James Crisp / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jon Collett of Lancaster, Ky. cheers on the Wildcats during the school's "Midnight Madness" celebration. The event attracted 23,000 fans on Friday.

Tickets to the practice were $50 and proceeds went to the Derek Smith Fund. Smith, a member of Louisville’s 1980 NCAA championship team, died in 1996.

—Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun was working right away as well since he’ll be without a veteran backcourt because of off-court troubles.

“We’ve got an awful lot of stuff to cram in,” Calhoun said although the 7,000 fans at Gampel Pavilion were still treated to a dunking contest and 3-point shootout.

—There were 10,000 people in Assembly Hall for Indiana’s opening practice and Marco Killingsworth, now eligible after sitting a season after transferring from Auburn, got them going with a one-handed dunk during a scrimmage.

“I was saying to myself ’Was this the right decision I made?”’ Killingsworth said of transferring. “Now that I’m playing, I feel like this was the best thing I’ve done in my life.”

—Kansas fans came to see their Jayhawks and renovated Allen Fieldhouse in the 21st annual ‘’Late Night at the Phog.” The players drew a standing ovation when they entered the court dressed in tuxedos and tennis shoes. They treated the fans to a step routine in which seniors Christian Moody and Jeff Hawkins took the microphones and led the team.

—Maryland had its usual alumni game, spotlights, laser beams, over-the-top introductions and scrimmage as part of a 2½-hour program that delighted a packed house at the Comcast Center.

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

Terrapins coach Gary Williams sounded like his usual self, too.

“It’s kind of a thank-you type of thing for our fans,” he said. “It’s all about practice tomorrow. Tonight, it’s just a good time for everybody.”

—Michigan State held “A Spartan Salute,” honoring who coach Tom Izzo called “the nation’s true heroes.”

“We wanted to honor all the people who keep us out of harm’s way every day,” Izzo said. “That’s why we recognized our military, the Army and Navy, the Red Cross and emergency medical technicians. They’re the ones who deserve the applause.”

A near-capacity crowd of about 12,000 saw a remote feed from soldiers in Kuwait who returned the Spartans’ thanks.

—Illinois unfurled a 2005 Final Four banner during its madness. More than 13,000 people filled Assembly Hall and saw highlights of last season when the Illini reached No. 1 and finished 37-2.

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Mark J. Terrill / AP

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