SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Syracuse University men's basketball team is set to play their first pre-season game on Wednesday, with the regular season tipping off in less than two weeks.

But Friday night, fans can come out to the Carrier Dome to catch a glimpse of the team in person for the first time.

The event formerly known as "Orange Madness" is now called SU Basketball Appreciation Weekend, and gone is all the glitz and glamour of years past.

Instead of one big event with musical acts, player contests and other unique events, this year there is more of a focus on basketball, with the team only scheduled to scrimmage, beginning at 7 p.m. Then on Sunday, the women take the court at 11:30 a.m.

Both events are free and open to the public, allowing fans to see a lot of new faces. 

The men's team has seven new players, while the women lost six of their seven top scorers from last season.