The men’s and women’s basketball seasons kicked off at Midnight Madness on Friday at Breslin Center. The theme was “Friday Night Flashback” as the team paid tribute to the 1979 men’s basketball national championship team. The women’s team dressed as 1970s musical icons. The men’s team dressed like the 1979 team, much to everyone’s enjoyment.
Disco music and short basketball shorts were all the rage Friday as the men’s and women’s basketball teams kicked off the season with Midnight Madness.
A crowd that filled most of Breslin Center watched the “Friday Night Flashback,” which paid tribute to the 1979 men’s basketball national championship team. Greg Kelser, who was a key part of that ’79 team, hosted the night. It was the first time he had attended Midnight Madness, and he wore a jersey that resembled those worn by the 1979 team.
“Usually I’m doing something for the Pistons, but I’ve got the night off,” he said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years.”
The women’s team entered the court wearing costumes resembling 1970s musical icons such as Cher (played by junior center Allyssa DeHaan). Head coach Suzy Merchant, dressed as ’70s talk show host Carol Burnett, hosted “The Suzy Merchant Show.” She then performed a dance with a John Travolta look-alike, much to the surprise of her team.
“She surprised all of us,” junior guard Jasmine Holmes said with a smile.
“We didn’t know she had it in her.”
Then it was the men’s turn to enter.
Contrary to the night’s theme, the men’s team entered with present-day rap music playing. Each player danced down the stairs, through the crowd, and to the court. When most of the team was on the court, they danced to the music together.
Before head coach Tom Izzo’s entrance, a video showed a 1970s Izzo, mustache and all, hitching a ride to the 1979 national championship game.
Izzo entered in an old ’70s van. He got out of the car dressed as a hippie along with his family and spoke to the crowd about the football game the next day and the upcoming basketball season.
“I asked (Izzo) when we got off the court, ‘Did you really used to dress like this?’” senior forward Marquise Gray said. “He said ‘yeah’ so we had a laugh about it.”
Izzo’s outfit brought a lot of laughs to the crowd.
“Izzo always has a fun little crazy thing he does,” social work graduate student Lia Joseph said.
“I kinda miss the mustache, but it was nice.”
Underneath their warm-up tops, the players wore green jerseys similar to those worn by the ’79 team. But underneath their pants, the team surprised the crowd by revealing extremely short basketball shorts. The ladies in the crowd screamed as the players danced.
“I thought the players looked pretty good,” Izzo said. “If they can play like Magic and Kelser, I’d get them any kind of shorts.”
The night concluded with both teams scrimmaging and a dunk contest by the men.
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