Best of Midnight Madness: Michigan State shoots ‘Tom Izzo’ out of a cannon

Midnight Madness produces some memorable moments each year, so The Dagger is chronicling the best ones from this year's lineup. If you spot something we missed, let us know here or here.

Tom Izzo rides the Izzo Cannon (AP) Michigan State began one of the most anticipated basketball seasons ever with a bang. Coach Tom Izzo entered the Breslin Center for Michigan State's Midnight Madness event Friday night clad in an Evil Kenevil-esque white jumpsuit and seated atop a truck-mounted cannon. The crowd then gasped moments later when it appeared that Izzo somersaulted into a raised net after being shot out of the "Izzo Cannon." It turned out, however, that the flyer wasn't Izzo. The Michigan State coach ended all speculation quickly, introducing stuntwoman, "Jennifer," who had ditched her jumpsuit and disguised herself in a cheerleading outfit as the basketball team and cheerleaders surrounded her when she came down from the net. In past years, Izzo has pulled off all sorts of creative Midnight Madness entrances, from dressing as Iron Man, to driving a race car, to rappelling from the ceiling. Nothing would have eclipsed being shot out of a cannon had he actually been the one to do it, however, this was still a clever, memorable way for Michigan State to begin what could be a special season in East Lansing.

More from the Best of Midnight Madness series:

• Georgia coach Mark Fox dons Spike Squad paint again

• Cincinnati holds its Midday Madness on an outdoor court

• Buzz Williams pokes fun at West Virginia with 'Country Roads' entrance

• Buzz Williams' moving tribute to sixth-year senior Chris Otule

• From dancing to dunks, Andrew Wiggins dazzles in Kansas debut

• Charles Barkley coaxed into dancing at Auburn

• Indiana's Hanner Mosquera-Perea slams two balls on the same dunk

• Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon as Duck Dynasty's 'Uncle Si'

• Luke Hager leaps over UNC Wilmington's chancellor

• Florida State QB Jameis Winston delivers mid-court alley-oop pass

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at thedaggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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