Texas Tech’s Knight wants better attendance

Lubbock, Texas — Bob Knight is feeling frustrated, and it’s not just with his Texas Tech team.

Knight, in his 38th year of coaching, said he was disappointed in attendance this season and has chastised the West Texas community and Texas Tech students. During the weekend, he suggested the school look at giving up the sport if more people didn’t show up.

Now he’s threatening never to play in Dallas again if more tickets aren’t sold when Tech (9-2) plays Iowa there Monday.

Tech officials said as many as 8,500 tickets had been sold as of late Thursday.

Knight said there were about 35,000 Texas Tech alumni in the Dallas area and they should be willing to support an effort to fill the 19,200-seat American Airlines Center.

But it’s the attendance at the 15,000-plus seat United Spirit Arena that has really rankled him.

“I’m really, really, really disappointed in attendance in basketball games here,” Knight said after only about 6,000 people attended Saturday night’s game. “That’s a thing that has come to bother me a lot.”

Average attendance at the arena is 6,976. Last year it was 9,962. In Knight’s first season, two years ago, the average was 13,743. The arena holds 15,098.

Baylor’s Thomas cleared to play

Waco, Texas — The NCAA has cleared junior transfer Harvey Thomas to play basketball after an investigation of allegations he had been provided an extra benefit by former members of the basketball staff.

“I am really thankful that this is behind me and I want to thank all of those involved in the final decision,” Thomas said Thursday.

Thomas has missed Baylor’s first eight games, but is expected to play today against BYU-Hawaii.