Coach Versyp makes debut at Hoosier Hysteria

Midnight Madness is no more. \nOr at least the way IU fans have come to know it in the past. The men's and women's basketball teams will still hold their annual first practice of the year Friday night, but under a new name and at a new time.\n"I'm not sure how I feel about it," said junior center Sarah McKay. "It's always been tradition."\nThanks to legislation from the NCAA Board of Directors that took effect Aug. 1, basketball programs nationwide can begin their annual first practice of the season earlier than midnight.\nAt 9 p.m. tonight, the IU men's and women's basketball teams will take the court for their first practices of the year at Hoosier Hysteria.\nIn addition to a new name for Midnight Madness, the women's team has undergone numerous other changes, including the arrival of a new coach. Sharon Versyp, who joins the team after five years at the University of Maine, has one main goal for her first Hoosier Hysteria.\n"Enjoy the experience," Versyp said. "IU fans are amazing, and we want to prove ourselves to them."\nIU hopes the earlier start time will expose the team to more Hoosier fans.\n"Families are a big part of our fans," McKay said. "Maybe with the earlier time, they will be able to see us."\nAfter the player introductions at 9 p.m., the festivities will begin with a scrimmage for the women's team. The men's team will then be introduced to the Assembly Hall crowd and take part in a scrimmage of its own.\nThe skills contests will begin at approximately 9:45 with the 3-point contest, spot shot contest and the fan favorite, the dunk contest.\nIn the 3-point contest, the women's team will be looking to reclaim its title after then-senior Ryan Tapak beat then-junior guard Cyndi Valentin 13-10 in the final round.\nValentin, who had won the previous two years, would not make a prediction for tonight's event, but the senior believes the women's team has a good chance to take back the title.\n"The girls have a great chance to win," Valentin said. "We've got some really good shooters."\nCompeting for the Hoosiers, along with Valentin, will be junior guard Leah Enterline, sophomore guard Nikki Smith and highly touted freshman guard Kelly McManmon.\nFor the spot shot contest, the women's team will be represented by seniors Valentin and Jennie DeMuth, junior guard Annika Boyd, Smith and freshman forward Kimberly Roberson.\nThe spot shot contest will be the first time IU fans can get a glimpse of DeMuth, who tore her left ACL last year at Midnight Madness. Prior to the injury, DeMuth averaged 18.3 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game during the 2003-04 season.\nWhile not looking past Hoosier Hysteria, Versyp knows the real team preparation begins Saturday.\n"We're going to take it one day at a time," Versyp said. "But we want to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten"