If a chance to win $10,000 won’t bring fans to the Hornets Nest on Saturday, then maybe a chance to see both basketball programs compete in intrasquad scrimmages will.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will kick the season off with Midday Madness at 4 p.m., featuring cash prizes and performances from the Xtreme dance team, the cheerleading squad and the band.

“I’m real interested in seeing us play in front of a little bit of a crowd and hopefully some students,” men’s basketball head coach Jerome Jenkins said. “We’ll see how we respond with real referees and the lights on, just getting some of the nervous kinks out.”

The midday event was chosen instead of Midnight Madness for several reasons, the most important being that several members of the men’s team needed time to recover from injuries.

“My guys were disappointed about not having a Midnight Madness,” Jenkins said. “I just can’t have my guys out there trying to please the crowd right now.

“The program is too immature and on the rise for us to go out there and shoot ourselves in the foot.”

The two-hour event will begin with a 20-minute, officiated scrimmage from the women’s team, with first-year coach Dan Muscatell at the helm.

“This is going to give people the opportunity to see what we have to offer,” Muscatell said. “I think the difference between the men’s and women’s game is that we don’t have to skywalk like the Jameel Pughs of the world.

“It takes five of us to get a good shot, five of us to get a defensive stop and five of us to rebound.”

Fans will be given opportunities to win cash prizes during timeouts, including a chance to win the $10,000 grand prize if the chosen one can sink a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot in 24 seconds.

“I think we can attract a different type of crowd,” athletic director Terry Wanless said. “We think because of the Midday Madness, we can attract not only college students, but hopefully attract the community people as well, and really work to market our product with elementary and junior high kids.”

The event will close with a 20-minute scrimmage from the men’s team, with transfers Pugh and E.J. Harris suiting up for the first time ever and Joel Jones and Joseth Dawson taking the court for the first time in over a year.

“Fans should expect to see a new team,” Pugh said. “This year’s team is so athletic, so gifted, so talented…people are going to see some good basketball.”

After both teams scrimmage, fans will be able to talk with players and coaches and ask for autographs.

The event is free, but those who attend are asked to bring canned food for donation.