Photo by Joshua McCoy/Daily NewsThe WKU basketball team gathers around the coaches during a workout Tuesday at the E.A. Diddle Arena auxiliary gym.

Western Kentucky basketball officially begins practice Friday, but the word &#8220practice” is used loosely.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will kick off the season with Hilltopper Hysteria – WKU’s version of midnight madness activities – following the WKU volleyball team’s 6 p.m. match.

It’s the second straight year midnight madness festivities have been moved up before midnight, thanks to NCAA regulations.

Along with introduction of the teams to fans, the event includes a 3-point contest, dunk contest and scrimmages for both squads. And Western coach Darrin Horn might want to close his eyes.

&#8220Friday night’s scrimmage from a coaching viewpoint will be absolutely atrocious, as it always is,” Horn joked. &#8220But that’s not what (Hilltopper Hysteria) is for. It’s for our fans and our kids to get out in Diddle Arena and be in front of our fans.”

For Western basketball, the real work begins in practice Saturday.

&#8220I try to enjoy it just like the players do and know that we have to get down to real work the next day,” Horn said. &#8220I enjoy watching our players enjoy the night and enjoy watching our fans getting a first look at our team and our new guys.”

Western will have six newcomers make their first appearance in front of fans. One newcomer has been tabbed by his teammates as the early favorite in the dunk contest.

Desire Gabou, listed at 6-foot-2, takes the court after sitting out last year. The native of Ivory Coast doesn’t have height on his side, but is listed as having a 361/2-inch vertical leap.

&#8220Desire is the man to watch out for,” junior Courtney Lee said. &#8220He’s one of the shortest players, but has the highest vertical. He can do all kinds of stuff.”

Along with Gabou, other newcomers taking the stage for the first time include junior college transfers Tyrone Brazelton and Raed Mostafa, incoming freshmen A.J. Slaughter and Jeremy Evans, plus Japeth Aguilar, who recently transferred from the Philippines.

The Lady Toppers will showcase four new players – incoming freshmen Kenzie Rich, Alicia Bunton and Brooke Faulkner, plus junior college transfer Nadege Muna.

&#8220It’s a new experience for me and I’m anxious to go out there and see how the crowd is going to react to everything,” Brazelton said. &#8220My teammates have been telling me a lot about it.”

Teammates will also be talking afterward if they win either of the contests.

&#8220It’s real competitive,” Lee said. &#8220Guys are talking about it right now.”

The scrimmage will also be competitive, but not necessarily pretty from a coach’s perspective.

But Horn said fans can still get a sense of the Hilltoppers’ 2006-07 squad.

&#8220I think what people will be able to see isn’t a well-played scrimmage or quality basketball, but they’ll see a high level of athleticism, our depth and get a feel for those this year,” Horn said.

Schedule update

Highlighted by a 1 p.m. (CST) matchup against Sun Belt Conference rival Middle Tennessee on ESPN2 Saturday, Feb. 10, Western Kentucky announced game times and several television dates today.

The Hilltoppers will also appear on Fox Sports Net South twice before the start of league action in games at Georgia (Nov. 14, 6 p.m.) and Tennessee (Dec. 16, 3 p.m.), while their contest against defending NCAA champion Florida in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational at 9:30 p.m. Nov. 24 will air on Sun Sports.

WKU will open at home in the afternoon with a 2 p.m. start against Tennessee State on Nov. 19 in its first game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational, the Toppers’ only daytime tip before the New Year. Games with Towson (Nov. 21), UAB in the annual BB&T Classic (Nov. 28), Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 2), Southern Illinois (Dec. 9), North Texas (Dec. 19) and South Alabama (Dec. 22) all begin at 7 p.m.

Home games with Troy (Jan. 3), Louisiana-Lafayette (Jan. 13) and Louisiana-Monroe (Jan. 31) are scheduled for 7 p.m., while their Jan. 21 game against New Orleans will start at 2 p.m. In addition to the Middle Tennessee contest, WKU will host Florida Atlantic (Feb. 14, 7 p.m.), Kentucky Wesleyan (Feb. 20, 7 p.m.) and Florida International (Feb. 24, 4 p.m.) in the final month of the regular season.

The Toppers make their first appearance of 2006-07 with a 7 p.m. start against Kentucky State in an exhibition game at Diddle Arena on Nov. 7, while the regular season begins at Kennesaw State at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11.

Following its meeting with Florida, WKU will return to action at 6:30 p.m. the following day against Ball State, the Hilltoppers’ final game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational.

The Toppers also face road contests at Montana (Dec. 6, 8 p.m.), Middle Tennessee (Dec. 28, 7 p.m.) and FAU (Dec. 30, 6 p.m.) before the New Year.

WKU’s first road game after the holiday will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 6 at Nebraska, while it will also travel to FIU (Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m.), Arkansas-Little Rock (Jan. 17, 7 p.m.), Arkansas State (Jan. 25, 7:05 p.m.) and Denver (Jan. 27, 3 p.m.) that month. Other away contests in 2007 include North Texas (Feb. 3, 7 p.m.), South Alabama (Feb. 8, 7:05 p.m.) and Troy (Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m.).