Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Midnight Madness whets Havocs' hoop appetite
10/7/2023 2:07:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Paul Coro, Havocs
Rollicking annual event packs arena with students to hype upcoming season
In the multiplying madness of the midnight hour, Grand Canyon women's basketball head coach Molly Miller stood at center court of a packed GCU Arena and declared the start of Saturday to be quality time with the best student section in America.
When she relayed the microphone to Lopes men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew, he channeled the tone of a boxing ring announcer and asked, "Are you ready for basketball season?"
With volume approaching the inside of a jet engine, the Havocs gave a resounding yes in screams just as they showed in actions all week. Camp Elliott started Monday night, and the arena turned into a 90-minute rave leading up to the GCU Midnight Madness ritual that unofficially tips off basketball season.
With barely more than three weeks remaining until both teams debut at GCU Arena, invitations went out for The Biggest Party in College Basketball and students responded early and often.
"Transferring from a smaller school, we didn't have any community with the students, so I thought it was really good to see everybody come out and enjoy themselves," Lopes junior guard Callie Cooper said after she transferred this summer from UC Santa Barbara. "I didn't expect this outcome, but I did expect something big because GCU always goes big."
The unique introduction to new-look Lopes teams sticks to the essence of Midnight Madness with the main event beginning at 12 a.m., but it is really a weeklong parade of passion of GCU basketball.
Sophomores Zoe Lewis and Paul Boyd were the first to make the Quad outside GCU Arena their home for the week at 8 p.m. Monday. A six-person campsite grew to a 35-person community as hundreds pitched tents for the Camp Elliott tradition before Midnight Madness and marquee games.
"We wanted to be right here," Boyd said, pointing to his front-row, center-court spot. "All the action is here. It was 100% worth it. Camping was worth it, even before this event – the connections, the fun, the loss of sleep."
With an ElectroMadness theme, the pulsating arena turned lit as it filled with students in safety vests and light-up cowboy hats.
The energy leading up to midnight did not maintain, instead escalating with Phoenix's largest karaoke party belting out "Party in the USA" and "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" before a Super Bowl halftime's worth of Usher "Yeahs."
When it came to a final one-minute countdown to midnight, the Havocs locked arms and rocked back and forth until the show began with a video retrospective about GCU's 75th year.
GCU Cheer, Flight Crew, Thundering Herd Pep Band, Dancers and Drumline entertained the capacity crowd until a behind-the-scenes video revealed the neon touches on the players in the locker room with Drew and Miller hyped their teams to emerge.
Following Miller in purple pants and Drew in a multi-neon jumpsuit, the players were introduced in pairs of a man and a woman with choreography, poses and a chuckle when 7-foot freshman Noah Amenhauser and 5-10 Trinity San Antonio stood back to back.
It was the first time the GCU crowd saw graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. in uniform since he suffered a season-ended knee injury on Jan. 5. Nearly back to being cleared to practice, Blacksher waved his arms as the crowd turned louder for him.
"At first, I was just going to do our routine, but I felt the energy when it got louder so I had to show them some love," Blacksher said. "When they called my name, I felt like were excited for me to be back. Hopefully, I can come back and put on a show for them."
The introductions ended with another crowd favorite, graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan, making his final Midnight Madness entry by locking arms with redshirt freshman Isaiah Shaw and having junior guard Naudia Evans dive onto them.
Drew called it the "best Midnight Madness ever," and that front row of first arrivals did not disagree, whether they were returnees or first-timers.
Sophomore Malachi Backholm interrupted his Beyonce dance to say, "I don't even know what this is. I just got convinced to come camp, and it's been a great experience. We're having fun and getting loud."
Part of the convincing crew, sophomore Josiah Luebcke knew their early positioning would put them in photos for social media and maybe a calendar while junior Ty Edgerson was back in the front row for more basketball hardware.
"We won the WAC last year, so we've got all the hype coming in to this year and we're pretty excited," Edgerson said.
Dr
ew pledged to Thunder at center court that the teams have to give GCU the best men's and women's basketball seasons ever. Miller said she has the players for that mission.
"This is the most talented, the most dedicated, the most hard-working, the most competitive team that I've ever coached," Miller said before exiting to "Mol-ly" chants.
But Friday late night and Saturday early morning were a practice for the Havocs, just as the teams have been going through to prepare for the season since the summer. From the outfits to the synchronization of words and moves, the GCU students were in midseason form.
"They got a target on their back, and they got a target on their back," Drew said, pointing to each GCU team before turning to the Havocs. "Everybody wants to beat them. YOU all have a target on your back because every single team we play wants to come in here and beat you guys."
The women's and men's exhibition games are Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, respectively, before the regular season opens with a Nov. 6 doubleheader – women vs. Saint Mary's at 4 p.m., men vs. Southeast Missouri at 7 p.m.
