The Big 12’s big swing at “future of the game” technology lasted two rounds. The conference is swapping out its LED glass court and going back to a traditional hardwood floor for the final two days of the men’s tournament at T Mobile Center after players reported traction issues and one of the league’s top prospects left the floor injured.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark announced the change after the quarterfinals ended Thursday night, saying the decision came after direct input from the remaining teams.
“After consultation with the coaches of our four Semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Tournament,” Yormark said in a statement. “We look forward to a great Semifinals and Championship Game.”
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The conference debuted the LED glass surface, manufactured by ASB GlassFloor, because it can display graphics in real time in ways a standard floor can’t. That included live visuals and on-court displays that have become common in international events but are still a novelty in major U.S. college basketball settings.
The issue was the feel. Players slipped during the opening rounds of the men’s tournament and also during the Big 12 women’s tournament at the same venue last week, triggering steady feedback about grip.
The turning point came in Thursday’s quarterfinal between Texas Tech and Iowa State. Red Raiders guard Christian Anderson slipped and injured his groin in the second half of the loss, a moment that immediately sharpened the conversation from “this looks different” to “this might be a problem.”
“Obviously the floor is a bit slippery, so I think I just kind of misstepped or did a movement that caused me to slip and kind of ended up in a little unnatural position,” Anderson said. “That’s what it was.”
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Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland described the surface difference in terms players notice most: stop-start movement and guard play.
“It’s definitely different. It’s obviously a different surface than we’re used to playing on, and there were some challenging movements today, is what I would say. I think with size around the basket it’s not [a big issue] but the quickness of guard play, and stop-and-start action — it just has a different response than what we’re used to.”
The Big 12’s decision didn’t come with a denial that slips happen on hardwood too, they do, but the combination of repeated complaints and a high-profile injury pushed the league toward the simpler fix for the weekend: bring out the traditional floor for the semifinals and championship game.
Kansas coach Bill Self supported the move after the quarterfinals.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said Thursday night.
Yormark also emphasized the league’s desire to redirect attention back to the basketball with the tournament down to four teams.
“The focus now needs to be on four of the best teams in the country and not the court,” Yormark said. “I look forward to a great semifinals and championship.”
The change arrives with the tournament’s highest-stakes games still to be played and NBA personnel in the building. The semifinals Friday night feature No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 2 Arizona, followed by No. 5 Houston vs. No. 14 Kansas. Representatives from every NBA team are in Kansas City, and the conference has 10 players appearing in the first round of ESPN’s most recent mock draft.
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