KANSAS CITY -
The Big 12 Tournament tips off later today when West
Virginia meets Texas Tech. This is West Virginia's first appearance in the Big
12 tournament. Typically this time of year, WVU and its fans have invaded New York
City and Madison Square Garden to watch the Big East tournament.
Gone is the big city and bright lights of Manhattan. Gone
too is playing in the iconic building known as Madison Square Garden.
The Big 12 Tournament calls the Sprint Center in Kansas City
its home. This is a much more modern building with virtually all of the
amenities. The arena is spacious. The concourses are wide with plenty of
vending choices for fans.
"It feels a little different not going back to the Garden to
play in the Big East tournament, but it's something different and I am enjoying
myself so far, so that is a good thing," WVU Guard Jabarie Hinds said.
WVU is not only in an unfamiliar building and an unfamiliar
tournament, but the Mountaineers are also in an unfamiliar position. WVU must
win the Big 12 Tournament in order to lock up a place in the NCAA Tournament. A
loss anywhere in the Big 12 tournament will squash West Virginia's Tournament
hopes.
"We have a chance to win this tournament," Kilicli said. "They
are not unbeatable. We can go in there and make a run, but it takes a lot of
heart to do. We have to be on the same page and put everything out there."
WVU got an opportunity to workout inside the Sprint Center
on Tuesday. They got a feel for the backdrop and what it is like to shoot in
that building.
"It's a pretty big background, so it feels kind of
different," Guard Eron Harris said. "You got to get used to that. Other than
that, I'm not really worried about that. To me, I don't really consider myself
a shooter, I'm a scorer and I will find a way to score somehow."
Three seniors on the team could play their final collegiate
basketball game on Wednesday. Any loss will spell the end of their college
basketball careers.
"I play every game like it's my last game," Kilicli stated.
" It can end now, and it can really end now. If we lose, our season is really
done."
One other aspect of the Big 12 tournament versus the Big
East tournament that remains unknown for the sake of comparison is the number
of WVU fans in attendance. It is obviously a much closer drive to New York City
than Kansas City from West Virginia.
The other teams playing on day one of the Big 12 tournament
likely will not bring a ton of fans either. None of the four teams are a "close"
drive from Kansas City. However, should WVU beat Texas Tech and face Kansas on
day two of the tournament, it might as well be like a road game.
Kansas is about an hour away and expects to bring a large
group of fans to the Sprint Center for that second round game and the remainder
of the tournament.
WVU has to win on day one before it can think about what the
atmosphere will be like on day two of the tournament. The Big 12 tournament
tips off at 7 o'clock when WVU meets Texas Tech.
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