Katie Livingston
Sports Editor
On Nov. 5, the Cameron men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted Aggie Madness to celebrate the start of the basketball season.
According to head men’s basketball coach Andrew Brown, the event was meant to draw attention to and garner support for Cameron basketball.
“Aggie Madness basically celebrates basketball,” Brown said. “It’s just to kind-of make people aware that the start of basketball is here, and we’re really excited about it.”
At 6:30 p.m., event sponsors opened up the doors to the Aggie Gym.
Volunteers handed students free tickets and directed them through a pizza line where they were able to grab something to eat before the event started at 7 p.m.
Coaches and players from other Aggie teams directed students in and worked the pizza line, showing their support for the basketball teams.
Head women’s basketball coach Emma Andrews said that several people had a hand in making the event a reality.
“We all really work hand-in-hand together,” Andrews said. “We all get together annually to plan this event, mainly for our kids and for the students to all be involved. It’s really fun.”
The Cameron spirit team opened the nights’ events, followed by an introduction to this season’s men’s and women’s basketball players.
The women’s basketball team divided and battled one another in a short scrimmage, followed by men’s basketball, who did the same.
Also on the agenda were several routines from the Aggie cheer team and the dance team, respectively.
Students had a chance to get on the court and compete against one another for door prizes during a game of musical chairs, dribble knock out and a dunking competition.
There were several door prizes up for grabs including a 32-inch TV, hover boards, lawn games and wireless speakers.
Andrews thinks the events are a great way for the fans and players to connect.
“We have a lot of fun competitions, Andrews said. “They really get the fans involved; I think it’s fun to watch fans interact with the kids.”
For Brown, the important thing is to get students hyped for the coming season.
“I hope they’ll be excited,” Brown said, “about the season and knowing that, with volleyball over, there’s another place they can come and hang out and support their fellow classmates and kind-of get more deep into being a Cameron Aggie.”
Andrews enjoys the event because she believes it can set a precedent for the rest of the season. The energy in the gym, according to her, can have an impact on how players perform.
“I think the environment can be amazing in here,” Andrews said.
“This is an amazing gym. I think the more people involved the more electric it can be in here.”
Brown also knows the effect a home gym environment can have on players.
“I think this gym has the potential to be one of the hardest gyms for an opponent to play in,” Brown said. “It’s really loud, and I think it has the potential to be a really great atmosphere.”
For both coaches, the event was about bringing fans and players together and increasing support for the basketball teams. With a good support system behind them, Andrews hopes that she and her players can go on to have a winning season.
“We have so many seniors,” Andrew said. “So my hope for them is for them to finish their final year with the expectation that they started this year with. I hope for us not to lose a home game and then to try and win as many away games as possible on top of that.”
Brown hopes that Aggie Madness sets a tone of mutual support between players and fans for the rest of the season.
“The main thing is we just want to encourage people to come out and to support our players,” Brown said. “And support us as we start our season.”