Big 12 Insider: It’s a scene we’re familiar with, but limited fans at games is a bummer
In case you missed it, Texas and Texas Tech had an instant classic of a college basketball game on Wednesday night in Austin.
Both teams are ranked. Both teams have star players. There was plenty of drama, capped by Texas Tech’s Mac McClung making the game-winning basket with 3 seconds left.
Unfortunately, no fans were able to enjoy the game live. The Longhorns are playing games at an empty Frank Erwin Center these days due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s a scene we’ve become all too familiar with over the past year and it’s understandable given the health and safety concerns during the pandemic. But it’s still a bummer.
Half of the Big 12 is ranked in the top 15 with Baylor (2), Texas (4), Kansas (6), West Virginia (13) and Texas Tech (15) but the atmospheres make it feel like every game is a nonconference affair over a holiday break.
TCU hosted top-10 teams in consecutive games for the first time in program history earlier this month, and the limited capacity crowds were noticeable. It’s usually a packed house when a Kansas program comes to town, or the No. 2-ranked team and a rival such as Baylor pays a visit.
Instead, it felt like games with — you guessed it — 25% capacity. Granted, KU and Baylor both rolled to easy victories over TCU and the crowd would not have changed the results. But there would have been more energy in the building.
If it’s a full house, it’s hard to envision Jamie Dixon jokingly saying his team was “asleep” for a 9 p.m. tip against KU. That probably doesn’t happen with more fans.
Again, the final results are likely the same. But college basketball is certainly missing the intensity of crowds such as what would have been at Wednesday night’s UT-Tech game.
Of course, media members seated in the stands could hear the Texas Tech locker room celebrating afterward.
“They came in here and were two points better than us,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “They deserve to celebrate that.”
Can Tech keep it going?
The Red Raiders don’t have much time to celebrate the victory with No. 2 Baylor traveling to Lubbock on Saturday.
That’s the marquee matchup this weekend for the Big 12. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. with ESPN televising it.
Baylor will be coming off an extended break with its midweek game against West Virginia postponed. That should bode well for the Bears.
Our prediction? Baylor remains undefeated, but doesn’t win by double-digits for the first time this season. Bears 75, Red Raiders 70.
Soccer stars
TCU’s Yazmeen Ryan was drafted with the sixth overall pick by the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Wednesday night. Ryan was a three-time All-Big 12 selection during her career with the Frogs.
Along with Ryan, other Big 12 players taken in the draft included Texas Tech’s Kirsten Davis (13th overall, Racing Louisville FC) and K-State’s Brookelynn Entz (38th overall, Kansas City).
