. Although the season doesn’t start until Nov. 12, when Georgetown will play at Old Dominion, the celebration will mark the end of last year’s disappointing finish and will be the start of what Hoya fans hope will be a memorable season. There is no better time to be a college basketball fan—well, besides March—but the entire season is ahead of us now.
‘Tis the season of ridiculous predictions and delusional thoughts. It doesn’t matter anymore that we lost to Ohio and Rutgers last year—as of Friday, the Hoyas will be undefeated, and no one can take that from them—at least not until the opening tip.
Although Midnight Madness is very similar every year, with the same player introductions, a ridiculous Henry Sims dance routine, and a game of knockout, there is always something different. This year Greg Monroe will be absent from the festivities, at least in uniform—whether he will return to unveil his NBA jersey himself is yet to be determined. It will also be the last time we see the backcourt duo of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. Recently confirmed to be performing, Washington D.C. rapper Wale will probably give the best musical performance McDonough has seen (sorry T-Pain).
Can a celebratory season kickoff where the highest-stakes competition that will take place is a dance contest between JTIII and Jack the Bulldog tell us anything about the upcoming season? There is no way we’ll be able to tell if Henry Sims finally figured out how to play defense or whether Jason Clark retained his strong shooting stroke from last season. The only thing we can look for is an omen.
We should’ve known our season was doomed last year after a misguided freshman stole a park police officer’s gun and shot a toilet. The demons didn’t show up until the NCAA tournament, but they showed up.
This year at Midnight Madness, I’m not going to watch Austin Freeman shooting threes or Chris Wright driving to the hoop. I want to see a distinct sign that will tell me we will have a great season this year. I don’t know what that might be, but I have a feeling I’ll know it when I see it.
Beat ODU! Can’t wait! Let’s Go Hoyas!