Dayton Flyers

Oct. 15, 2004

The basketball season kicked off at the University of Dayton Friday night when the Flyer men's and women's teams were introduced at Flyer Madness. An estimated crowd of 3,000 came to the Frericks Center to get their first look at the 2004-05 Flyers.

The weather outside was a blustery 40 degrees, but inside the Flyers and their fans enjoyed the evening's "beach party" theme. The UD men's team wore flowered shirts, while the women's team was introduced wearing tank tops and grass skirts over their basketball shorts. Women's Head Coach Jim Jabir and men's head coach Brian Gregory followed their teams on the court and addressed the Flyer Faithful while the teams changed into their practice gear.

"This is why I came to UD, and why our players came to UD" Jabir said. "Our fans love the Flyers and the support they give our basketball programs is awesome. This was a great night, and we all can't wait for tomorrow. Our players and coaches are all looking forward to the start of the season, and we're committed to building a great basketball program."

At midnight, both teams came out and warmed up. The night's three-point contest paired a player from each team with a member of the student body, who was chosen during a contest before the teams were introduced. The team of Flyer sophomore Katie Butler and Steve Rullo edged the team of UD senior Mark Jones and Sara Hemmelgarn in the shooting contest.

Both the UD men's and women's teams will practice behind closed doors twice on Saturday, the first day of the collegiate basketball season. The men's team's next public event is the intrasquad Red and Blue Game, which will be held Saturday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon at the University of Dayton Arena.