When she relayed the microphone to Lopes men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew, he channeled the tone of a boxing ring announcer and asked, "Are you ready for basketball season?"
With volume approaching the inside of a jet engine, the Havocs gave a resounding yes in screams just as they showed in actions all week. Camp Elliott started Monday night, and the arena turned into a 90-minute rave leading up to the GCU Midnight Madness ritual that unofficially tips off basketball season.With barely more than three weeks remaining until both teams debut at GCU Arena, invitations went out for The Biggest Party in College Basketball and students responded early and often.
"Transferring from a smaller school, we didn't have any community with the students, so I thought it was really good to see everybody come out and enjoy themselves," Lopes junior guard Callie Cooper said after she transferred this summer from UC Santa Barbara. "I didn't expect this outcome, but I did expect something big because GCU always goes big."
The unique introduction to new-look Lopes teams sticks to the essence of Midnight Madness with the main event beginning at 12 a.m., but it is really a weeklong parade of passion of GCU basketball.
Sophomores Zoe Lewis and Paul Boyd were the first to make the Quad outside GCU Arena their home for the week at 8 p.m. Monday. A six-person campsite grew to a 35-person community as hundreds pitched tents for the Camp Elliott tradition before Midnight Madness and marquee games."We wanted to be right here," Boyd said, pointing to his front-row, center-court spot. "All the action is here. It was 100% worth it. Camping was worth it, even before this event – the connections, the fun, the loss of sleep."
With an ElectroMadness theme, the pulsating arena turned lit as it filled with students in safety vests and light-up cowboy hats.
The energy leading up to midnight did not maintain, instead escalating with Phoenix's largest karaoke party belting out "Party in the USA" and "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" before a Super Bowl halftime's worth of Usher "Yeahs."
When it came to a final one-minute countdown to midnight, the Havocs locked arms and rocked back and forth until the show began with a video retrospective about GCU's 75th year.
GCU Cheer, Flight Crew, Thundering Herd Pep Band, Dancers and Drumline entertained the capacity crowd until a behind-the-scenes video revealed the neon touches on the players in the locker room with Drew and Miller hyped their teams to emerge.
Following Miller in purple pants and Drew in a multi-neon jumpsuit, the players were introduced in pairs of a man and a woman with choreography, poses and a chuckle when 7-foot freshman Noah Amenhauser and 5-10 Trinity San Antonio stood back to back.It was the first time the GCU crowd saw graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. in uniform since he suffered a season-ended knee injury on Jan. 5. Nearly back to being cleared to practice, Blacksher waved his arms as the crowd turned louder for him.
"At first, I was just going to do our routine, but I felt the energy when it got louder so I had to show them some love," Blacksher said. "When they called my name, I felt like were excited for me to be back. Hopefully, I can come back and put on a show for them."
The introductions ended with another crowd favorite, graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan, making his final Midnight Madness entry by locking arms with redshirt freshman Isaiah Shaw and having junior guard Naudia Evans dive onto them.
Drew called it the "best Midnight Madness ever," and that front row of first arrivals did not disagree, whether they were returnees or first-timers.
Sophomore Malachi Backholm interrupted his Beyonce dance to say, "I don't even know what this is. I just got convinced to come camp, and it's been a great experience. We're having fun and getting loud."
Part of the convincing crew, sophomore Josiah Luebcke knew their early positioning would put them in photos for social media and maybe a calendar while junior Ty Edgerson was back in the front row for more basketball hardware.
"We won the WAC last year, so we've got all the hype coming in to this year and we're pretty excited," Edgerson said.
Dr
ew pledged to Thunder at center court that the teams have to give GCU the best men's and women's basketball seasons ever. Miller said she has the players for that mission."This is the most talented, the most dedicated, the most hard-working, the most competitive team that I've ever coached," Miller said before exiting to "Mol-ly" chants.
But Friday late night and Saturday early morning were a practice for the Havocs, just as the teams have been going through to prepare for the season since the summer. From the outfits to the synchronization of words and moves, the GCU students were in midseason form.
"They got a target on their back, and they got a target on their back," Drew said, pointing to each GCU team before turning to the Havocs. "Everybody wants to beat them. YOU all have a target on your back because every single team we play wants to come in here and beat you guys."
The women's and men's exhibition games are Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, respectively, before the regular season opens with a Nov. 6 doubleheader – women vs. Saint Mary's at 4 p.m., men vs. Southeast Missouri at 7 p.m.
If @GCU_MBB's Midnight Madness was any indication, Phoenix is ready for the 2024 #MFinalFour! 🏀🌵pic.twitter.com/nYO8TqV0Da
— NCAA Men's Final Four (@MFinalFour) October 7, 2023
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballKendra Potts Post Match Press Conference | GCU vs NAU 9.7.25
Monday, September 08
"Your Life Arizona" Featuring Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs
Thursday, September 04
Makaih Williams | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Dusty Stromer | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04