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Madness Recap

10/15/05

Joe J. Dlugosz

Better than 2000 people came to the Gentile Center on an unseasonably warm mid-October night to help the Loyola Ramblers kick off the 2005-06 basketball season. The energy was high as fans and players mingled for an hour or so before the festivities got underway. Once the program got started Ramblers fans got a glimpse of what’s in store for what looks to be the most promising Ramblers basketball season in recent memory.

The crowd and the players really got into the mood as the lights in the Gentile Center dimmed for player introductions. After that celebration the three-point contest got underway. The participants were sophomore guard Bryan Piironen, junior guard Blake Schilb, junior guard Majak Kou and sophomore guard Dave Telander.

Piironen started the contest off hot and wouldn’t cool down. He opened with 13 threes in the 45-second round. Schilb followed up with an equally impressive 12 three-pointers. Kou then dumped in 13 threes of his own. Telander couldn’t find his rhythm and only managed eight. Kou and Piironen advanced to the final, but wound up each hitting 11 shots in the next 45-second round. This forced a 30-second final round in which Piironen missed but one or two shots en route to knocking down nine threes in 30 seconds and becoming the three-point contest champion.

Following the three-point contest came the slam dunk contest. It featured Kou, freshman center Matt Adler, sophomore forward Tracy Robinson and freshman forward Leon Young. Kou wowed the crowd on his first dunk throwing the ball behind his back, off the backboard and then seemingly hanging in air with his elbows well above the rim before slamming it down. It earned Kou a perfect 40 point score on his first of two dunks. Adler managed to get a 28 and 31 on his first two dunks while Young scored a 34 and 36. Robinson just missed making the final scoring a 35 and 33 to finish just behind Young. Kou would go on to win the dunk contest jumping over a person sitting in a folding chair in the lane.

After the two contests the players participated in a ten minute scrimmage that featured very little defense, but plenty of smiles as the players raced up and down the court trying to one up each other. Kou and Schilb went after each other for a good 40 second stretch in which Kou hit a three in front of Schilb from at least five feet behind the arc. Schilb then came down the court and used his body to knock back Kou and get the easy lay-in.

All in all midnight madness appeared to be enjoyed by all the players, fans and coaches. Perhaps the most notable and promising sight seen was all the smiles on the players faces. It appears that they really enjoy playing with each other. It should make for an interesting season.

NOTES

-Matt Adler received the loudest cheers during player introductions and it sounded like a lot of young girls like the freshman center.

-Leon Young looks like the incredible hulk. He’s got broad shoulders and a wide chest and maybe the thickest arms in the league.

-Kou looks like he grew another couple of inches.

-Brandon Woods just glides up and down the court and is very fast.

-Schilb appears to have added some muscle to his frame.

PICTURES

Leon Young rebounds for fans shooting free throws for raffle tickets.

Matt Adler, Blake Schilb and Leon Young hanging out before midnight madness.

Schilb and Adler

The 2005-06 Ramblers cheerleaders.

Schilb and the Ramblers being introduced to the fans.

The Ramblers huddle up before the start of the evening's festivities.

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