Ticket advertisement for Tip off Madness

On Friday, November 22, at 6 p.m. Libertyville basketball will have a scrimmage night, called Tip-Off Madness in the Main Gym.

Tip-Off Madness is a free scrimmage night which is supposed to show off the start of the season for all of the boys basketball teams. Each level (freshmen, sophomore, and varsity) will play an intrasquad scrimmage. Each game will last about 15-20 minutes.

There will be referees to officate the games, and a crowd of fans will get the players ready for the season to start.

“If the fans are into [the game], it will give the team confidence that people are looking forward to our games and season,” junior guard Jake Mansfield said.

In the past, basketball has always done something similar, usually on a Thursday or Friday prior to the season, but this is the first year that it has been a big event, and a big part of that is because of the Wildcat Basketball Association.

The Wildcat Basketball Association (WBBA) is the new Libertyville basketball booster club, and it was their idea to make a public game of it. The idea of Tip-Off Madness was supposed to mimic Midnight Madness/Hoops Madness (a college basketball event night that has been done for years to build excitement for the season).

Some of the things that will be done to make this night special and different for those in attendance are activities for fans and a raffle for a chance to win prizes. Activities will include a shooting contest, in which fans will get a chance to shoot from a set destination on the court (free throw line or three point line) for one of the prizes. The prizes that can be won include gift cards from Chipotle and iTunes, Bulls tickets, t-shirts, and other prizes.

Another activity will be a spirit rally. The spirit rally will include the poms and cheer teams each doing a routine. “The night will be a tune up for [cheer and poms] as well as [the basketball teams],” head basketball coach Scott Bogumil said. Willy the Wildcat will also be there during the spirit rally.

After the games, there will be free pizza. Pizza will be from the local Jet’s Pizza, and there will be no cost to all in attendance, because Jet’s donated all pizza. There will also be other concessions available to buy.

“I would encourage people to come if they like free food and prizes, and you get to watch the basketball, the cheerleaders, and the poms do some practicing,” Coach Bogumil said with a laugh.