Rarely would a Disney lyric be appropriate for basketball, but in this case:
“They can sing, they can dance, after all, Miss, this is France!”
And that just describes Northwestern junior guards T.J. Parker and Mohamed Hachad, who will be at the wonderful world of Halloween HOOP-la this Saturday.
“T.J. can rap in French,” Hachad said of the French-born Parker. “He raps about random stuff, but it’s pretty good.”
Hachad, on the other hand, can do a Moroccan dance. “There’s more rhythm to it — a little bit like Spanish dancing,” he said.
Fans can see Parker and Hachad do their thing at Halloween HOOP-la, NU’s version of Midnight Madness, the first chance to meet the players and coaches of the men’s and women’s basketball teams on the cusp of a new season.
The free event, now in its fourth year, will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday immediately following NU’s home football game. As in years past, students with Wildcards will get free T-shirts, pizza and soda while supplies last.
Along with players and coaches, the Lady Cats and the NU marching band will be there to stir up excitement. After introductions, the hour-long event will showcase some of the players’ non-basketball talents, including juggling and ball tricks — and in the case of Parker and Hachad, singing and dancing.
If Hachad chooses to show off his moves, he’ll fit right into the groove. Tracie Hitz, of the NU athletic marketing department, said there almost surely will be a dance-off involving players, Lady Cats and anyone else who wants to hop in.
“If students want to come down and challenge the players, we’re not going to stop them,” Hitz said. “The more the merrier.”
Changes this year include opening the event to the general public. “We want everyone to come see the team and meet them,” Hitz said.
This year also marks the first year the event will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The past three years the HOOP-la was held at the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center, which provided an intimate setting but could not hold as many people. Hitz estimated that about 300 to 400 people showed up to last year’s event.
“The attendance has been steadily increasing,” Hitz said. “We figure this year, with a couple thousand fans at the football game, if we get half of them to stay, it’ll be great.”
Even NU men’s basketball coach Bill Carmody joked that he might get involved in this year’s festivities.
“I could do the Lindy,” he said, referring to a dance named after aviator Charles Lindbergh that was popular in the 1930s.
Let the merriment begin.
“I think it’s going to be exciting this year,” Parker said. “It’s going to be in Welsh-Ryan and right after the football game, so just bring everybody in here.
“I think everybody’s real excited about our season because we’re actually one of the best teams in Northwestern basketball history, and I think this year’s going to be something fun.”
It all starts this Saturday — most likely with a French rhyme.
Reach Anthony Tao at [email protected].
Halloween HOOP-la
When: Saturday following NU’s home football game
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena
