The stars were out at The Nest for Hornet Madness on Friday, serving as a final send-off for an era of Hornet basketball ahead of their move to The WELL for future seasons.
Fans brought the energy, watching members of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams participate in a skills challenge, 3-point contest and a dunk contest
The dunk contest was the highlight of the night, as senior forward Shaqir O’Neal ignited the crowd with slam after slam. For his final dunk, O’Neal soared over former Sacramento King and NBA All-Star Brad Miller, sealing his contest victory.
Shaqir O’Neal over Brad Miller! pic.twitter.com/NyeVGs2Mxt
— Jack Dann (@JackBDann) October 11, 2025
The 3-point contest saw sophomore guard Jayden Teat light up the net, scoring 19 out of a possible 25 points in the first round then following up with 17 against sophomore Rubi Gray to claim the title.
The skills challenge included members of both squads grouped up in teams of two and had them race to complete the gauntlet in the quickest time. The duo of sophomore forward Brooklyn Taylor of the women’s team and sophomore guard Arman Madi from the men’s team took home the win.
Fans turned out en masse for the event, with both Sacramento State students and members of the local community packing the stands. This is a sentiment women’s basketball head coach Aaron Kallhoff said he wants to ignite for the season.
“I want to involve people that come to the game,” Kallhoff said. “I want the city and the fans to feel like they’re a part of our program.”
Kallhoff said he’s adopting a style of play the fans will love.
“You’re going to enjoy it. It’s going to be a great brand of basketball, and it’s going to be something that this university and the city can be proud of,” Kallhoff said.
Men’s basketball head coach Mike Bibby said he was satisfied by the reception at the event, and it helped build more excitement for the upcoming season.
“I’m excited to be here,” Bibby said. “It was a good turnout, and the kids had fun.”
