The latest installment of the Nova Notebook looks back at the origins of Hoops Mania and some of the memories of those who were at the center of it.
It’s not always easy to discern the level of enthusiasm among student-athletes. In the heat of competition, it is generally wise to stay focused on the job at hand. But bring up the theme of Villanova’s annual basketball kickoff festival, known for more than two decades as “Hoops Mania,” and the smiles quickly surface.
“I was really excited every year for Hoops Mania,” says Corey Fisher, a standout guard at Villanova from 2007-2011 who returned to Villanova as a student-athlete development assistant for the men’s program. “It’s the poster child for college basketball and it’s always kept us going.”
“My freshman year, it was pretty surreal because I didn’t know what was going on,” says Lucy Olsen, the junior guard who earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors as the Wildcats compiled a record 30-7 on the way. to an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance a season ago. “One of the fun things for me is dancing. That year (2021) we had a dance party with the guys. It was really cool.”
“It’s always fun,” notes Eric Dixon who earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors on the men’s side last season.
“Every year,” adds Maddy Siegrist, Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, who capped her remarkable career last March before joining the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, “it was the start of the season. is like ‘oh, wow, the season is about to end.’ to start.’ I didn’t know what to expect my first year, but my last year (2022) was the best for me. Meek Mill was a great performer.
The Hoops Mania show, which will take the stage shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday evening to officially introduce the 2023-2024 Nova Nation men’s and women’s teams, will feature some of the elements it did in its early days in the 1990s: presentations of players, a disc jockey playing music, gifts for fans and a packed house. But several of the pieces that have become essential were not part of the original format.
Most notably, the addition of a special musical guest did not occur until 2006.
Sitting courtside at Finneran Pavilion, just yards from a stage erected for Hoops Mania 2023, a smile appears on the face of the former and current Wildcats assistant coach Mike Nardi when asked for a fond memory from Hoops Mania.
“I have to go back to the first time we did it here in Finland,” says Nardi.
Although the concept of “Midnight Madness” dates back to 1972 at the University of Maryland, the format took on new prominence in the 1990s. As the NCAA mandated the first official day of practice on October 15, programs basketball teams sought to capitalize on that enthusiasm by holding an open practice at 12:01 a.m. When ESPN and its networks began televising these events, the race was on.
Villanova also joined the party, but still a few days after October 15 and not at such a late hour. He began hosting these parties – aimed primarily at the student body – rotating between Jake Nevin Field House and the Pavilion. When Jay Wright became head coach in 2001, he and assistant Brett Gunning brought with them a model that proved successful during seven years at Hofstra. It was long focused on entertainment and less focused on basketball.
The first such show, six months after Wright was hired, took place on the Nevin Field House stage, with a series of celebrity appearances highlighted by then-Sixers coach Larry Brown, and principal owner Pat Croce. It lasted more than three hours and ended around 11:30 p.m.
In subsequent seasons, the event was officially named “Hoops Mania” and the content was streamlined. It remained at Nevin Field House until 2005. After a 24-win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, the time seemed right to permanently move the show to the more spacious Pavilion, where it has remained ever since, at the The exception was 2017 when it was moved to Villanova Stadium while the adjoining structure was transformed into Finneran Pavilion.
The additional staging space provided new opportunities to create a more memorable experience.
“We went out with the Hummers,” says Nardi, then a junior on a team that would eventually go 28-5 and win a share of the BIG EAST championship. “I feel like we kind of set the stage for bigger and better things to come because every year you were trying to top what we did the year before.”
If that night gave birth to the concept of modern Hoops Mania, the following year produced perhaps its most iconic moment.
Although DJ-provided music was always a staple of these events – along with student engagement activities, prizes, an intra-squad scrimmage and a dunk contest – it was not common to have a professional artist live as part of the show. That changed forever in 2006.
In previous summer months, Wright was invited to participate in a charity softball game in New Jersey hosted by former Wildcat Tim Thomas. While playing in the National Basketball Association, Thomas had also begun building an entertainment production portfolio. Among the softball players on the field that day were many high profile artist producers. While standing at third base, Wright struck up a conversation with one of them and the seeds of an idea began to take root.
