Does the CBI Have Value?

Is it worth it?

After Wednesday night, an easy answer: Yes.

Call the College Basketball Invitational third-rate. Call it the Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl of hoops.

But you can’t call it meaningless. Not after the goosebumps many got Wednesday night at the Don Haskins Center rivaling any UTEP-Two-Steppin’, Sweet-Sixteen-Dancin’ vintage performance by a home crowd since the building opened in 1979.

Notice I said the home crowd. Not UTEP, which sputtered a number of times in the regular season and almost did again Wednesday. Not the CBI itself, which is not the NCAA’s big dance, or even its more-recognized step-sister, the NIT.

The Miners’ 70-63 win over the Oregon State Beavers has great meaning because it may have helped reconnect a community to its basketball team and coach – maybe, for the first time, connecting a team and coach to the community.

To sell tickets to the College Basketball Invitational UTEP had to tell season ticket holders, “Sorry, we can’t afford to wait,” exchanging slow-but-steady money in exchange for a land grab.

The result? Attendance: 12,000.

(Anyone still doubt El Paso’s still a $10 town?)

And the space displaced for the CBI left something else in its wake. Like a ship’s propeller churning up phosphorous in the ocean, UTEP’s fans glowed in what has long been a dead sea full of dull orange seats.

The good vibrations in the rafters Wednesday night shook loose dust that’s been steadily collecting on The Don’s ductwork since 1992.

Sure, there was Billy-Ball and Doc-Din and two straight NCAA Tournaments.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tertiary tourney aside, there simply hasn’t been this kind of emotion from a DHC crowd since Brigham Young, New Mexico and Utah left the Miners trying to build a passionate fan base against Nevada and Fresno State.

Jeezh, it’s amazing, but UTEP and El Paso might well be saying, “Thank you, CBI.”

The CBI: the one event that can get El Pasoans to show up early (to get the best general admission seats). The one event that might just plug fans back into a program they used to love.

Can UTEP and UTEP fans build on this for the future? Yes.

Many fans who hadn’t shown up for years shelled out their $10 and revived a passion for Miners hoops.

Credit Bob Stull and the athletic department for recognizing there was no way to get a big crowd and make some money without upsetting some longtime season ticket holders.

The term “greater good” applies here. Stull is betting the Miners’ tithers will be back next season. For some, the fact The Don might be the place to be seen again means they can put up with one wild week away from front-and-center. For the others who are just passionate fans, where else would they go?

My bet is, in part due to Wednesday (and looking like Friday, too), UTEP will have a few more season ticket holders for the 2009-2010 season if the economy picks up any steam.

So, Oregon State coach Craig Robinson, could you put in a good word to your brother-in-law? Just to keep things moving.

Speaking of subsidies, when asked if he was ready to subsidize some more $10 seats to get the atmosphere back next season, UTEP head coach Tony Barbee was almost ready to say yes before he remembered and said, “We have $10 seats already.”

Yeah, just not 12,000 of them.

There are other differences between Wednesday and the Miners’ Glory Road Days.

There’s a jumbotron that shows many longtime Miners fans who were both there then and here now have introduced gray into their own personal color scheme. And, sure, the cheerleader’s music was decidedly more Li’l Wayne than NKOB.

Ah, but was “Texas Fight” clapped to more boisterously? Was Tim Hardaway cheered more loudly than Stefon Jackson?

And was anyone booed more roundly than spawn-of-BYU Roeland Schaftenaar? 

Wow, did OSU’s 6-11 Dutchman make a splash. The only thing missing was a Kent Lockhart right to the jaw. The kid was Danny Ainge, Greg Kite and Fred Roberts rolled into one, complete with use of hands and elbows and griping to the officials. 

Oh, yeah, and more than a few clutch buckets. Hey, nobody would have hated those guys if they weren't good.

It was all like a high school reunion. No one knew what to expect when they got back together. But, as is usually the case, the bigger the party, the better the party.

Some might even be willing to keep the party going into next season. 

Now, that’s value.

Comments

[Caesar]

Great post Duke, it takes me back to those day I remember so vividly.

[Viktims]

Outstanding post Duke!
The best thing about this run is the experience these freshman-sophomores are getting. Jackson will be sorely missed.

[Chris]

Great post Duke! The key to building any program is patience... The difference with Barbee is the fact that he really makes you think UTEP isn't a stepping stone for him. I hope what we are seeing is just the start of a long and fruitful career for Barbee here. Go Miners!!!

[Paydirt Pedro 13]

Awesome post Duke, awesome!!