Thad Allender/Journal-World PhotosSt. Louis ? Kansas University can count on having the most fans at tonight’s NCAA Tournament game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
But there’s still plenty of room for more.
Some 14,000 tickets remain for this weekend’s games at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, and tournament officials have started offering single-session tickets — good either for both games today or Sunday’s regional final — for $50, available from the dome’s box office.
Those seats all reside in the upper level of the dome, but late Thursday an additional 400 all-session tickets for the lower level were turned back in by officials at Georgia Tech, Nevada and UAB. Those prime seats also are on sale at the box office.
“Any fan that wishes to drive down here, there’s no doubt they’ll be able to purchase a ticket at the dome,” said Rodney Jones, KU ticket manager. “The more Jayhawks that we can get in here, it will be just like it was in Kemper (Arena) last week. We’ll have the home-court advantage.”
The Jayhawks, who dazzled about 500 people attending Thursday’s open practice at the dome, are looking forward to welcoming even more for tonight’s game. Tipoff is set for 6:10 p.m. on CBS, Sunflower Broadband Channels 5 and 13.
“We’d love to have the fans come out,” said Christian Moody, a KU forward. “You’ve got to believe they’re going to come. They’ve supported us all year. They’re the best fans in the country. They’ll find a way to come to St. Louis and make the four-hour drive.
“I don’t know if they’ll buy all 14,000 tickets, but they’ll get here.”
Joe Caldwell already owns eight tickets, bought at face value on eBay. He has seats for his immediate family — wife Michele and children Jacob, 9, Courtney, 6, Brayden, 5 and Grace, 2 — and two more for folks coming in today from Lawrence.
Thursday’s practice offered the Caldwells a free glimpse of their favorite team, but the family intends to make even more out of today’s return trip to the dome.
Thad Allender/Journal-World Photo“Nothing beats a live environment, just being here with all the fans and being able to support the Jayhawks,” said Caldwell, who works for Bartlett & West Engineers in Lawrence.
Judging by sheer numbers, KU’s support will be unparalleled, said Jack R. Watkins, an associate commissioner for the Missouri Valley Conference, which is running the regional.
“It is clear that they will have the most fan representation,” Watkins said. “It’ll be pro-KU, but the great thing about this tournament is that people pull for the underdogs.”
Nolan Richardson will be among the fans pulling for the Blazers. The former head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Richardson is supporting one of his former players, Mike Anderson, who now coaches UAB.
Richardson peered out over Thursday’s UAB practice and thought back to Sunday, when the No. 9-seeded Blazers toppled Kentucky, the tournament’s top seed.
“Kentucky’s got more fans than Kansas has got,” Richardson said. “And they follow more. …
“I would tell my kids, ‘Look. The more (fans) they have, the better it is. Because you get to make a lot of folks go home sick.’ I’d like to see a lot of folks sick, not a few.”
Longtime KU fans Janie Spoon and Jeff Pearce fear that some of the crimson-and-blue support will be offset by archrivals. St. Louis, after all, is home to plenty of Missouri Tigers.
Spoon knows that Tiger fans snapped up tickets for the regional earlier this season, when Mizzou climbed to No. 3 in the national polls before falling out of sight with three consecutive losses to KU and a first-round defeat in the National Invitation Tournament.
“They have no business being here,” said Spoon, who figures that Tiger backers will boo KU today at the dome. “They should have to sell their tickets.”
Robert Eddins knows the boos are coming.
He came to Thursday’s KU practice decked out in black-and-gold Jordan hightops, black pants, a black polo shirt and a black leather baseball cap. Topping it off: a black leather coat with yellow sleeves and a giant Tiger head on the back.
“Oh, they probably will boo. Fans are still sore about that loss” to end the season at MU’s Hearnes Center, Eddins said. “People are still upset.”
Eddins won’t be among the boo birds but will be rooting against KU. His cousin, DeMario Eddins, is a Blazer forward who dropped a career-high 26 points on Kentucky to get to the Sweet 16.
“If my cousin hits 26 again, I think they’ll be almost guaranteed a win,” Eddins said.
See Mark Faga’s video report for 6News
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