Gator Hoops Officially Opens With Midnight Madness
Saturday, October 13, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Gator fans celebrated the beginning of basketball season at University of Florida's annual Midnight Madness Friday night. Nearly 9,000 fans witnessed the Midnight Madness activities Friday in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, a building dubbed as the "House of Horrors" by ESPN Magazine in 1999.
The Florida student body, also known as the "Rowdy Reptiles," began waiting in line for the event early Friday morning. The gates opened at 7:30 p.m. and the lower bowl sections quickly filled as the ninth-ranked Florida volleyball team defeated Ole Miss for the program's 500th win. Following the match, the Gators and Lady Gators basketball teams signed autographs for 90 minutes before the pep band, cheerleaders and Dazzlers performed.
Brett Nelson and James White teamed up to win the three-point contest. White also took the top honors in the slam dunk contest.
Florida will have just 19 days before they begin their exhibition season November 1st against the Birmingham Bullets (England). On November 8, Florida will tip off the regular season in New York with a rematch against Temple at the IKON Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Madison Square Garden. Temple defeated Florida in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, 75-54. The two-day tournament will continue November 9, as the Gators will face Arizona or Maryland.
Midnight Madness Winners:
Gator Three-Point Contest: Brett Nelson and James White
Gator Slam Dunk Contest: James White
AllTel Dial Long Distance Contest: Neal Gillespie (Winner received a cellular phone and a year of free service courtesy of AllTel).
Papa John's Celebrity Shootout: Ross Jones and Pat McMahon defeated Steve Russell and Roland Thornqvist. Each celebrity represented a section on 1,000 fans. The winning team won their sections Papa John's coupons.
