By Nicole Hutchison, Sports Staff Writer
Posted 1:20 PM EST, Sat., Nov. 12, 2016
On Thursday, Nov. 4, Howard University hosted its Bison Madness at Burr Gymnasium. The event served as a pep rally for the upcoming 2016-2017 basketball season. The men and women’s basketball teams divided themselves into two teams, Team Ty and Team Nick, to face off in several events.
In true Howard fashion, the event began with good music and good vibes. It also started on “CPT.”
At approximately 8:00 p.m., opposed to 7:00 p.m., the teams were introduced by Howard Alum and 93.9 WKYS host, Angie Ange.
To begin the competition, Team Ty and Team Nick competed in a half-court shooting competition. Players from both teams had to make several shots from various points on the court before making taking a long distance three pointer. Team Nick came out victorious as senior guard/forward Prince Okoroh hit the bonus shot.
The second challenge consisted of players having to dribble up court while dodging cones before making a lay up. The teams were neck in neck with each other until Team Ty’s Damon Collins, a senior guard and forward, missed a dunk attempt. This put Team Nick in the lead and eventually, permitted them to win the challenge.
Before the halftime performance, the teams competed in a three-point shootout, receiving 10 shots per person. Senior guard Jasmine Hill dominated the court, showing her shooting range and leading her team to a 3-0 lead in the Bison Madness competition.
During halftime, the crowd welcomed WillThaRapper to perform his hot song “Pull Up, Hop Out.” Along with the performance, Divine Nine Black greek letter organizations took to the court to stroll/hop. The crowd sung along to songs performed and played through the speakers. To the surprise of the crowd, Athletic Director Kery Davis showed his own dance skills.
Following the halftime show was the All-Star Dunk Contest. Team Nick and Team Ty chose their best two candidates to compete; each candidate had one minute to plan how they were going to succeed in this portion of the competition.
Representing Team Nick was freshman guard and forward Charles Williams and junior redshirt guard James Miller. Representing Team Ty was senior guard Kofi Andoh and Collins.
Williams and Miller set the bar high, as they were first to attempt their dunks. As for Team Ty, Andoh initially received sevens across the board from the judges. However, Team Ty redeemed themself. The event ended in a tie as a result of the judges’ inability to judge the outstanding dunks.
“Bison Madness was a very fun event for me,” sophomore forward Jalen Jones said. “I enjoyed being able to get ready for the upcoming season with all of our supporters.”
Overall, Bison Madness was a success. Although Team Nick came out victorious in all three contests, the men and women’s basketball teams gave us a sneak peak of what fans should expect this season.
“You should expect to see a team that is willing to do anything to win,” Jones said. “It’s win or bust for us this year, so expect us to leave it all on the court every game.”
