All-College field not very exciting
First, the good news. The 2009 All-College Classic field will include two past NCAA basketball champions for OSU and OU.
Now, the bad news. OSU’s foe, LaSalle, won the 1954 NCAA title, and OU’s foe, Texas-El Paso, won in 1966.
It’s not that the Explorers or the Miners — extra credit if you know which nickname goes with which school — don’t play good basketball. LaSalle was 9-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season, 18-13 overall, while UTEP was 10-6 in Conference USA, 24-13 overall. LaSalle (Explorers) and UTEP (Miners) are good, solid opponents.
But they won’t sell a lot of tickets at the Ford Center.
In recent years, the All-College has been rejuvenated by rousing matchups. OSU-Tennessee. OU-West Virginia. OSU-Pitt, in a double-overtime thriller that was as good a college basketball game as you’ll ever see. OU-Gonzaga. OSU-Gonzaga. OU-Michigan State.
Those are the kind of games needed to generate college hoops excitement in December, when this state is still smoldering with football, and now with the Thunder, the NBA has the basketball spotlight. Marquee matchups are needed, and LaSalle and UTEP don’t provide it.
LaSalle, the school of sharpshooter Tom Gola, and UTEP, the school made famous by the late Don Haskins, one of my all-time favorites, possess solid histories. They don’t possess a box-office punch.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
U sure? LaSalle and UTEP? Couldn’t find two more random teams if they tried. Sad what has become of the All-College, used to be the sports hi-lite of the Christmas season…
I think you all will be surprised at how good UTEP is. Most college basketball fans know the Miners have a solid history and will be worthy opponents.
The All College Tournament has seen better matchups in the past — that’s for sure, but it seems that the ACT doesn’t care for good matchups this year — just “guaranteed” wins by both home schools.