On Oct. 14, the Gophers will kick off the 2011-12 season with their version of the perennial Midnight Madness festivities.
As usual, the event won't happen at midnight. The difference from past years, however, will be that instead of "Tubby's Tipoff," the gala that's served as the commencement for recent seasons, the Gophers will host a competition titled "Gopher All-Star Friday Night."
But this year, the team will introduce a half-court shot and skills competition. Plus, former Gophers will compete against current Gophers in the three-point contest.
The bottom line is that the event signals the start of college basketball. And that's great for everybody.
