LUBBOCK, Texas -- Call it Mid-Knight Madness.

	UConn's Caron Butler dances his way onto the floor during Midnight Madness at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

After a year away from college basketball, Bob Knight headed back on court as Texas Tech officially opened its season by practicing at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Knight came onto the court a half-hour earlier and told fans they had the opportunity to make their presence felt.

"We have a chance to make this arena the most special place for college basketball in America," Knight told the crowd. "You fans underestimate what you've got here. To hell with people who don't like West Texas."

Knight said he wants opposing players to leave with the memory of the Texas Tech fans.

"Let them go home and say. `I've never played in any place like this. I wish we had fans like that."'

Knight didn't miss an opportunity to take a shot at the referees.

"Now occasionally there'll be an official who makes a bad call," he said, encouraging the fans not to get upset, "Except, when I stand up and say something, you'll know damn well they're wrong."

It surely was the most anticipated Midnight Madness event in the country, surpassing Rick Pitino's debut at Louisville and Maryland's celebration of a Final Four appearance.

"It's a new beginning," said Brian Bell, a Texas Tech senior. "The national spotlight is finally on the basketball team. It's Bob Knight. You can't get better than that."

Eric Thompson waited on the steps outside United Spirit Arena.

"Got Knight?" read the front of Thompson's red T-shirt, a takeoff on the dairy industry's advertising campaign. On the back, "We do," is scripted across an outline of Texas with a star marking Lubbock's location in West Texas.

"He's very successful, charismatic and has a unique personality," said the 18-year-old freshman from Albuquerque. I've always thought he was kind of an interesting guy."

Hundreds of others waited in the cool weather, some arriving as early as three hours before the 9:45 p.m. event. One man paid homage to Knight by donning a white wig.

"I'm trying to be him," said Keith Klein, a student from Flower Mound. "I'm here for the basketball team, but he's definitely an added bonus."

Since Knight was hired in March, fans have been snapping up every available ticket and scholarship donations have soared. Office space has been carved out in the men's basketball department to accommodate Knight's staff, which includes sons Tim and Pat, and his secretary from his days at Indiana.

The Red Raider Club, the fund-raising arm of the university, reports that its active accounts have increased by about 35 percent from a year ago.

Knight has pushed donations to the school's library at dozens of speaking engagements, and more than $70,000 has flowed into the Coach Bob Knight Basketball Library Fund, established in May.

Knight was fired by Indiana in September 2000, after violating a zero-tolerance behavior policy. But he has been welcomed warmly in this West Texas town of about 200,000, where fans were unhappy about four straight losing seasons under former coach James Dickey. The team's last trip to the NCAA tournament was in 1996.

"I'm tired of seeing Tech have a weak basketball team," Bell said. "He'll get us back into the Big Dance at the end of the year."

Knight has had one losing season in 35 years of coaching, 29 at Indiana.

At least 12,000 season tickets have been sold for Texas Tech's home games. The school averaged 9,557 fans last season at its 15,050-seat arena.

In Louisville, Pitino thrust his right fist into the air as he followed his new team onto the floor early Saturday morning.

Freedom Hall was unavailable, so Louisville moved to a temporary court at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The event started with a video montage of Louisville basketball highlights, including a glimpse of former coach Denny Crum that drew polite applause. Pitino was hired in March, three weeks after Crum accepted a contract buyout that ended his 30-year tenure.

At Maryland, which staged the first Midnight Madness years ago under former coach Lefty Driesell, players from last season's squad were presented with framed Final Four jerseys.

"This is a celebration, getting the jerseys and all that," forward Tahj Holden said. "After that, it's time to get ready for the season coming up."

Connecticut fans were dancing in their seats at Gampel Pavilion.

"This is a night for the kids. It's a night for the fans," said coach Jim Calhoun, one victory away from 600. "It's not that bad to get the young kids in front of a crowd. And tomorrow we'll get them to work."