Illinois to freshen up Midnight Madness with an outdoor street setup

Illinois coach John Groce opted for an unconventional approach to Midnight Madness. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Midnight Madness is mostly played out as a concept, especially after the NCAA moved it away from actual midnight. So even with this year's possible Madness being shoved up to late September, with teams choosing how they can use their alloted practice time before the season starts in a more flexible way, my expectations were muted.

Enter: Street Madness at Illinois.

I like it. It made me immediately think back to the roots of the famous Flyin' Illini team from the late 1980s. It's fresh. It's different. It's not too late in the year so weather will be an issue.