Big 12 to replace LED glass court with hardwood for semifinals and final at T Mobile Center
The Big 12 Conference will move away from its new LED glass playing surface and return to a traditional hardwood court for the final two days of its tournament at t mobile center, following concerns about traction and a player injury during Thursday’s games.
Big 12 swaps LED glass court for hardwood in semis, final
Commissioner Brett Yormark said the decision came after discussions with the coaches of the four semifinal 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 Thursday night. “We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game. ”
The change means the last game played on the glass floor took place Thursday night.
Slips and an injury sharpen concerns about traction
During the tournament, multiple players slipped while trying to plant, raising questions about how the surface played compared with a standard court.
One of the most significant incidents came Thursday when Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson strained a muscle after slipping during the Red Raiders’ 75-63 loss to Iowa State.
“Obviously, the floor is a bit slippery, ” Anderson said. “I think I just kind of mis-stepped or did a movement that caused me to slip. ”
Kansas coach Bill Self said he had no role in the original decision to use the glass floor, but supported the switch back to wood.
“I personally didn’t have any involvement (in the decision to go to hardwood), ” Self said after Kansas beat TCU 78-73 on Thursday night. “If the other coaches are doing it, (they) have juice and they got more than I got. Because I didn’t have any any involvement with that at all. ”
Self added, “I think it’s the right thing to do. ”
What happens next at t mobile center
The Big 12 had announced last month that it would stage the men’s and women’s tournaments on an ASB GlassFloor-made court—described as having been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe, but not previously during an official U. S. competition.
The surface was designed with an aluminum and steel spring-action system intended to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. Its LED panels can display data-driven graphics and advertising, and the glass includes a ceramic coating and etched dots meant to create grip consistent with traditional surfaces.
Even with those design elements, the biggest on-court difference described during the tournament was traction. With the conference now set to finish the event on hardwood, attention will shift to whether players and coaches feel more comfortable and whether the change reduces slipping in the semifinals and the championship game. The league has not detailed what comes next for the glass floor beyond this tournament’s remaining games.
