Oct. 14, 1999

Providence, R.I. - Late Night Madness will hit the Providence College campus on Friday, October 15th as the Friars' basketball team tips off the 1999-2000 season in the Peterson Recreation Center and Alumni Hall beginning at 8:00 p.m. The first practice begins officially at midnight.

Boston Celtic President and Head Coach Rick Pitino will serve as the keynote speaker at the "Late Night Madness" Celebration. The former Friars' head coach from 1985-87 will speak at the pre-practice dinner and bring this year's team onto the court at midnight.

Long time Friars' fans will remember that it was Pitino who started this tradition in his first year at Providence in 1985. That first "Midnight Madness" was started with a champagne toast with 300 people in attendance.

Since then, PC's Late Night Madness celebration has become a soldout event with people like Dick Vitale, the late Jim Valvano, Bill Raftery and Lenny Wilkens serving as guest speaker.

Friars' Head Coach Tim Welsh and his team will start the festivities in Peterson Recreation Center with the pre-Late Night Madness Dinner. The 1999-00 Friars and coaching staff will be introduced to the Friars' faithful with Pitino handling the speaking duties prior to the season's first practice. The dinner and cocktail hour will begin at 8:00 p.m.

The real Late Night Madness festivities will begin in Alumni Hall around 11:00 p.m. as the Providence College Student Congress will host games and other entertainment to get the crowd ready for midnight. The general public is welcome to attend this portion of the evening free of charge. The doors to Alumni Hall will open at 10:30 p.m. and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

At midnight, Tim Welsh will lead the Friars onto the court where his team will perform several drills including three-point shooting, a slam dunk competition and other skills tests. For more information on Late Night Madness, contact the Providence College Sports Information Office at (401) 865-2272.