Remember when first-round Big Eight Tournament basketball games were played on campus sites? That’s the way it was four seasons ago.
The way it should be this year.
‘Cause it looks like fans all over the region will be wasting travel allowances herding to KC’s Kemper Arena for Friday’s first-round contests.
All four first-round games are worth no-showing – with the exception of a classing noon matchup between Missouri and Iowa State.
Merciless Oklahoma figures to annihilate Colorado, K-State club Nebraska and KU crunch Okie State.
If all goes according to form, the boredom ends Saturday. The semis should be dandies, both worthy of national TV exposure.
It’d be tough to top OU versus Mizzou or Iowa State for potential explosiveness, just as a KU-K-State rubber match needs no hype. SUnday’s 3:10 p.m. finals promise college basketball at its best.
Here’s a peek at participants entering Friday’s tournament openers:
MISSOURI (18-9, 7-7): How tough is it to repeat? Just ask Norm Stewart. Unexpected injuries, roller coaster play of Derrick Chievous, trouble with the Antlers, not to mention disagreements between Stewart and Okie State’s Leonard Hamilton and KSU’s Lon Kruger, plus controversy involving ref Jim Bain, all have given the dean of Big Eight coaches a royal pain. Wins over UNLV and Oklahoma indicate the Tigers deserve another shot at Xavier in the NCAA Tournament.
IOWA STATE (20-10, 6-8): Is Lafester Rhodes, he of the 54-point effort versus Iowa, a real player or isn’t he? As Dick Vitale might say: “Hey big guy, make up your mind once and for all at the postseason tournament.” It’d be a shame if the NCAA unfairly denies Jeff Grayer exposure in its postseason tourney. An ISU omission is possible, however, because of the Cyclones’ puzzling midseason choke that included eight losses in nine starts. Did this team really beat Purdue?
OKLAHOMA (27-3, 12-2): The Sooners are so outrageous, nobody seems offended by their brash statements anymore. Even Billy (Run It Up) Tubbs has been a veritable saint in ’87-88. Possible downfall in the NCAAs? If Ricky Grace or Mookie Blaylock suffer foul problems. The Sooners seemed to lose a step when Grace exited during KU’s narrow loss in Norman.
COLORADO (7-20, 3-11): Too bad there’s no room for Scott Wilke on the fist-team All-Big Eight squad, to be released next week. Why, oh why, did Matt Bullard abandon ship and transfer to Iowa? That move sure slowed Tom Miller’s rebuilding project. When’s he gonna learn short sleeves are out in the winter?
KANSAS STATE (20-7, 11-3): Gotta go with Billy Tubbs over Lon Kruger for Big Eight coach of the year. Good to see Lonnie open up a bit and lash out at the Big Eight’s ref-baiters after last Sunday’s win over Missouri. Up until then, Kruger had been about as colorful as the walls of Ahearn Fieldhouse. Mitch and the gang deserve a first-round NCAA trip to Lincoln, Neb.
NEBRASKA (13-17, 4-10): Danny Nee’s Huskers won’t even notch their annual NIT berth this season. Henry T. Buchanan is too old to praise. He should be in the CBA.
KANSAS (20-10, 9-5): Manning has turned in a player of the year effort – and then some – the past 10 games. Why do I sense he’s going to be denied national player of the year honors? The Jayhawks, out-of-control during the latter part of home losses against Kansas State and Oklahoma, have improved bounds since Jeff Gueldner entered the lineup. He’s not flashy, but doesn’t commit the wild turnover. Milt Newton’s sudden improvement, shades of Ron Kellogg, shouldn’t be taken lightly, either. Foes won’t take KU lightly in the NCAA tourney because of Manning’s presence.
OKLAHOMA STATE (14-15, 4-10): Richard Dumas would be frontrunner for league newcomer of the year honors if not for juco products – like Mookie Blaylock – in the league. Not yet impressive, but everybody says this is a team to watch in the Big Eight.
