OU: Make shots, and life is good
Sometimes we overcomplicate basketball. Thursday night, OU beat Morgan State 82-54, and truth is, the Sooners would have beaten Morgan State no matter how they played. OU was simply far too superior physically for Morgan State to put up much of a threat.
But not every No. 2 seed sailed. While Duke routed Binghamton 86-62, Cal State-Northridge gave Memphis a great game, leading as late as the final eight minutes, before Memphis survived 81-70. So a No. 2 seed rout is not automatic.
And here’s why OU won big. Blake Griffin: 11-of-12 from the field. Taylor Griffin: 7-of-8 from the field. Willie Warren: 5-of-9 from the field. That’s 23-of-29 shooting from the Sooners’ big three. That’s fantastic.
The Sooners didn’t seem to force the action to their previously-slumping guards. “That’s a good thing about having Blake,” Warren said. “In the first couple of possessions, get a feel for the game. He gets it early, and once you get the feel for the flow of the game, it’s easy for us to step up because the defense is getting down to double him and opening up plays for our guards.”
Here’s a good news/bad news element to the OU victory. Bad news: OU still not making outside shots — 4-of-12 from 3-point range, which isn’t terrible and frankly is better than what the Sooners have been doing.
That’s the good news to OU coach Jeff Capel. “That excited me, crazy as that sounds, because maybe it means we have that coming on Saturday” against Michigan, Capel said.
Here’s an amazing stat. In OU’s two last games, both against NCAA Tournament squads, the Sooners are 47 of 69 from 2-point range. That’s 68 percent shooting. Now, that doesn’t mean the Sooners need to quit shooting 3-pointers; one reason OU has been so deadly from inside the arc is because to some extent, it remains a 3-point threat, particularly with Warren and Austin Johnson, who were a combined 3-of-7 from 3-point range.
Bozeman the star in Kansas City
The star of press conference day in Kansas City on Wednesday was Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman, whose team plays Oklahoma tonight. The once-disgraced, now-redeemed coach who is back in the NCAA Tournament after a 15-year hiatus in which he served a 10-year virtual suspension from college basketball.
By now you’ve heard of Bozeman’s story, how he took over at Cal at the age of 28 in mid-season, part of a mutinee that got coach Lou Campanelli fired. Then Bozeman coached Cal and Jason Kidd to a victory over Duke in the NCAA Tournament to reach the 1993 Sweet 16. Finally, Bozeman was found guilty of paying money to players’ families, and the NCAA came down hard on him.
Bozeman has found work again at Morgan State, and Wednesday no coach or player was as interesting or as passionate as Bozeman, who joked and told stories and talked poignantly about how he had screwed up his life.
Bozeman’s stories about his father were most telling. His one regret is that his father didn’t live long enough to see him get the job at Morgan State.
“I just know he’s a great man,” said Morgan State’s Marquise Kately. “He’s a great coach, great person … he let us know the situation (at Cal), but, you know, for the most part, we don’t talk” about that.
If I was an athletic director, I wouldn’t hire Bozeman. Too much baggage. Too much temptation. Too much unbelievability.
But the NCAA Tournament is a more interesting place with his team in the field.
Wild prediction: an all-Big East Final Four
Time to fill out brackets, and I filled out mine Tuesday. Easiest bracket I’ve ever filled out.
College basketball is top heavy. Ten, 12, maybe 15 good teams, followed by a bunch of squads you can throw in a hat. For instance, check out the 5-seeds. Illinois. Purdue, Florida State and Utah. If you threw those teams on the 10-line, who could argue? Or the 6-seeds. Arizona State, Marquette, UCLA and West Virginia. Nothing special, but as a group maybe a little sexier than the fives. But nothing really different than the 9-seeds.
See what I mean? A good solid bracket is supposed to be a small step down from seed line to seed line. This one holds up into the 4-seeds, then it falls off the table. So the wise prognosticator doesn’t get too cute. Pick the favorites. Don’t go crazy with upsets.
So I am offering up few upsets in the first two rounds. I like Maryland over California, a 10 over a 7, but that’s no upset. I took Utah State over Marquette, just because I love the Aggies and always have. I also took Western Kentucky, a 12, over Illinois because the Illini stinks. And I took a flier on Virginia Commonwealth, an 11, over UCLA because the Bruins have made two straight Final Fours and it’s luck has to run out soon.
But in the second round, no upsets. Pitt, Xavier, Duke and Villnova in the East. North Carolina, OU, Syracuse and Gonzaga in the South. Connecticut, Memphis, Missouri and Washington in the West. Louisville, Michigan State, West Virginia and Wake Forest. OK, one upset. West Virginia over Kansas. But the rest of the Sweet 16 is all top-four seeds.
For the Final Four, I stay with the seeds except in the South. I’m going to go with Syracuse in the South, to beat the Sooners and upset Carolina. That would set up an historic all-Big East Final Four of UConn, Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse. The Big East came close to a sweep in 1985, when Georgetown, Villanova and St. John’s made it, and Boston College was a close loser to Memphis State in the Sweet 16.
For the national title, I’ll go with Louisville over Pitt, thanks to Rick Pitino, but I’m not married to that pick. I am married to the top-four seeds in the Sweet 16. There is a big gulf between the top 15-16 teams and everyone else in the field.
NCAA women’s tournament Mickey Mouse
Everyone knows I’m a big defender of women’s basketball. But I don’t defend the NCAA women’s tournament. It’s Mickey Mouse in all regards
For years, the women played NCAA games on home courts. Finally, a couple of years ago, the NCAA left that format, going from 16 first-round sites to eight (mostly) neutral sites. Attendance went down, of course, because it takes time to build an event. Doesn’t happen over night.
But the women’s committee didn’t have the stomach for commitment to growth and competitive fairness. It has bolted back to 16 first-round sites, so you’ve got all kinds of inequitable matchups. Don’t worry about OU playing a second-round game at Iowa; the Sooners are good enough to offset that. But second-seeded Auburn could face seventh-seeded Rutgers at Rutgers. Third-seeded Louisville could play at sixth-seeded LSU. Ninth-seeded Michigan State gets games against 8-seed Middle Tennessee and (with a win) top-seeded Duke. Second-seeded Texas A&M could play at 7-seed Notre Dame.
It’s a joke and it’s counter to competitive basketball. It’s artificial interest in the sport. If you have to put the tournament on campus sites to draw a crowd, those fans aren’t interested in the sport, they’re interested in their team.
ESPN seems to know how silly the system is. On its selection show Monday night, ESPN sometimes didn’t even tell viewers where games were being played. They kept talking about which regional each team was in, their second-week destination, and totally downplayed the first- and second-round sites.
Good draw for OU basketball — for awhile
Analyzing the NCAA bracket:
Oklahoma: The Sooners received an excellent draw. Playing in Kansas City and Memphis is as good as OU could have asked for. 350 miles to KC, 500 miles to Memphis.
As for the No. 2 seed, OU could have fallen to a No. 3 and had few arguments, though the committee got it right. OU turned out to be the overall No. 6 seed in effect.
The Sooners have an excellent second-round draw. Michigan or Clemson. Here’s a good way to judge that. Check out the other 7-10 matchups: Cal-Maryland, Texas-Minnesota, Boston College-USC. Off that list, playing Clemson is about as good as playing anyone else. Maryland, Boston College. Just a bunch of teams OU ought to be able to beat.
Now, once OU gets to Memphis, it’s a whole different story. Syracuse could be waiting, and the Orange is a load. Syracuse is playing well, it has that danged 2-3 zone, a bunch of ballplayers. Tough, tough, tough. And then North Carolina. The No. 3 seeds come down to a Big 12 duo (KU, Mizzou) vs. a Big East duo (Syracuse, Villanova). I say the Big East duo is better.
Oklahoma State: Well, the Cowboys could have used a slight break. I think they were in the 7-8 seed range and fell on the wrong side of that one. You’d much rather be a 7 than an 8, because an 8 means a second-round game against a No. 1.
But first things first. OSU-Tennessee is a good first-round game. I think the Vols are one of the better 9 seeds. Texas A&M was a 9 seed, so OSU wasn’t getting the Aggies. That means the other options were Siena or Butler. You don’t want any part of Butler, but OSU already has beaten Siena on a neutral court, back when the Cowboys weren’t any good. I would say Tennessee falls in the middle, so again, that’s all you can ask for.
Did OSU deserve to be a 7? Check out the 7′s: Texas, Clemson, Boston College and California. OSU’s only real beef might be with Cal, but again, we’re splitting hairs, really, with everyone between 5 and 8 or 9.
Geographically, OSU did OK. Dayton is about as close as anything other than Kansas City, where the Cowboys most certainly weren’t going. You can drive to Dayton if you want to. I wouldn’t want to, but you can. After that, it’s Boston, where the Cowboys have some history (that 2003 loss to Syracuse and Carmelo Anthony), but again, much to do before you get to Boston.
Can OSU beat Pitt? Not likely. The Panthers are one of those teams that will snap teams in two just for the heck of it. On the other hand, OSU is overpowered by most teams anyway, so what difference does it make if the Cowboys play a bunch of ruffians or not? Most everyone has a big interior edge on OSU.
Again, play the field. Would OSU rather play any of the other No. 1 seeds? Louisville, Carolina, UConn? Maybe Louisville, just to see if Rick Pitino would be off his game going against his protege’ Travis Ford.
Kansas: Jayhawks have a horrible first-round game. They are playing North Dakota State at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. North Dakota State is a newcomer to Division I, much less the NCAA Tournament, and the same can be said of the state of North Dakota. This is the biggest event in the state of North Dakota history. And most everyone in North Dakota lives on the Minnesota border. You’ve heard of Fargo, the biggest city in Dakota, but you’ve also probably heard of Fargo-Moorhead, the metro area. Moorhead is in Minnesota. Literally thousands of North Dakotans will make the trip to Minneapolis, and because it’s in the Dome, they call can get in.
Missouri: I don’t blame Mizzou for being mad that it got shut out of Kansas City. I’m not saying Missouri deserved to be there, I’m just saying I don’t MU for being mad. Going to Boise after winning the Big 12 Tournament has to be a letdown. On the other hand, the committee has a long history of showing us that winning the tournament is no big deal to them; it’s the individual games that matter, and Missouri beating Tech, OSU and Baylor wasn’t exactly a resume’ padder.
Texas A&M: Aggies play BYU in the first round for the second straight year. I don’t know what that means, but the best way to deal with it is to win, which A&M did last year.
Texas: The Longhorns got a great draw. Seeded seventh, they play Minnesota, which frankly is an iffy tournament team. Then No. 2-seed Duke await. Duke is notorious for losing as a big favorite in the second round. If A.J. Abrams gets hot, the ‘Horns could be in the Sweet 16, where Villanova would beat them 76-54.
Kansas City is key for the Sooners
For all the talk about seedings, the most important thing in the NCAA Tournament is location. Location, location, location. In the Big 12 in 2009, that means Kansas City.
Two Big 12 teams can be placed in KC’s Sprint Center for games next week, although the NCAA committee might decide to send Memphis there, which would cut to just one the number of Big 12 big boys in Kansas City.
Kansas, Missouri and OU all would like to play in Kansas City, because of travel convenience and fan support. Missouri’s Big 12 Tournament title gives the Tigers a strong case, but the Sooners could be be the highest-seeded Big 12 team. They are highest in most of the NCAA’s criteria, including RPI, road record, record against RPI top-100, etc.
Kansas suffered the most damage in the Big 12 Tournament, losing to Baylor in the first round.
Because of the NCAA’s pod system, in which two regionals can be represented at a first-round site, two Big 12 teams could be in KC.
Some say the committee will take a hard look at geography, because of the economy. If so, that’s good news for KU and Mizzou.
A good way to watch the Selection Show at 5 p.m. tonight is this. If KC doesn’t come up early, watch where other schools are placed. Memphis, OU, Kansas and Missouri. Every time one of those is sent elsewhere, it’s good news for the other Kansas City-hopefuls.
Emails in on Bedlam and Big 12
The new emails are in, and basketball is all the rage. Two Bedlam games within a week, plus the Big 12 Tournament, brings out football-like passion. And stupidity. Let’s get to it.
Thomas: “I have a few comments on your pro-Aggie agenda. First is your new center stud Moses should have been ejected from the game on his intention/flagrant foul on Blake Griffin. I saw no mention of that in your biased article. Then the foul near the end on Griffin that sent Anderson to the line for the winning point was a bad call. They were going for the ball and the foul could have also been called on Anderson. Then at the very end an OSU player mugged Griffin on his last shot. Big 12 buffoon officials swallowed their whistles.”
I have a few comments on your pro-stupidity agenda. If I printed your email the way you sent it in, without cleaning up the spelling and grammar, you would be ejected from the communication marketplace. But aside from that, blaming refs is for losers.
Steve: “Hey, Aggie boy, caught your OSU biased articles of the last three days. I suppose you finally talked your pitiful Aggies into a referee-aided win over OU. Of course you think that the Ford center atmosphere was special and historic. Aggie wins over OU in either football or basketball are extremely rare, so of course a little orange boy like you would see last night as special and historic. Let me clue you in on a few facts – OU is a very special university of which I am a proud graduate. OU sports tradition, feats and wins are historic and legendary world-wide. OSU, on the other hand, is a second-rate school which hates OU because the Aggies know that they will always be the disrespected little brothers of the legendary Sooners. Oklahoma is the Sooner State and if you’d take your orange glasses off, you’d see that OU has the love and forever has the heart and soul of 85% of all Oklahomans. I would encourage you to take a non-biased approach to your writing in the future.”
Ladies and gentlemen, whenever you think OSU has the corner on inferiority complex, go back and read this guy, who has so many self-esteem issues, it would take an army of therapists to straighten him out.
Charlie, a third-generation Oklahoman: “Please stop using the officiating excuse for OU’s losses. You constantly expose yourself as the paid shill for OU and the Gaylords that you are. I hate writing and am terrible at it. At least I can write freely and with integrity. You have neither. You are a simple hired hand for the despised Gaylords. The state of Oklahoma is changing and you will be relegated to the dustbin of our state’s history reviled.”
Charlie, you apparently are a third-generation idiot. You’ve just read all these emails from Sooner goofballs upset that I didn’t write about the officiating. Here’s what I propose. We put you all in a ring and hash it out. May the best man win, although I don’t see any good men to start with.
Nathan: “Did you watch Saturday’s ABC broadcast of Bedlam basketball? I think you may have another story to report. Blake Griffin was given more praises than Tebow during the national championship game. I believe I could possibly draw a sketch of his parents from memory, since I saw them nearly 20 times during that period. One thing that makes it truly unbelievable to me is the fact that the game was very close for the entire game, yet, if you didn’t know the score, you would have thought it was a runaway. Additionally, Griffin wasn’t even the leading scorer in the game, yet James Anderson didn’t even slow the nauseating praises crowned to Griffin. Just wondering if you saw and heard it and if you are going to run a similar story as you did after the BCS title game.”
If the announcers said you are a better person just by spending five minutes with Blake Griffin, then the answer is yes, I will write about it. If not, the answer is no.
Jesse: “James Anderson dropped 37 points on the Goons, in case you didn’t notice. What a joke. If Griffin is the Terminator, then what is Anderson?
Second-team all-Big 12.
Rebecca: Either your Sooners aren’t nearly as good as we’ve heard about all year or the Cowboys are a lot better than ever given credit for. You beat us by only four points and you expect your team to go to the Final Four. I don’t think so. Did you happen to see Pitt and UConn play today? What do you think they’ll do to The Great Blake Griffin besides stuff it down his throat and knock him to the floor every chance they get? You’d think his name is Adonis Griffin to hear the announcers and all the film they show of him. I’m just sorry you don’t have anyone else on your team that warrants being mentioned. And by the way, just how many points did James Anderson score today?”
Here’s a legitimate question. Why are some of these people sports fans? I mean, it’s obvious they’re not happy. It’s obvious they are angry, pathetic people whose misery is fueled by sports. Oh well, I guess that’s like asking why alcoholics drink.
OK, that’s enough from lunatics. Let’s talk about the atmosphere at the Ford Center Bedlam. Brent: “Your column about the atmosphere at the game last night was spot on. I am not sure it beats GI when its full and rock’in, but it was great.”
But that was my point. Gallagher-Iba, or Owen Field, or any home site, is not always rocking. When the visiting team makes a play, the air goes out. No air went out in the Ford Center.
Hardy: “I couldn’t agree with you more as far as your article goes. I’ve been to some games at Gallagher when it was a lot louder, but having it at the Ford Center with fans from both schools was awesome. I kind of thought OSU had more fans, which surprises me, since OU has the better team, but I am an OSU fan so I’m biased. It was awesome to see the back and forth with the fans.”
Here’s what I thought. I thought it was the equivalent of OU-Texas. I talked to Tim Allen, the association commissioner of the Big 12. He’s been around forever and worked at OSU and K-State. Anyway, he said he thought the atmosphere was about the same as a Missouri-Kansas game at KC’s Kemper Arena. But Missouri radio voice Mike Kelly told me he thought Bedlam at the Ford Center was better.
Now, on to the game itself. Darren: “I was disappointed at times with the officiating because they seemed to be calling a lot of ticky tacky fouls that never allowed either team to get into any kind of a rhythm. I’m not blaming the officiating on the outcome because, like Capel, I don’t believe the outcome was decided in the last 2.3 seconds. However, I kept thinking, ‘Why doesn’t Capel apply full-court pressure to the Cowboys?’ Especially in the last five minutes when they were obviously winded, particularly Eaton. The Cowboys just played the night before and the Sooners should have been the fresher team, with fresher legs. Plus, Capel’s got good reserves on the bench, particularly at guard play with Cade Davis and Omar Leary, and the lengthy Juan Pattillo. To me, that’s where Capel went wrong. But, hey, what do I know? I just hope the Sooners can regroup in time for the Big Dance. Otherwise, they might suffer a similar fate as they did against the Cowboys in the Big 12 tourney.”
I don’t think full-court pressure would have helped. OU’s problem clearly was offense. Too many turnovers, not enough touches for Blake Griffin. Don’t worry about a toothache when the house is on fire.
Dan: “I am an OSU fan so I do have a prejudice. However, I do want you to know that your column entitled, ‘OSU’s upset of OU as notable for atmosphere as its drama’ was very, very good. It was very powerful. I really felt the emotion of the game.”
Sometimes you wonder why you do this job. Then you get an email like this.
Katie: “I have continuously over the years written you harsh criticizing emails about your coverage of OSU. In complete sincerity, thanks for giving a little love for the Cowboys in your column.”
Here’s the deal. The amount of love I give is almost always directly related to the final score.
Robert: “I live in Phoenix but am a loyal Sooner fan. As great a year as it has been for Sooner sports, the men’s team really frustrates me in the guard play. I truly believe the two best guards on campus are on the women’s team. No one on the men’s team can push the ball like Robinson, and I would bet that Hand can outshoot anyone on the men’s team. Maybe Cade Davis only could come close but seems he never gets a chance. I think too much loyalty to Austin Johnson. To me such a waste with the Griffin brothers.”
I think Robinson is a very good point guard, but sometimes she pushes the ball right into a turnover. Hand is way better than what OU had last year, but she’s not a great shooter yet. OU’s men are in a slump at guard, but Johnson, Warren and Crowder are the best they’ve got.
Some people commented on my Travis Ford column. Steve: “Wasn’t it less than a month ago you guys (media) were making a big deal over a D-1 coach cussing and generally not too high on Coach Ford and now that his team has won 6 of 7 or whatever, he’s the bomb? Then media members wonder why those guys aren’t always so trusting.”
If it’s your theory that the media criticizes coaches who cuss out their players and praises coaches whose teams go on a winning streak are praised, then we stand guilty as charged.
Todd: “I’m not one to ever write in because I think the zealot fans that write a journalist to gripe at them are a little over the top. That being said, I’m sure you don’t get many email like this – I’m a graduate of Oklahoma State and an avid follower of all sports OSU. GREAT article on Travis. I truly enjoyed reading it and I often enjoy many of your articles.”
Todd is like the good citizens who don’t go out at night, leaving the streets to the crooks.
Don: “On Ford, not enough has been said about the job he’s done. Quite simply, he gets the guys to play at their potentials and develops great game plans. It hasn’t happened yet for everyone on the team, but it will if he stays here long enough. I’m hoping that Kentucky will fire Billy Gillispie quickly while some other coaches may still be in the mix. Then, I’ll hope that whomever they choose’ll be VERY successful.”
I think OSU is better off hoping Gillispie stays, because I think Kentucky would love to have Ford.
And finally, a miscellaneous array of dispatches. Kent: “Big 12 wrestling, OSU finishes fourth and OU fifth. How much longer can Spates be the coach?”
As long as he’s willing to coach a sport that everyone quit caring about 20 years ago.
Mike, a Missouri fan: “The nicest thing about OKC is my sister-in-law was born there, but even she prefers watching her basketball in Mizzou Arena. Seriously, MU fans are more excited about booking multiple games in the Big Dance this season and hope is a fragile thing for anyone who sat through some bad years at Mizzou Arena. It might have discouraged MU fans from heading to OKC as the media has barely blinked when MU is mentioned. We have seen it all and we love basketball – just ask the KU people, who always twitch a little when a game with MU looms in their future. If you gave me a choice between DeMarre Carroll and Blake Griffin, I would pick DeMarre every time. Watching Griffin play (and lose) at MU showed me a lot of talent but a kid who hasn’t quite matured into his own skin (size) yet. DeMarre has embraced all his teammates and it shows every time he hits the hardwood. As for Eaton – I know he has a bright future no matter what.”
I love Carroll myself. In fact, I wish I looked like him. But if you give Mizzou coach Mike Anderson a choice between Carroll and Blake Griffin, Anderson would pick Carroll every time. And Anderson is Carroll’s uncle.
Leonard: “Did you stay for the OSU women’s game against Baylor? What did you think of Riley at the end of the game? I thought OSU had a chance, but I wonder about her mental discipline when everything is on the line. I thought she cost them quite a bit, despite her overall talent and aggressiveness. Baylor clearly is not the team of a year or two years ago.”
Yes, I stayed, and the OSU offense was a total train wreck. The Cowgirls ran no offense in the second half. Inexcusable.
David: I’d like your opinion women’s basketball. Here in Connecticut, I get to see the best there is with UConn’s team, and I get to see OU often. The athleticism of the men’s game is far more prevalent and any men’s team would destroy any women’s team, but the pure style of the women’s game is fun to watch. There’s an article out on the SPORTSbyBROOKS website asking if colleges should drop womens’ basketball. Some schools, I feel, are not competitive and perhaps they should purge their women’s team because they just don’t make sense financially. But look at what happened at OU. What do you think?”
I think you should be more careful on what websites you visit. If we’re going to drop programs that don’t make sense financially, we’re going to have 15 college football programs and five college basketball programs, and everything else will be gone.
PJ: “I don’t understand all the hype about bubble teams and who is in the Big Dance and who isn’t. Every team is in. The question is who gets a second chance. If Colorado wins its next 10 games, they are the national champions. The question seems to be not whether a team is in, but which teams get a second or third chance. At this time of year, with all the conference tournaments, each team plays until they lose. Some teams just get the opportunity to lose twice before they are eliminated. Unlike football, every team in Division I has the opportunity to go undefeated for the season and be the champion. Some teams, though, get a second chance. There are no Utahs going undefeated and being left out of the title game. It doesn’t matter whether Texas beat OU on a neutral field or not, because Texas is in, OU is in and Texas Tech and Baylor are in. Just win, Baby.”
Excellent point. Baylor remains in the national title hunt.
Reliving a special night of Bedlam
It’s been about 12 hours since the end of the Bedlam thriller Thursday night, and I’ve thought about my column in which I called the game perhaps the greatest atmosphere in Oklahoma sports history.
Sometimes you say things or write things on the fly, then when given time to think about it, wish you had tempered the statement or massaged the message. But in this instant, I think I’m pretty safe.
I’m convinced that the neutrality of the arena is what made it special. No doubt some atsmopheres have been historically electric.
You can recite a dozen OSU games in the Eddie Sutton era. Maybe my all-time favorite was the 1992 Iowa State game. Or the Big Country half-court shot against Missouri in 1994. Or most any Bedlam.
Football at Owen Field, particularly the 2008 Texas Tech game, can be electrifying.
Any Bedlam wrestling dual before, oh, 1986, was totally crazy.
But none of those events matched Bedlam on Thursday night, because all were home-field or home-court affairs. Even in dominant performances — OU-Tech football — the coliseum would have stretches of dead time, because a first down or a 3-pointer or an escape by the opponent would naturally cause an exhale.
There was no exhaling Thursday night. This was OU-Texas football moved to the basketball court. This was the ultimate 50-50 game. Anything good that happened for one team was bad for 50 percent of the fans. And vice versa. We really have never seen anything like it.
It made for a wild, wild ride, and no one in attendance could be disappointed they came.
Yes, it’s unfortunate the game came down to a ref’s whistle. But while it was a whale of a ballgame, it wasn’t an historic ballgame. It was an historic atmosphere.
It all makes you want these schools to do this more often. So I again call for an annual December Bedlam showdown at the Ford Center. Men and women, doubleheader.
College basketball needs a December boost. So boost it. Coaches forever are wanting their programs to get more notoriety in the shadow of football. OK. Do something about it.
Texas coach Rick Barnes this week ripped the Big 12 Tournament, saying it was needless. Perfect example of a coach wanting to get rid of games people care about. The games that need to go are the pre-Christmas games against pushovers.
Those are the games where the atmosphere is dead. That wasn’t a problem Thursday night.
Big game at the Ford Center
There’s a big game at the Ford Center today — and it’s not necessarily Bedlam. Kansas State-Texas has all kinds of NCAA Tournament ramifications.
KSU tied for fourth in the Big 12 at 9-7, but the Wildcats had a poor non-conference. Both KSU and Texas are 21-10, but KSU’s RPI rating is 73rd. Texas’ is 35th.
Most analysts say no way will KSU get an NCAA invitation. Except the Wildcats have beaten Texas in Austin. If they beat the Longhorns today, that’s two victories over UT, both south of Ark City, and KSU will have a better record and will have matched the ‘Horns in conference play.
The NCAA selection committee annually says it does not compare teams head to head. Maybe so. But it would be hard to avoid that comparison in this case.
Texas could make it easy on the committee by winning today. But Texas could make it difficult for the committee by losing.
I think Texas A&M is in the tournament despite its upset loss to Texas Tech on Wednesday night. OSU is in, too. Heck, I think Texas is in. Too many quality non-conference victories.
But Kansas State could make the committee rethink that position about not comparing head-to-head.
Monitor OKC attendance at Big 12 Tournament
Oklahoma City is on the spot at the Big 12 Tournament. OKC has been hit with a double whammy in hosting its second Big 12 Tournament: a new format that has the men starting on Wednesday, plus the recession.
Big 12 associate commissioner Tim Allen said he understands the new format, which cuts men’s teams a break: it gives the NCAA committee time to truly study a full resume’ and it gives the teams more rest before next week’s NCAA Tournament. In many years, the Big 12 title game has concluded about 4:15 p.m. Sunday, with the NCAA selections announced at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The new format, with a Saturday night final, is much more committee-friendly.
However, it makes it tougher on the fans. Visiting fans — or heck, even locals as far as the matinee sessions are concerned — have to take off an extra day of work. Many fans will still make a vacation of it, but not all fans can do that, plus there’s the recession.
Allen said one thing he’s always been proud of is first-day attendance at the tournament: 6,000; 7,000; 8,000 fans for Texas Tech-Nebraska or Colorado-Missouri. The arena isn’t full, but it’s got bodies in it, and the coliseum mostly fills up for the quarterfinals on Friday.
Now, with those first-round games on Wednesday, it could change. How many people will be in the seats for Nebraska-Baylor at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday? Then Colorado-Texas at 2 p.m.? Tonight should be rocking with OSU-Iowa State, but spotty attendance will cause all kinds of discussion for the schools.
Already, there is movement to make Kansas City a permanent host. It’s likely Oklahoma City would not be completely shut out of being in the tournament rotation, but poor attendance certainly would hurt OKC’s cause.
At least Allen has recognized that some things are beyond Oklahoma City’s control. Kansas City has the tournament the next two years. We’ll see how KC does with the new format, and hopefully, by next March, the recession will be over.
