The Villanova Wildcats have officially ushered in the new 2017-18 season with their annual Hoops Mania celebration.
As the normal venue for the event, the Pavilion, is under renovation, it was held inside next door in Villanova Stadium, with all students being able to attend. Thousands of students braved the somewhat unseasonable cold, with attendees packed onto the turf for the traditional event. After the introductions of the women’s and men’s basketball teams to a raucously cheering crowd, they did their usual dance routines with the Villanova Dance Team.
The stars of the show were delightfully awkward sophomore big man Dylan Painter, who snapped as if his life most certainly did not depend on it, junior swingman Mikal Bridges, who danced with an unbridled enthusiasm and borderline unnatural flexibility, and redshirt junior guard Phil Booth, who channeled his inner Bell Biv DeVoe in lip-syncing the ‘90s R&B hit “Poison”.