Let the madness begin

Freshman guard Bracey Wright said he couldn't see the crowd at Midnight Madness last year, but he could feel it and he could hear it.\nAs Wright made his way from the offices of Assembly Hall to the basketball court, all he could hear was the loudness of the crowd.\n"We came in from upstairs, and we didn't know how big it is yet," Wright said. "It was me, Marshall (Strickland) and Sean May, and once we walked in all, all we saw is this sea of red. Then we look up and people have our signs made, and there are people screaming at us."\nWelcome to IU and the madness of the basketball season.\nEarly Saturday morning, at 12:01 a.m. to be exact, the IU men's and women's basketball teams kicks off the first practice of the season.\nBut this practice is not the everyday practices the team will be experiencing the rest of the season. After tonight's practice, senior forward Jeff Newton said, the practices will be like "conditioning with a ball."\n"The first month is real intense," Newton said. "It's still trying to get us in good shape, and everything is still going to be real hard. Coach (Mike) Davis wants us to enjoy Midnight Madness, but come Saturday, that's when the fun and games are over."\nThe team has spent the last six weeks going through grueling individual workouts, including running the football stadium track and stairs and continuous weight-training. \nMidnight Madness signifies the end to these conditioning sessions, which the Hoosiers are not disappointed to usher out.\n"Conditioning this year was equivalent to a boot camp," junior center George Leach said. "Our strength coach, Geoff Eliason, he has to be a drill sergeant. He works us hard."\nSo for one night, the Hoosiers get to throw out the basics for 45 minutes or so, and just relax and have fun. Because this is the one chance they will get in a while, and each of them are taking advantage of it in different ways.\nLeach and Newton plan to be spectators during the competitions Saturday night, letting the younger guys show off for the first time for the IU students and fans.\n"This year, I'm just going to be watching," Leach said. "I don't feel like doing anything, so I'm just going to be watching and enjoying the show. We have a practice at 9 a.m. the next morning, so I'm going to be looking forward to not doing anything this time."\nWhile the new players are expected to participate the event, junior guard A.J. Moye is looking to show them all up by notching the third and final victory he needs in the Midnight Madness competitions.\n"A.J is getting in the three-point contest this year," Newton said. "He's saying if he wins he'll be the first to win all three events. I'm just going to sit back and watch. I don't want to show up the young guys"