Where is UC's Preseason Dunk Contest / Midnight Madness?

[Bearcat_NTS]

Originally Posted by JumpinJack5

Both of you are wrong. The only really big midnight madness event now is UK. Everyone else does it to create buzz and a vast majority don't even sell it out. Let's be honest, it isn't supposed to be a huge money maker for any school, it is supposed to create interest and excitement in the program. Of course some will always be bigger than others, but that doesn't mean UC shouldn't have one. I think that's why they at least attempted to bring it back partially this year after the hiatus. If we continue to win, I would expect more events like this, but we must continue to win and sustain success for it to become a reality every year.

Memphis and UConn both sold out the event and it was televised on ESPN.

Sorry Ralph, it started at 9pm not midnight.....

[BearcatSpaniard513]

I think it is a good way to kickoff the start of the season. I think the last one I went to was either Hugg's last year or Kennedy's first. I remember the dunk contest and James White dunked from the free throw line between his legs. It was incredible! There was some excitement going into that year though and still that was not sold out. Crowded, not sold out.

I think things changed when we had Mick's first couple years because we knew the losses would pile up and we were not landing any big recruits that would stir up excitement. But I believe now a decent amount of people would show up to it. We are in the tourney every year, in the top 25 and have some exciting recruits coming in, including a top 20 player.

Show off the new team at a typical game time (7 on a week night), try and sell season tickets and packages, give free stuff away and get the crowd involved in some way. People will show up to that. Make it an annual thing where the 2 team captains pick their 5 and they scrimmage each other. I would love that

[JumpinJack5]

Originally Posted by Bearcat_NTS

Memphis and UConn both sold out the event and it was televised on ESPN.

Sorry Ralph, it started at 9pm not midnight.....

Let's compare the number of teams with a midnight madness that doesn't sell out and isn't on ESPN vs. the number that do sell out and are televised on ESPN. There are only a handful of teams that have that type of support and comparing us to them is not a fair comparison. UCONN won a national championship recently, so did UK, and Memphis has been in the title game/final four only a few years ago and they have an incredible recruiting class this year because that is their coach's speciality. Plus, basketball is all Memphis really has, they have nothing else to support, like pro football, baseball, and good college football. There are always outliers, but the general trend supports the concept that most teams don't have an ESPN midnight madness that sells out every year.

[Bearcat_NTS]

Originally Posted by JumpinJack5

Let's compare the number of teams with a midnight madness that doesn't sell out and isn't on ESPN vs. the number that do sell out and are televised on ESPN. There are only a handful of teams that have that type of support and comparing us to them is not a fair comparison. UCONN won a national championship recently, so did UK, and Memphis has been in the title game/final four only a few years ago and they have an incredible recruiting class this year because that is their coach's speciality. Plus, basketball is all Memphis really has, they have nothing else to support, like pro football, baseball, and good college football. There are always outliers, but the general trend supports the concept that most teams don't have an ESPN midnight madness that sells out every year.

Cincinnati once had Dickie V at Midnight Madness...if UC had the fan base and excitement we had then there would still be a Midnight Madness. Period.

[ralph1950]

Originally Posted by Bearcat_NTS

Cincinnati once had Dickie V at Midnight Madness...if UC had the fan base and excitement we had then there would still be a Midnight Madness. Period.

Wrong, midnight madness is passé, having events at midnight is just plain stupid. Louisville does not have it, Pitino has no need to hold a midnight practice, neither does Mick.

[BearcatSpaniard513]

Originally Posted by ralph1950

Wrong, midnight madness is passé, having events at midnight is just plain stupid. Louisville does not have it, Pitino has no need to hold a midnight practice, neither does Mick.

Just to clarify, because I have seen a couple posters thinking it really is at midnight, that was just the name. It was actually earlier in the night and got out before midnight. I think it started around 8 or 9, but I forget

[JumpinJack5]

Originally Posted by Bearcat_NTS

Cincinnati once had Dickie V at Midnight Madness...if UC had the fan base and excitement we had then there would still be a Midnight Madness. Period.

No excitement, then why has attendance slowly risen the past few years? Rome wasn't built in one day, it takes time to regain a national brand. Plus, when we were good in the 90s-early 00s, TV contracts and brand didn't mean as much as it does now. If you had a good team, they would cover you. Now, UK gets coverage after they lost to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT. It's all about money now, not about results. Realistically, no program besides a select handful, are going to have huge Midnight Madnesses. There is plenty of buzz around our program, and while it may not be national yet, I think they could still have a successful Midnight Madness if they wanted to have one. The big reason we stopped doing Midnight Madness was how horrible those first few teams Mick had were. Nobody can get excited for Adam Hyricanuk missing bunnies for a whole year. 5 freshman (top 25 recruiting class) some good returners, and some interesting breakout candidates can and will excite the fan base, you cannot deny that.

[david aka the TYZ]

Originally Posted by Bearcat_NTS

Midnight Madness is still a big deal Ralphy boy, there is a reason why UConn, Memphis in our own conference among others still host a big (sold out) event. They televise them on ESPN for a reason, and it is great for recruiting.

Plain and simple, Cincinnati doesn't have the buzz we used to have leading into basketball season. The fan base never came back....

That pretty much sums it up.

I went as a student and they weren't terribly packed and that was when UC basketball could do no wrong. When Huggins left the buzz went with him. It would be embarrasing to host a midnight madness event and a only a couple thousand people show up, if that. They stopped it back then and honestly they haven't been given a reason by the fanbase to start it up again. They tried a noon time Saturday event a few years back before a football game and only a couple hundred people showed up. Honestly the Thursday at noon downtown thing is good because when no one shows up there's a good excuse for it, everybody's working. I hate to say that, but lets be honest how many people do you think would go to a midnight madness here?