From this chance meeting came the news that a concert – featuring an anonymous artist – would conclude 2006 Hoops Mania. At the time, it seemed like a mere footnote to the standard routine.
The secret guest artist was supposed to be Tony Yayo. During the intrasquad men’s basketball scrimmage that evening, Wright approached two Villanova staff members with this instruction: “50 Cent come join Yayo. Please come up in the stands and say -it to the students.”
Dutifully, the staff members made their way to the crowded lower bowl. The news that “Fitty” was soon to be in the Pavilion was met with skepticism by most. Others shook their heads “no way.” Few artists of any kind enjoyed greater notoriety at the time.
In this version of Hoops Mania, the playing field served as a stage for the performers, surrounded by crowds on all sides. Yayo walked out to a warm ovation. When he introduced his G Unit mate, 50 Cent, the explosion of noise was immense. Students crowded against the press and the score tables. When he threw a leather jacket to the crowd, fans flocked to it.
“My favorite moment from Hoops Mania is that one,” said Dwayne Anderson, then a Wildcats sophomore and currently an assistant coach. “I’m a fan of Tony Yayo and this band. I was excited to see him. When he brought 50 Cent as a guest, it was crazy. The crowd was following him. It was an incredible performance.”
When 50 Cent and Yayo left, there was an audible feeling of “what just happened?” » Villanova athletes, defined by their stoicism on the field, suddenly sported the look of fans seen in black-and-white video clips of Beatles concerts in the mid-1960s.
“It was,” says Nardi, “electric.”
This is how the tradition of a concert to conclude the show was born. In the years since, a veritable who’s who has taken to the field or stage to perform, including Drake, Nicki Minaj and, in 2022, Meek Mill. Ask a current or former Wildcat, and they usually have a favorite.
“I came to Hoops Mania when I was in high school,” says senior guard Bella Runyan, who appeared in all 37 games last season for the Wildcats. “I was just telling someone it was my favorite. The performer was Swae Lee and he jumped into the crowd. I was right there. It was all so surreal.”
“My favorite memory is when we had Fabulous here,” Fisher says. “I’m from New York, he’s from New York so it was great to see another New York artist perform.”
“Being from Philadelphia,” adds Eric Dixon“It was cool to see Meek Mill here. He’s at the top of my list.”
The concert was only the first of many twists and turns added to the program. A players’ dance routine was introduced in 2009 with Russell Wooten performing a memorable tribute to Michael Jackson.
Make no mistake, for competitive student-athletes who may have little experience in “mat cutting,” dance performances can be the most stressful activity.
“It was a lot of pressure for me,” Fisher says with a laugh. “For older guys like Dwayne Anderson, it was nothing to them. But it was hard for me.”
“When I was young, I was nervous,” adds Dixon. “At this point, it is what it is. I’m performing in front of my friends and family. They’ve seen me dance before. I think I’m freer with it than I was at the beginning of my career.”
Olsen has a similar view.
“I like doing TikToks, but this is different,” she says. “You have to be in sync with everyone. Luckily, we’re all great friends. We like to say it’s active recovery from basketball. We practice dance practice, we practice in our rooms .We have to make sure we don’t make a mess.”
“Honestly, I danced so I love it,” Runyan adds. “It’s super different and super exciting. The fans are there to watch us dance but they’re not going to give us a bad time.”
As always, these words are crowned with a smile.
“It’s definitely a great tradition and one I look forward to every year,” says Justin Moore. “It’s more of a pep rally to get us ready for the season. When Hoops Mania happens, you know the season is about to start and that just builds excitement.”
Nardi traces his Villanova roots to the beginning of what Hoops Mania is today. For him, it’s less about the performances or the basketball and more about the statement he’s making about Nova Nation.
“The only thing I think about with Hoops Mania is our fans, the way they fill this building,” he says. “It’s the students, the alumni, the whole Nova Nation. There’s just no other place in the country where, when you put on a show like this, you get the support that we get. We come together to have a good evening.
“That’s why we do what we do. It’s for students to come and get familiar with our teams and it’s for our (players) to appreciate the great support we have here. We always want to offer a great show.”
