Each week, we’ll profile some of the week’s biggest upcoming games by taking a look back at some relevant history that relates to the match-ups. This is Back And Forth.
For our first entry, we will take a look at what’s right in front of us. The week of various Midnight Madness events are popping up in arenas across the country, with some naturally creating more of a buzz than others. Places like Lexington, Lawrence, East Lansing and Gainesville will pack fans and students into their respective arenas, domes and fieldhouses, lighting fireworks, putting on costumes and introducing this year’s roster with aplomb – at some point, they’ll also do some basketball stuff.
So what are some of the more memorable Midnight Madness moments for great teams in recent history? Glad you asked. Let’s review three recent champions to determine if there were any clues as to what was to come six months later:
Kentucky, Big Blue Madness – 2011-12
A few months removed from a run to John Calipari’s first Final Four as head coach of the Wildcats, a lot was expected from a semi-veteran team of Terrence Jones, Darius Miller and Doron Lamb pairing with the next loaded recruiting class coming to town, featuring future lottery picks Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Amid all the introductions, lights and pageantry, the Wildcats staged their customary Blue vs. White scrimmage.
National Title Moment: During the scrimmage, Big Blue Nation got to see the full talents of Davis on display. The 6’11” forward was a physical freak, swatting shots and throwing down dunks, taking off from outside the paint on the baseline. The future NPOY put it all on display from day one as a Wildcat.
UConn, First Night – 2010-11
No one was expecting what they saw out of UConn in 2010-11. It all started at “First Night,” UConn’s annual nightly open practice. Around 7,000 fans showed up for the player introductions and skills challenge. That was the night Kemba Walker started it all in motion. The rest is history.
National Title Moment: The recruiting class had to give fans hope. It was big (seven players) and impactful (Shabazz Napier, Tyler Olander, Roscoe Smith, Jeremy Lamb, and Niels Giffey). They not only backed Walker’s amazing performances in March, but three of those seven were on the roster for the Huskies’ second national title run last year.
Florida, Midnight Madness – 2006-07
A year removed from their first national championship, the Gators brought back four starters – and three future NBA Draft picks — for one more title, which made every Florida fan ready for a repeat. Six months later, they got it. Joakim Noah headlined the group as the emotional leader, but Corey Brewer and Al Horford were the meat of the talented team.
National Title Moment: Head coach Billy Donovan exhibited the loosey-goosey nature of his team by pulling off this dropped crystal championship trophy trick during Midnight Madness. That ability to stay self-aware and have fun in the moment served the Gators well as they ran to back-to-back titles.