Grand Canyon University Athletics
Midnight Madness rocks full GCU Arena
10/1/2022 2:10:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Basketball intro delivers high energy after days of camping out, lining up
Weeks before Grand Canyon basketball rocks rims for dunks and rolls reels for highlights, the rock-and-roll theme to Midnight Madness staged the most raucous concert GCU Arena has experienced.
Lopes basketball teams striving for the Big Dance got a full house of students dancing in Saturday's midnight hour with a high-decibel, sing- and scream-along hoops introduction that turned players and coaches into rock stars.
The rock-and-roll theme to the GCU Midnight Madness tradition had students camped out on the GCU Arena front lawn since Monday with lines winding deep into campus Friday night.
Like a mutli-act rock concert, the night did not lack for performances, whether it was the players' shots and dunks or the likes of GCU Cheer, Dance, Thundering Heard Pep Band, Drumline and the new Flight Crew dunk team energizing the crowd.
Ballers became rockers, with even head coaches Molly Miller and Bryce Drew ditching the whistles for Miller's purple leather pants and fingerless fishnet gloves and Drew's long-haired wig and purple head bandana.
"Best concert I've ever been to!" Miller screamed to thousands of return screams. "I'll see you in the stands. Rock on, Lopes!"
After trading campus apartments for tents on the Quad this week, the Havocs' most faithful were let inside the arena 90 minutes before midnight as it turned into the hypest nightclub in Phoenix for the night.
The seats quickly filled with mostly students, but also players' families, recruits and former Lopes players, such as Holland Woods II in a Drew throwback Valparaiso jersey.
Serenading a sea of selfies, music ran the gamut from Waka Flocka Flame to Toto before a 30-minute countdown hit the board as "Mr. Brightside" blended to "Game Over." But the event was far from it when the lights went down, the floor cleared and an "I Wanna Rock" Twisted Sister video was interspersed with earlier shots of Havocs in big hair, banana suits and lots of leather in the lines outside.
"It was wild just to see that many people here for us," GCU freshman player Emma Krueger of Topeka, Kansas, said. "It was just mind-boggling. The coolest thing ever. I'm really glad to be where I'm at."
As "The Final Countdown" played the clock to zeroes, a concert stage with a purple lightning and strobe-light backdrop featured Thunder lip syncing to, what else on rock-and-roll night, "Thunderstruck."
Performances interspersed with videos of the basketball teams, which had the look of coming off a tour bus and getting ready backstage to "Back in Black."
When the players emerged on stage, pair of men's and women's representatives were introduced with matching uniform numbers and choreographed handshakes, or mock photo sessions in the case of Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Sydney Palma.
When Miller and Drew hit the stage, they strummed guitars before smashing the instruments to pieces.
"We want to thank you for making us feel like rock stars tonight," Drew told the crowd. "What we want to do, in March, hopefully invite all of you to our rock party, as we celebrate March Madness."
The Havocs had their latest start to a Purple Pregame Party with "Tremor" taking on a new meaning as arena cameras shook. The players put on a show in layup and dunk lines with fancy passes and a half-court shot by senior sharpshooter Walter Ellis setting the tone for continuing "The Biggest Party in College Basketball."
"Lopes fans, do you want more?" public address announcer Paul Danuser asked.
"En-core, en-core, en-core!" the students chanted.
Lines of cheer, dancers and players took to the court and did the "Crank That" dance in unison, with Miller bouncing alongside Thunder.
"The atmosphere was crazy," said junior Josh Baker, a Phoenix native who transferred from UNLV this year and brought 13 relatives to Midnight Madness. "The energy is nuts. This is a bigtime event. It was a rush of adrenalin with so much energy running through your body. All I could do is put on a big smile."
And this was all about basketball, which GCU players were not shy to share their confidence with the crowd.
"We have a very special team this year," said Palma, who transferred from California Baptist to return to her hometown. "We play a very fun brand of basketball – so exciting to watch. We know, with you guys behind us, we're going to have a great season and bring back the WAC championship."
