Self: K.C. good for tourney

Kansas City lands 2008 Big 12 men's, women's basketball championships

The Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament will return to Kansas City, Mo., in March, 2008.

And if all goes well at the brand-new Sprint Center, it’s conceivable the league could make downtown K.C. a permanent site.

“My opinion is I do (support K.C. as sole site) if the arena is as nice as I hear it’ll be,” Kansas University coach Bill Self said Monday after the league’s announcement that Kansas City had landed the 2008 men’s and women’s tourneys.

San Antonio was awarded the 2008 championship football game.

“We love going to Dallas, but the interest isn’t like Kansas City,” Self added. “Dallas has so many events to support. This would be the big thing here. With schools like KU, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa State so close, the draw would be great, like in the Big Eight days.”

The Big Ten Conference on Monday awarded Indianapolis its men’s and women’s postseason tourneys for a five-year span, starting in 2008. Whether the Big 12 follows that same path – choosing one locale – is anybody’s guess.

The league tourney, which was sold out but plagued by thousands of no-shows last March in Dallas, will be held in Oklahoma City in March 2007.

Kansas City (Mo.) Mayor Kay Barnes, second from left, announces that Kansas City, Mo., will serve as host for the 2008 Big 12 Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments. Joining Barnes on Monday were, from left: Bill Lucas, chair of the Kansas City Sports Commission; Kevin Weiberg, Big 12 commissioner; David Schmidly, Oklahoma State president; and Brenda Tinnen, general manager of the Sprint Center.

“I think the tournament should only be in a city that will support it. I’m not talking attendance, but interest,” Self said. “They bought the tickets (in Dallas), but we played Nebraska in the semifinal game, and there were 5,000 people at that game. It’s disappointing when there should be more than that.

“I can’t think of any place in our region that has the history of supporting an event like this as well as Kansas City,” Self added. “We’ll find out more about Oklahoma City this year. Hopefully, it’s a situation Kansas City will once again do a great job getting behind this event and make it special enough all coaches feel it needs to be here on a fairly regular basis.”

Self believes Oklahoma City natives will turn out to support the tournament next spring.

“Oklahoma State draws so well. Oklahoma City will be a good venue for attendance,” he said. “Also, the arena is located in an area where downtown is revitalized, making it popular for the fans who attend the games.”

Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg on Monday said he believed holding the basketball tournament in one permanent location and football championship game in another would be discussed “as we go forward.”

“I’m not an expert on football,” said Self, well aware Kansas City officials would like to keep Arrowhead Stadium – where the game will be held this winter – as a candidate for the postseason grid game.

“I am in favor of the basketball being farther North than what it was the past year. I’m sure we’ll go back at some point in time (to Texas). I don’t believe it was supported from a fan standpoint like Kansas City. If we do our part, which we always have, I imagine Kansas City will get a fair share of the tournaments.”

Plans show the Sprint Center, upper right, in this file photo of an artist's rendering. The Sprint Center will be the site for the 2008 Big 12 men's basketball tournament.

Self was not shocked at Monday’s announcement.

“It’s something we as coaches thought would happen all along,” Self said. “I think they are making great progress on the building. They are confident it will be complete, and this will be a great way to showcase what will be one of the finest arenas in America.”

The $200 million Sprint Center, which will seat 18,500 for basketball, is scheduled to be completed by fall 2007.

The 2008 women’s tourney will be held in Municipal Auditorium, which seats 10,700.

¢ Collins looking good: Incoming KU freshman Sherron Collins, who will graduate this weekend from Chicago’s Crane High, will be eligible to play at KU his freshman season. “Based on what we know, all indications are he’s in great shape,” Self said.

¢ Aldrich may switch: The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that future KU player Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-11 senior-to-be from Bloomington (Minn.) Jefferson High, may switch summer-league teams. He plays for the Minnesota Magic, yet might switch to the Fox Valley Skillz team, based in Wisconsin.