Hoya Madness 2017: Meek Mill, Big Tigger, and More!

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Ladies and Gentleman, Georgetown fans of all ages, it’s that time again—time for Hoya Madness! This will be our first true look at Georgetown’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. As an historical refresher, this ritual began as “Midnight Madness” where college basketball teams would present their first open practice to the public and typically pair it with a pep rally-style event. The “midnight” nature of the old exhibitions came from the tradition of celebrating the first day the NCAA allows team practice.

In the past, Georgetown has hosted the likes of Trey Songz, Wale, B.o.B., and … Bubba Sparxxx. We’ve also seen appearances by some of our heroes like Dikembe, Jeff Green, Otto and….Jerry Rice. (For more, see the Casual Archives or The Hoya Archives 1, 2). And when a former-Hoya gets on to his first NBA roster, this is usually the event where his jersey is revealed up on the wall of the illustrious McDonough Gymnasium.

But who really knows what is to be expected from this evening of magic and mystery? Doors are scheduled to open at 9:30 p.m., with the show kicking off at 10 p.m. According to GUHoyas’ press release:

The show will feature performances by some of Georgetown’s best student dance groups, and the Georgetown Cheerleaders and Pep Band. The teams will be introduced to the fans and both head coaches will address the crowd.

For our entertainment, the Hoyas are bringing in Meek Mill to perform and radio host Big Tigger to emcee. For those of you who are out of touch, Meek Mill is a rapper and hip hop artist from South Philly (holla) who just released his third studio album, Wins and Losses, in July under Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group and Atlantic Records Group. While he’s allegedly had a few bumps here or there, he is generally well regarded in hip hop for both his lyrics and his delivery. Around Philadelphia he is known for hanging out with Joel Embiid, his love of Allen Iverson, and some low-key charity around the holidays.

Big Tigger is a radio host on V103 in Atlanta and the resident DJ at Atlanta Hawks games. Many should remember him from BET’s Rap City in the early 2000s. There should be little doubt Tigg can get the crowd going.

On the other hand, with regard to basketball, there are three key areas where we all should be watching: the coach, the team, and the present recruits.

While it cannot be denied that Coach Ewing is a certifiable presence any time he is in a room, his interview answers and descriptions have left room for plenty of speculation on his feelings toward the level of talent on this team or a general game plan. No one expects to hear a profound statement or see a full-court trapping press in action this evening, but our eyes will be on how Coach Ewing talks to both the team and the crowd.

Looking at the players, I think we all are holding our collective breaths for one thing—please, no unexpected injuries. In years past we’ve spotted crutches and boots, so let’s get that out of the way. Secondary considerations for the team will be to observe for glimmers of growth/development in the upperclassmen and hopefully catch a glimpse of the freshmen and transfer(s). In the past, there have been 5-on-5 scrimmages, 3-point shootouts between the men’s and women’s teams, as well as a “dunk contest” that usually delivers one or two GIFs for the Twitter-sphere (check out Ewing Jr. and Trawick).

But perhaps most important is Hoya Madness’ utility as a recruiting tool. While the exercise may pre-date social media, the past decade has seen the Madness event become a focal point for a fall recruiting weekend. Pairing basketball and big-time musical entertainment is always a great way to stay relevant and attract interest, but the #selfie and photo sharing has helped even more. While the list will certainly grow, the expected on-campus recruits includes the “2020 duo Che Evans Jr & Justin Lewis of Team Melo” (h/t @MarleyPaul22).

“4-star Class of '18 Forward and Savior” travelling presumably from Louisiana, Josh LeBlanc:

Guard Dominic Harris appears to be coming:

One can only imagine that several other recruits will drop by unofficially. For instance, the Georgetown coaches made a trip to see Mac McClung, so it seems likely he would come by campus, hopefully with a teammate or two from Team Loaded. Then again, it’d be nice to see “4-Star Class of '18 F and Savior” Javian Fleming swing by, too, right?

Of course, there will be a giveaway (or four) for fans and students in attendance. Marketing guru Chris Grosse has shared the light-up fidget spinner that should look pretty cool with the lights out. @GeorgetownHoyas already gave a sneak peek at the Jordan Brand t-shirt (perplexing older alumni with the Derek Jeter #2 in “Re2pect”):

Lastly—and perhaps most importantly—for the folks at home there will be a Facebook Live stream featuring a pre-event show at 8:45 PM with hosts Jeremy Huber and Rich Chvotkin (“lefty hooker in the lane….yes!”).

We should expect Georgetown Athletics and Georgetown Hoops to point towards the stream at some time around then!

Until then, keep scouring Twitter for recruiting news...

UPDATE: Per @PatLawless_, Aidan Igiehon, a 6’9”+ 215-lb 2019 “Big Man from Lawrence Woodmere (NY)” and Myles Stute, a 6’5” “2020 SF from Gonzaga (DC)/Team Takeover (DC)” will be present.

Julius Kim says that Woody Newton, a 6’8″ 165-lb “2020 MtZionPrep & TeamThrillUAA forward” is coming.

UPDATE 2: