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Friday, May 11, 2007

KU to play host to tourney

Jayhawk Invitational to conclude with Kansas-Arizona bout

By Ryan Wood

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Looking for ways to maximize basketball games in general and home games in particular, Kansas University decided to play host to its own party next season.

KU will run the Jayhawk Invitational men's basketball tournament this November, a five-team round-robin event which will be highlighted by the already-scheduled Kansas-Arizona matchup Nov. 25.

Only four of the games will be at Allen Fieldhouse, and Kansas will play in all of them. Arizona will play host to three games, and the mid-major opponents to be determined will play each other at their own sites.

The setup is a way for all the teams involved to have a longer regular-season schedule, and for KU and Arizona to have as many home games as possible. Because the Jayhawk Invitational will be considered a multi-team event, KU will be able to have a 31-game regular-season schedule instead of 29 games.

A new rule in place allows for schools to play one multiteam event a year, which if exercised allows for two additional games on the slate. The Jayhawk Invitational will be KU's multiteam event in 2007-08, after trips to Las Vegas and Maui, Hawaii, highlighted the past two season schedules.

By rule, the event must be completed within 15 days of the first game. Since the KU-Arizona game will complete the Jayhawk Invitational and already is set in stone for Nov. 25, the round-robin play is expected to start around Nov. 11.

The three mid-major opponents have not yet been determined.

Besides being the showcase game of the Jayhawk Invite, the Kansas-Arizona game will be a part of the Big 12/Pac-10 challenge organized earlier this year. The Jayhawks will return the favor by playing the Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz., in 2008-09.

According to KU associate athletics director Larry Keating, fillng the final slots in the Jayhawk Invitational - and scheduling the games - is the last remaining snag in KU's 2007-08 nonconference schedule. It's expected to be released soon, with the Big 12 Conference schedule expected to be made public during the summer after television details are worked out.

Nonconference opponents already known for 2007-08 include road games at Southern California, Boston College and Georgia Tech, as well as a home game with DePaul.

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Comments

Chicago_JHawk (anonymous) says...

What a way to cheat the system! Schedule home games as usual, but call it an Invitational, and you can play more games without them counting against the schedule! I'd prefer they play in the Maui, NIT, or C vs. C every year - typically there's a few more marquee names in those...for a team that constantly has a weaker SOS because of the Big 12, they need the marquee opponents to prepare for the NCAAs.

May 11, 2007 at 10:42 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bg_duck1 (anonymous) says...

agreeed chicago hawk...and man what is wrong with the Bulls? Hinrich has looked terrrrrrrrible this series, good thing he signed that max extension deal last summer

May 11, 2007 at 11:25 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Chicago_JHawk (anonymous) says...

For as well as Hinrich matches up against Dwyane Wade (and routinely shuts him down), Chauncey Billups/Rip Hamilton own him. Just a pathetic series. Detroit is a great team, but I think this also points to how bad Miami was playing.

May 11, 2007 at 11:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...

Road games at USC, BC and GT will be a pretty good challenge. Add Arizona to that and the non conference schedule is starting to shape up pretty well.

Even if KU were to play in one of the other preseason tourneys, they would probably only have one marquee match-up anyway. Take for instance the NIT. North Carolina played in it last year, their first two games were Sacred Heart and Winthrop. Two Mid Majors. Texas played in the C vs.C last year. Their first two games were Chicago St. and Alcorn St. Hardly mid majors. Why not play those games at home, get the revenue and let your fans have 2 more home games?

Not only is it good business, but its good for the fans as well.

May 11, 2007 at 11:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Chicago_JHawk (anonymous) says...

Not a bad point, Jayhawk86. The Maui and the NIT typically provide a couple marquee games, though, assuming KU takes care of business in the early rounds. Usually 4 teams in the tourneys are traditional powers, so a couple good matchups can occur in the semis and finals. The last couple Maui's though (02 and 05), have included first round losses for KU, so they wind up in the losers bracket. There are some good road games on tap for this upcoming season. When do we return the game at Michigan State, the home and home that started in 2003?

May 11, 2007 at 1:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Don't worry Chicago JHawk--if the current Bulls team holds together, then they will be a force to be reckoned with in future years.

May 11, 2007 at 4:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

AGoldschmt (anonymous) says...

Wichita State should be one of the mid-majors included. This is a rivalry that should be revived and it should be played at Koch Arena once in a while (a top-notch facility). As a former Wichitan and KU Grad, it would be good for the spirit of the state.

May 11, 2007 at 9:58 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Which college team will be the first to play 40 games? Welcome to the N(caa)BA. While we're at it, let's go to a triple elimination March/April/May Madness. I can hardly wait to see college players walk up and down the floor until the N(caa)BA two week long Final Four.

May 11, 2007 at 11:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )