Lutz

The Mountain West is sending five men’s basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament. It’s a cool place to be and only nine schools have the honor. And nine is an awkward number in today’s world of college athletics. Nobody wants nine.

With that in mind, I sent an e-mail last week to MWC commissioner Craig Thompson, who spent two years in the media relations department at Kansas State way back when. I wondered about the potential of Mountain West expansion in the coming years and I had a special interest in Wichita State, the school in my backyard.

Not literally. But WSU is close.

My e-mail was finely crafted, with just the proper punctuation. It was to the point and friendly. I apologized for sending it during the middle of the MWC tournament in Las Vegas, explaining that my timing has never been good. I expressed to Thompson that I would be happy to talk to him via phone, or that he could choose to e-mail with a reply to my question, which was this:

Given all that is happening with re-alignment in college athletics, and what looks like the impending departure of Creighton to the new Big East, I’m curious about what options might be out there for Wichita State. Of course, WSU does not have football. But I’m curious about whether a conference such as the Mountain West, which currently has nine members, would entertain the possibility of adding a 10th school and, in this case, one that does not have football,”

I went on to congratulation Thompson for having another outstanding season of MWC basketball. Then I waited to see if I could get a response. I figured it was about 50-50, considering how busy he surely.

Two days ago, I received an e-mail from Thompson. It arrived in the afternoon and at first I didn’t recognize Thompson’s name. I’m dense that way. When my brain finally started to function, though, I was eager to see what he had to say.

That he had responded was encouraging. What if, I told myself, he had something really interesting to say. Perhaps even newsworthy.

Well, after all of his build-up, I’m sorry to disappoint you. And I’m sorry I was disappointed.

Thompson, in essence, said nothing.

There is no consideration for further expansion at this time. Thanks.

That was the whole of Thompson’s response. Hey, at least he thanked me.

The Mountain West’s nine members are: Boise State, Colorado State, UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, Fresno State and Air Force. It’s a football-first conference that happens to be a better basketball league at this point.

Wichita State, without a football program, isn’t exactly Lindsay Vonn in Tiger Woods’ eyes. The Shockers have a black hole.

Not that WSU is one bit interested in leaving the Missouri Valley Conference, where the Shockers have lived for nearly 70 years. It’s been a mostly-good living situation. But with one foot out the door for Creighton, which could any day now officially join the new Big East, it’s possible that WSU could entertain a better offer.

I suppose. Although I think it’s a stretch.

I like the Valley. I think WSU belongs in the Valley. I think WSU owes it to the Valley to help the conference come up with a viable 10th member to replace Creighton, should the Bluejays depart.

But there is an appeal to the Mountain West. That’s a really good basketball conference and it’s not a total geographical mismatch for Wichita State.

That said, the Shockers would be playing every conference road game in a later – or is it earlier? – time zone. Later here, earlier there. I guess that’s the best way to put it. Would Shocker fans like the notion of waiting for a 9 p.m. tip at Fresno and San Diego? Or 8 p.m. everywhere else?

If the door to the Mountain West were open, I doubt that would be something to cause it to close for WSU. Still, it’s not ideal.

What about rivalries? WSU-New Mexico? WSU-Colorado State? No Wichita State-Creighton in that mix.

But Creighton looks like it’s leaving. The Shockers have to fill a void there. The Missouri Valley has to fill a void there. It’ll be a different conference without the Bluejays. And it won’t be as good, at least not for a while.

So if Wichita State were to look elsewhere – and I’m not saying it is – the Mountain West would make some sense.

With an 11-word e-mail, though, Craig Thompson pooh-poohed the possibility. The door to the Mountain West, he insists, is closed.

* I watched a terrific baseball game last night between the United States and the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. I’m hooked. I know we’re smack in the middle of college basketball’s conference tournaments, but most of these big-time conference tournaments mean nothing. They’re simply money grabs to fill television programming time. Nothing significant comes out of them.

* That’s not the case with the WBC, which American sports fans have not warmed to. I’m not sure why, exactly. It’s international competition and if you saw the way the DR reacted to its 3-1 win, boosted by a two-run rally in the ninth inning against invincible Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, you know it’s been warmed to in other parts of the world.

* I love baseball. I watched 10 or 11 exhibition games, for crying out loud. So I’m probably out of the norm. But the WBC has plenty of everything a sports fan looks for, including drama. And who doesn’t love drama?

* The previous endorsements are paid for by MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

* I was reading my morning newspaper – you should try it – and I was drawn to our All-Metro high school boys basketball team, picked by The Eagle’s high school beat reporter, Joanna Chadwick. It’s a 6-foot-2 and under team this year, but that’s fine. The five chosen – North senior Conner Frankamp (6-foot), Kapaun Mount Carmel senior Braden Hullings (5-11), Derby senior Taylor Schieber (6-2), Andover Central senior Zach Winter (6-2) and Goddard Eisenhower junior Trevon Evans (6-feet) are outstanding players. Congratulations to them.

* Then I started looking at the accompanying area all-league basketball teams and was flabbergasted – flabbergasted, I say! – to see that six players were chosen to the City League’s first and second teams. Six? Don’t basketball teams consist of five players? Yeah, I thought so.

* Then I see that all four divisions of the AV-CTL picked six players to their first and second teams. Does does the Central Plains League. Meanwhile, the Central Kansas and Heart of America leagues choose seven players as first-  and second-teamers. Do I hear eight?

* This is over the top acknowledgement. It makes no sense except as another indication that our high school sports culture is out of touch with reality. It’s tough out in the real world and not everyone gets rewarded. That’s just how it is. Sorry, but this artificial system of rewarding athletes is one of my biggest pet peeves. When the prestigious City League, the best basketball league in the state for decades, starts to name six players to its all-league team, it waters down the honor. Being an all-City League player starts to lose prestige. During the best years of CL basketball, five players were annually chosen to be first-team players. Five. Even with a case could be made for six or more players, the first team was limited to five. Being an All-City player meant something.

* It’s time for these high school administrators and coaches to get control of this situation. It’s out of hand. If that sixth or seven player has his or her feelings hurt by not being on an all-league team, tough. Better luck next time.

* Wow, I got a little worked up writing about the previous topic. I was pounding the keys on my laptop pretty hard. But, man, that one gets to me. I didn’t even mention that besides six first- and second-team players, the City League also handed out honorable mentions to another 27 players. That comes to 39 players for nine teams. The league is good, but it isn’t that good.

* OK, off to other topics.

* Wichita State is now being mentioned as a possibility to play in one of those first-round NCAA Tournament games in Dayton. Please, please, please – no. Please.

* Can Kansas get to a 1 seed by winning the Big 12 Tournament? I don’t think so. I think the Jayhawks are locked in at 2. Still, I expect KU to be in Kansas City for second- and third-round games and to be in either Indianapolis (Midwest) or Dallas (South) for an NCAA Regional. The geography sets up well for a KU run.

* It’s good to see Perry Ellis coming into his own at KU. He had eight points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes against Texas Tech on Thursday. I think Ellis has turned a corner.

* I really hope Matt Cassel is successful with the Minnesota Vikings, although it’s a tough blow that the Vikes dealt Percy Harvin, their most dangerous receiver, to Seattle a few days before Cassel went to Minnesota as a free agent. I’m reading that Cassel will be in competition with incumbent QB Christian Ponder. But who are the Vikings’ receiving threats? Jerome Simpson? Michael Jenkins? Stephen Burton? Devin Aromashodu. Kyle Rudolph? Good luck with that group, Matt.

* I’m looking forward to tonight’s Miami-Milwaukee NBA game. Yes, I said that. The Heat are riding a 20-game winning streak and the Bucks are 4-2 against Miami since April 2011. Milwaukee, though, has been playing poorly and is just 8-12 in its past 20 games. Still, intriguing since tonight’s game is in Milwaukee.

* I feel sad when an episode of “Justfied” ends. That’s how much I love that show.

* I also love “American Idol,” which seems to cause many of you who read my blog or follow me on Facebook or Twitter great angst. Why is that? This year’s crop of singers, especially the females, is outstanding. I expect a superstar or two – in the Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood realm – to emerge from this season.

* I’m not impressed with the camouflage uniforms you’re throwing out there at me, Adidas. Please stop. I also believe the KU brand is harmed some by wearing those hideous uniforms. Call me a traditionalist, but not everything can be about money. Can it? Does it have to be?

* I’ll be hitting the road for the NCAA Tournament next week. This is one of the best perks of my job. You’re jealous, aren’t you? Anyway, have a great weekend. I might have something to blog about Saturday or Sunday, so please check back. Later.

I’ll be covering my16th consecutive NCAA basketball tournament this year and it has changed the way I view March.

One of the first things I told my wife, Debbie, after I met her four years ago was that I was gone in March. I’m not sure how it came up in the conversation. But it was important for me to give her some advance warning, just in case things took off.

When on a first date, most people talk about their favorite movies or former girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives. By the way, that’s a bad idea. Do not talk about you exes on a first date. Consider this a public service.

Anyway, as we were sitting at River City Brewery munching on salads, I mentioned to Debbie that March – which at the time was a month away – was my busiest time of the year. I explained to her that it was non-stop basketball, from the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to the Kansas high school state tournaments an on into the NCAAs. Sometimes I mix in the Big 12 tournament, although there’s usually so little riding on that one that I don’t mind skipping.

Well, it’s March. The Valley tournament, probably my favorite event of the year to cover, is over. And we’re close to learning where Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State will be spending the early part of their postseasons.

All three are locks, in my opinion, for the NCAA Tournament. I’ve heard some question the Shockers’ chances, but I don’t understand the logic behind such a query. Wichita State is in, rightly so.

College basketball is primarily responsible for my travels across the United States. I figured it up a few years ago and will do so again once the tournament starts, but I believe I’ve been to more than 20 states while covering hoops. And I have been to all but a few of the major cities, although I haven’t visited Philadelphia. That is one of the second- and third-round sites, so perhaps I’ll get to cross Philly off my list.

Only problem with that is that the older I get, the more I don’t enjoy flying. It’s not like I’m white-knuckle scared of getting in an airplane. It’s more the waiting in line, checking bags, waiting in line, being searched, waiting in line stuff that I don’t like.

Last year, for instance, a group of us that included some friends from the Topeka Capital-Journal loaded in a van and drove to New Orleans for the Final Four. It was an interesting trip, all 15 hours to and from.

On the way back, we got stuck in a bad storm just east of Dallas that was producing tornadoes in and around the Metroplex. It forced us to find a hole-in-the-wall bar, where we played spades, checked the radar and had a few bottles of Bud while we waited out the storm. Don’t worry, the driving was done by those who abstained from the Bud.

We finally arrived home around midnight and that was that. College basketball was over for another season. It’s always such an abrupt end, no matter how far one of the teams I cover advances.

I remember Kansas losing to Bucknell in the first round at Oklahoma City in 2005. It was over so fast. That’s the only time during this long stretch of tournaments that I’ve been finished after just one game. I didn’t know what to do.

One of my best experiences covering the NCAAs as a columnist came in 2006, when Wichita State won two games in Greensboro, N.C., to advance to the Sweet 16 for a rematch against George Mason, who had beaten the Shockers in a BracketBusters game six weeks earlier. WSU lost that game, played in Washington D.C., but it was amazing the way the city got behind that Shocker team.

In 2008, both Kansas and Kansas State played early tournament games in Omaha. It was the start of a Jayhawks journey that led to winning a national championship in San Antonio. KU’s incredible overtime win over Memphis in the title game is easily the best and most dramatic game I’ve ever written about.

I covered an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 1981. And what a year to cover Wichita State, which made it all the way to the Elite Eight after exciting wins over Iowa and Kansas, easily two of the 10 most-memorable games in Shocker basketball history.

So it’s that time of the year again. One of the most busy and exciting times of the year for me. Fortunately, my wife understands.

Obviously, much of the discussion here in St. Louis during the Missouri Valley Conference tournament centers on the possibility of Creighton’s departure to join the new Big East, which you currently know affectionately as the Catholic 7.

I decided to take a sampling of opinions from beat writers, and even another columnist, who gather in the media work room (is that an oxymoron, or what?) here at the Scottrade Center. Here’s what they had to say about the potential departure of the Bluejays and the future of the MVC without them.

Kirk Wessler, Peoria Journal-Star columnist: “Yeah, I think Creighton will leave. And i would hope that whoever the Valley chooses as a replacement that they choose wisely. I would say Oral Roberts would be the best choice in my mind. i think Creighton has to make the choice they’re making. Whether it’s the right choice I don’t think we’ll know for a while. But in the current culture, if you have a chance to be in a league with like-academic institutions that are basketball-centric and have the opportunity on a regular basis to bring Marquette, Georgetown and Villanova into your gym, you can’t say no to that.”

Jim Benson, Illinois State beat writer, Bloomington Pantagraph - “When i was walking into (the Scottrade Center) today there were 5,000 to 6,000 Creighton fans outside and I’m just wondering, first of all, how many of those people are going to be able to make it to Madison Square Garden for the new Big East Tournament. Maybe 1,000? Maybe, maybe. And what about the other sports besides men’s basketball. You’re talking about a volleyball team, baseball team, women’s basketball team that has to probably play a round-robin schedule. Now they’re going to probably have to travel to all these eastern sites and they don’t get the chartered jet like the men’s basketball team does. The wear and tear on those teams is going to be tremendous. I understand, Creighton has to go for the money. When you’re talking about $3 million compared to $300,000, they’ve crunched the numbers. I just think it’s something they’ll look back on in five years and regret. As far as a replacement, Oral Roberts would be my leader in the clubhouse.”

Dave Reynolds, Bradley beat writer, Peoria Journal-Star - I would say yes, they will leave. I think the financial perks will be too good for them to pass up. As far as a replacement, I would put my money on another private school. Possibly Oral Roberts, Belmont, Detroit – they might be at the top of the list. I’m thinking Creighton will be happy with its choice. They would be in with like-minded basketball-centric institutions with already a good TV deal in place. I think they would be a great fit. The only question, really, is the non-revenue sports and the investment that would be made in travel to the East Coast every year. If they can overcome that, I think everything will be fine for them.”

Lyndal Scranton, Missouri State beat writer, Springfield News-Leader - “I think Creighton has an offer probably it can’t refuse. And they’re probably going to leave. I don’t know if it’s going to be wise for them in the long haul. Those are going to be some deep waters they’re in. And I would say Belmont is an intriguing possibility because of their national market (Nashville.) It just sounds like a good place to go. It’s a good locational geographically and market wise.”

Paul Suellentrop, Wichita State beat writer, Wichita Eagle - “You just can’t turn down a chance to have Marquette, Villanova and Georgetown come into your arena. It’s not without some risks. It would surprise me if there are some new coaches at Creighton in five or six years because of the adjustment. But I think it’s great for everybody but poor (baseball coach) Ed Servais. It’s a big problem for the baseball program, but for everybody else it’s a good move. Oral Roberts seems to make the most sense as a replacement. I think you’re looking at a group of flawed schools. There isn’t a great choice out there and certainly nobody who will do what Creighton does. But they seem to make the most sense from reasonable strong men’s basketball and a reasonably strong geographic fit.”

Todd Golden, Indiana State beat writer, Terre Haute Star-Tribune – “Absolutely I think they’re going to leave. I think it’s a wise move financially, I don’t know if it’s a wise move competitively. I think they’re going to struggle in the Big East. As far as who replaces them, I’ve been kicking around Oral Roberts. I think that depends on how stable that university is because I do think there are some questions about that. If they were to go with a public school, maybe a Milwaukee. They’ve struggled this year but they kind of fit a profile similar to Wichita State, actually, in terms of how much they spend athletically and how much they spend on basketball. Others would be Belmont . . . the Dakota schools would be OK if they weren’t so geographically distant. I actually think there’s a lot of scope and vision, especially North Dakota State. But that’s going to be a tough sell to the other league teams.”

Steve Pivovar, Creighton beat writer, Omaha World-Herald – “You see a lot of names, Valpo, Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I think it’s wide open. Do they leave if they get an offer? They’re gone. It’s the time we live in. You don’t pass up those kinds of offers. Whether it’s a basketball thing with Creighton – we went through it a couple of years ago with Nebraska and the Big 10. Everybody’s got to look out for themselves. Creighton wouldn’t be leaving because they’re upset with anything about the Valley. They’d just be leaving for a better offer. If it comes, they’ve got to accept it. I’m torn about it because I see how long it’s taken them to build what they’ve built. I’ve lived in Omaha my whole life and I know how fickle the sports fans in that city can be. Now, will they be able to maintain what they have if all the sudden they’re a middle-of-the-pack or bottom-of-the-pack team in this new league? That’s hard to say but that’s a gamble they’re going to be facing. If all the sudden things don’t work out for them, are they going to be getting 18,000 people to games? Yeah, they’ll get 18,000 for Georgetown and Marquette, but how about for those other games? What balances that out is that they’re going to be getting a heck of a lot of other money that they won’t have to be so dependent on ticket sales and other sources of revenue. But if you duplicate what they’ve done in the Valley in that league, you’re going to be printing money.”

Last week, I wrote about how fortunate I was to have been The Eagle’s high school sports beat reporter when Wichita Heights went 25-0 and won the Class 6A state championship in 1976-77 with the most dominant team in Kansas high school history.

But there have been other really good teams and one of them is just as special to me, although in a different way.

It was 51 ago that my father took me to my first state tournament. Went went to the Roundhouse – now Koch Arena – to watch Wichita East and Kansas City Wyandotte play for the Class AA championship. Class AA? It was a different time, folks. I was 7 years old.

My dad was the best. He took me to so many sporting events when I was a kid. As I got older, I figured

Jamie Thompson (32), dribbling the ball in a 1965 Final Four game against Princeton, was a teammate of Kelly Pete (30) in high school at East and then again with the Wichita State Shockers.

out that it was a way to get out of the house and my mother, but that’s a story for my upcoming autobiography, due in stores soon.

Anyway, back to that game in 1962, of which I have no recollection other than I’m sure I was there.

East had won only one previous state title, in 1951, unless you want to count the two that Wichita High School, which later became East, captured in 1915 and 1925. I suppose you should count those, so let’s do.

Even with them, though, the Blue Aces were tremendously overshadowed by Wyandotte, which was at the peak of its basketball dominance. Wyandotte had won 10 state championships by 1962, including five in a row. There still hasn’t been an era like the one the Bulldogs put together from 1955-70, winning 12 of 16 state championships in the state’s largest class.

On this night 51 years ago, though, East was too much. The Aces, coached by the legendary Cy Sickles, took it to Wyandotte and won, 46-26. The game turned out to be a dud. I’m sure my father was disappointed.

If I close my eyes and think really hard, I do have a recollection that the arena was pretty full that night. The East team had captured the imagination of a lot of basketball fans in Wichita, thanks to its two best players – Jamie Thompson and Kelly Pete.

I’m not sure a City League team has had two better players in its lineup since. Thompson and Pete both became standout players at Wichita State and were on the Shockers’ only Final Four team in 1965. They weren’t just on that team, they were the two best players – especially after forward Dave Stallworth left the Shockers when his eligibility ran out at mid-semester of the Final Four season.

Pete was a tough, rugged guard. He mixed his strength with a remarkable athleticism. He remains one of the best athletes to ever play in the City League or at WSU, in my opinion.

Thompson lacked Pete’s athletic gifts, but he surpassed almost everyone in basketball talent. Thompson was a gifted shooter with a high IQ for the game. He knew how to get open and if he got just a split second to get off a shot, chances are it was going in. He loved that shot from just above the free-throw line to the top of the key.

I saw probably 90 percent of the home games Pete and Thompson played as Shockers, and my memory of them as college players is more vivid than when I saw them for the first time at East.

The 6-foot-1 Pete averaged 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds during his WSU career, shooting 47.1 percent from the field. During his three-year career, the Shockers were 61-25. Pete was also WSU’s best defensive player and had no weakness in his game.

Thompson averaged 17.6 points during his WSU career from 1964-67, including 22 points as a junior. He was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference player and also averaged 6.7 rebounds. Remember what I said about Thompson as a shooter? He shot 49 percent from the field for his career and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line. There was no three-point line when he played or his numbers would be even more impressive.

Thompson was inducted into the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 (somehow, Pete wasn’t inducted until 26 years later). Sadly, Thompson died in 2006 at the age of 60.