Junior Gabe McGlothan added, "Every single one of these people down here, we've been grinding. We've been working. Pouring our blood, sweat and tears out on these courts for you guys this season. I got one question: are you guys ready for a lot of wins this season? The WAC runs through Phoenix this year."
Lopes basketball teams striving for the Big Dance got a full house of students dancing in Saturday's midnight hour with a high-decibel, sing- and scream-along hoops introduction that turned players and coaches into rock stars.
The rock-and-roll theme to the GCU Midnight Madness tradition had students camped out on the GCU Arena front lawn since Monday with lines winding deep into campus Friday night.Like a mutli-act rock concert, the night did not lack for performances, whether it was the players' shots and dunks or the likes of GCU Cheer, Dance, Thundering Heard Pep Band, Drumline and the new Flight Crew dunk team energizing the crowd.
Ballers became rockers, with even head coaches Molly Miller and Bryce Drew ditching the whistles for Miller's purple leather pants and fingerless fishnet gloves and Drew's long-haired wig and purple head bandana.
"Best concert I've ever been to!" Miller screamed to thousands of return screams. "I'll see you in the stands. Rock on, Lopes!"
After trading campus apartments for tents on the Quad this week, the Havocs' most faithful were let inside the arena 90 minutes before midnight as it turned into the hypest nightclub in Phoenix for the night.
The seats quickly filled with mostly students, but also players' families, recruits and former Lopes players, such as Holland Woods II in a Drew throwback Valparaiso jersey.Serenading a sea of selfies, music ran the gamut from Waka Flocka Flame to Toto before a 30-minute countdown hit the board as "Mr. Brightside" blended to "Game Over." But the event was far from it when the lights went down, the floor cleared and an "I Wanna Rock" Twisted Sister video was interspersed with earlier shots of Havocs in big hair, banana suits and lots of leather in the lines outside.
"It was wild just to see that many people here for us," GCU freshman player Emma Krueger of Topeka, Kansas, said. "It was just mind-boggling. The coolest thing ever. I'm really glad to be where I'm at."
As "The Final Countdown" played the clock to zeroes, a concert stage with a purple lightning and strobe-light backdrop featured Thunder lip syncing to, what else on rock-and-roll night, "Thunderstruck."
Performances interspersed with videos of the basketball teams, which had the look of coming off a tour bus and getting ready backstage to "Back in Black."
When the players emerged on stage, pair of men's and women's representatives were introduced with matching uniform numbers and choreographed handshakes, or mock photo sessions in the case of Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Sydney Palma.
When Miller and Drew hit the stage, they strummed guitars before smashing the instruments to pieces.
"We want to thank you for making us feel like rock stars tonight," Drew told the crowd. "What we want to do, in March, hopefully invite all of you to our rock party, as we celebrate March Madness."
The Havocs had their latest start to a Purple Pregame Party with "Tremor" taking on a new meaning as arena cameras shook. The players put on a show in layup and dunk lines with fancy passes and a half-court shot by senior sharpshooter Walter Ellis setting the tone for continuing "The Biggest Party in College Basketball.""Lopes fans, do you want more?" public address announcer Paul Danuser asked.
"En-core, en-core, en-core!" the students chanted.
Lines of cheer, dancers and players took to the court and did the "Crank That" dance in unison, with Miller bouncing alongside Thunder.
"The atmosphere was crazy," said junior Josh Baker, a Phoenix native who transferred from UNLV this year and brought 13 relatives to Midnight Madness. "The energy is nuts. This is a bigtime event. It was a rush of adrenalin with so much energy running through your body. All I could do is put on a big smile."
And this was all about basketball, which GCU players were not shy to share their confidence with the crowd."We have a very special team this year," said Palma, who transferred from California Baptist to return to her hometown. "We play a very fun brand of basketball – so exciting to watch. We know, with you guys behind us, we're going to have a great season and bring back the WAC championship."
Junior Gabe McGlothan added, "Every single one of these people down here, we've been grinding. We've been working. Pouring our blood, sweat and tears out on these courts for you guys this season. I got one question: are you guys ready for a lot of wins this season? The WAC runs through Phoenix this year."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballHALF-COURTER! It had to be green in the Melo Saint Patrick’s Day jersey 🎯🔥
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