Men's Hoops Season Kicks Off Friday
10/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 12, 2011
WACO, Texas - The Baylor men's basketball team tips off the 2011-12 season on Fri., Oct. 14, with "Moonlight Madness" at the Ferrell Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., the program begins at 7 p.m. and admission is free.
Baylor is one of 11 schools that will be showcased on the ESPNU Midnight Madness special airing Friday from 8 p.m.-midnight (CDT). Fran Fraschilla will be the ESPN analyst reporting from the Ferrell Center.
The first 500 fans will receive glow-in-the-dark "Moonlight Madness" t-shirts and burgers courtesy of Dubl-R Old Fashioned Hamburgers in Waco. Fans in attendance will also have chances to win three different ticket packages: two tickets for the Baylor/Mississippi State basketball game on Dec. 28 at American Airlines Center in Dallas; two tickets for the Baylor/Texas Tech football game on Nov. 26 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington; and two tickets to travel with the team for the Baylor/Missouri basketball game on Feb. 11 in Columbia, Mo.
The one-hour formal program will begin with a 3-point contest, featuring six Baylor players - seniors Anthony Jones and Fred Ellis, junior A.J. Walton, sophomores Brady Heslip and Gary Franklin and freshman Quincy Miller. The 3-point competition will also feature six Baylor students, who will be playing for a chance to win free textbooks for the spring semester - Garrett Peery, Jillian Obenoskey, Martin Breyer, Jayelyn Lewis, Justin Pipes and Whitney Wakefield.
Following the 3-point contest, freshman Deuce Bello, sophomores Perry Jones III and Cory Jefferson, and junior Pierre Jackson will compete in the dunk contest. One of the celebrity judges in attendance will be former Baylor All-American and Golden State Warriors forward Ekpe Udoh.
Moonlight Madness will conclude with an intrasquad scrimmage and autograph session.
After missing the postseason for the first time in four seasons, Baylor enters the 2011-12 season with arguably the most talented roster in program history. Behind one of the nation's most athletic frontlines, Baylor is led by senior PF Quincy Acy, sophomore PF Perry Jones III and freshman SF Quincy Miller. Baylor, which has been ranked as high as No. 9 by Sporting News and SLAM Magazine, is the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 in 2012 by several publications.
Jones III, who has been tabbed a preseason All-American by several preseason publications, was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the first conference preseason Player of the Year in program history. PJ3 was also named to the Preseason All-Big 12 first team, while Acy picked up honorable mention.
Baylor opens the 2011-12 season Nov. 1 with an exhibition against Abilene Christian, followed by its regular-season opener Nov. 11 vs. Texas Southern. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets may do so online, by calling 254-710-1000 or at the Baylor Athletic Ticket Office at the Ferrell Center. To date, Baylor has sold more than 5,000 season tickets, an increase of more than 500 from the 2010-11 season.
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