Madness doesn't even begin to describe the players and crowd Friday night. Only a few hours before the public was released into the gym for Midnight Madness, one could have heard a pin drop on the court.
But come 12:01 a.m., Assembly Hall exploded with screaming fans.
"So many people came here to support us," freshman forward Patrick Ewing Jr. said. "There's nothing like it."
What really got the crowd pumped was the slam-dunk contest. Senior center George Leach, Ewing Jr., senior forward Jason Stewart, junior guard Donald Perry and freshman guard Roderick Wilmont all took their best shots at pleasing a panel of judges from the Student Athletic Board.
Leach led the group of slam-dunkers with an impressive one-hand dunk, but Ewing Jr. showed him up by hanging from the basket with his arm in the net.
The second time around, Leach got a little encouragement from the crowd before attempting his next couple of dunks, but was unsuccessful at making the basket.