The latest installment of the Nova Notebook explores the origins of Hoops Mania and some of the memories of those at the center of it.
It is not always easy to determine the level of anxiety in student-athletes. In the heat of competition, it’s usually wise to focus on the job at hand. But mention Villanova’s annual basketball festival, known for more than two decades as “Hoops Mania,” and a smile quickly surfaces.
“Every year I was really excited about Hoops Mania,” he says. Corey Fisher, Villanova’s standout guard from 2007-11, who returned to Villanova as a student-athlete development assistant for the men’s program. “It’s a typical style of college basketball and it’s always helped us move forward.”
“My freshman year, it was pretty surreal because I didn’t know what was going on,” said Lucy Olsen, a junior guard who earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors as the Wildcats posted a 30-7 record along the way. to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament a season ago. “One of the most fun things for me is dancing. That year (2021) the guys and I danced. It was really cool.”
“It’s always fun,” he notes. Eric Dixon who earned second All-BIG EAST men’s honors last season.
“Every year,” adds Villanova leading scorer Maddie Siegrist, who ended her remarkable career last March before joining the WNBA Dallas Wings, “it was the beginning of the season. It’s like, “Wow, the season is about to end.” start off.’ I didn’t know what to expect as a freshman, but my last year (2022) turned out to be my best. Meek Mill was a great performer.”
Hoops Mania, which takes the stage just after 7pm on Saturday night to officially introduce the 2023-24 Nova Nation men’s and women’s teams, will feature some of the same elements it did in its early days in the 1990s: player introductions, disc jockey playing music, fan gifts and a sold out crowd. But some of the works that have since become staples were not part of the original format.
In particular, the appearance of a special musical guest occurred only in 2006.
Sitting courtside at Finneran Pavilion, just a few feet from the stage erected for Hoops Mania 2023, a smile appears on the face of the former Wildcats standout and current assistant coach. Mike Nardi when asked about fond memories of Hoops Mania.
“I have to go back to when we first did it here in Finn,” Nardi says.
Although the concept for Midnight Madness dates back to 1972 at the University of Maryland, the format took on new energy in the 1990s. With the NCAA officially setting the first day of practice on Oct. 15, basketball programs tried to capitalize on the excitement by holding an open practice at 12:01 p.m. When ESPN and its networks began televising these events, the race was on.
Villanova also joins the party, although always a few days after October 15 and not at such a late hour. He began hosting these parties—targeted primarily at students—alternating between Jake Nevin Field House and the Pavilion. When Jay Wright became head coach in 2001, he and assistant coach Brett Gunning brought with them a template that had proven effective during his seven years at Hofstra. He focused more on entertainment and less on basketball.
The first such show, six months after Wright’s hiring date, took place on the Nevin Field House stage and included a series of celebrity appearances by then-Sixers coach Larry Brown and majority owner Pat Croce. It lasted more than three hours and ended around 11:30 p.m.
Over the next few seasons, the event was officially named “Hoops Mania” and its content was streamlined. It remained at Nevin Field House until 2005. After a 24-win season and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16, it seemed time to permanently move the show to a larger pavilion, where it has remained ever since, except in 2017 when it moved to Villanova Stadium and the adjacent structure was converted into a pavilion Finneran.
The additional stage space opened up new possibilities for creating more memorable experiences.
“We came out on Hummers,” said Nardi, then a junior on a team that eventually posted a 28-5 record and won 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 the modern Hoops Mania, then the following year was perhaps its most iconic moment.
While music played by a DJ has always been a staple of these events – along with student activities, prizes, intra-squad scrimmages and dunk contests – having a live professional performer as part of the show was not common. The situation changed forever in 2006.
During the previous summer months, Wright was invited to play in a charity softball game in New Jersey hosted by former Wildcat Tim Thomas. While playing in the National Basketball Association, Thomas also began building an entertainment production portfolio. Among the softball players on the diamond that day were many high-level artist producers. Standing on third base, Wright struck up a conversation with one of them, and the seeds of an idea began to take root.
Through this chance meeting came news that a concert featuring an unnamed artist would close out 2006’s Hoops Mania. At the time, it seemed like just a footnote to the standard routine.
The secret guest performer was to be Tony Yayo. That night, during a men’s intrasquad basketball scrimmage, Wright approached two members of the Villanova team with this instruction: “50 Cent is coming to join Yayo. Please come up to the stands and tell the students about this.”
The staff obediently headed to the overflowing lower bowl. The news that “Fitty” would soon appear in the Pavilion was met with skepticism by most. Others shook their heads: “No way.” At that time, few artists had higher authority.
In this version of Hoops Mania, the playground served as a stage for the performers, with the crowd surrounding it on all sides. Yayo came out to a standing ovation. When he introduced fellow G Unit member 50 Cent, the buzz was huge. Students huddled around the press and scorer’s tables. When he threw the leather jacket into the crowd, fans rushed after it.
“My favorite moment from ‘Hoops Mania’ was this one,” said Dwayne Anderson, then a Wildcats sophomore and now an assistant coach. “I’m a fan of Tony Yayo and this band. I was glad to see him. When he invited 50 Cent as a guest, it was crazy. The crowd watched him. It was an incredible performance.”
When 50 Cent and Yayo left, there was a distinct feeling of, “What just happened?” Villanova’s athletes, noted for their stoicism on the court, suddenly took on the appearance of fans seen in black-and-white video clips at Beatles concerts in the mid-1960s.
“It was,” says Nardi, “electric.”
This began the tradition of a concert to end the show. Over the years, a veritable who’s who has graced the set or stage, 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,” said senior guard Bella Runyan, who appeared in all 37 games for the Wildcats last season. “I was just telling someone what I liked best. The performer was Swae Lee and he jumped into the crowd. I was standing 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.”
“I’m from Philadelphia,” he adds. Eric Dixon“It was great to see Meek Mill here. He’s on my list.”
The concert was just the first of many twists added to the show. The players’ dance routine was introduced in 2009 when Russell Wooten performed a memorable tribute to Michael Jackson.
Make no mistake, for competitive student-athletes who sometimes have little experience cutting the rug, dance performances can be the most stressful experience.
“It was a lot of pressure for me,” Fischer laughs. “For older guys like Dwayne Anderson, it didn’t mean anything. But it was hard for me.”
“When I was a young guy, I was nervous,” Dixon adds. “At the moment everything is as it is. I perform in front of friends and family. They’ve seen me dance before. I think I’m freer than I was at the beginning of my career.”
Olsen has a similar opinion.
“I love doing Tik-Tok, but this is different,” she says. “You need to be on good terms with everyone. Luckily we are all great friends. We like to say it’s active recovery from basketball. We train in dance classes, we train in our rooms. we have to make sure we don’t screw it up.”
“Honestly, I danced and I loved it,” Runyan adds. “It’s very unusual and very exciting. The fans come to watch us dance, but they’re not going to bother us.”
As always, these words are accompanied by a smile.
“It’s definitely a wonderful tradition and I look forward to it every year,” states Justin Moore. “It’s more of a rally to help us get ready for the season. When Hoops Mania happens, you know the season is about to begin, and that just adds to the excitement.”
Nardi traces his Villanova roots back to what Hoops Mania is today. For him, it’s less about the performances or basketball and more about making a statement about Nova Nation.
“The only thing I think about at Hoops Mania is our fans and how they pack this building,” he states. “These are students, alumni, the entire Nova Nation. There’s simply no other place in the country where when you put on a show like this you get the kind of support that we do. We’re getting together to have a great evening.”
“That’s why we do what we do. Students should come and meet our teams and our (players) should appreciate the great support we have here. We always want to put on a great show.”