Monday, Nov. 20, 2006 | 7:34 a.m.
Jayhawks flunk Oral test, but ...
Orleans Arena general manager Steve Stallworth caught the Kansas basketball score Wednesday night and felt a pang in his gut. The third-ranked Jayhawks had lost at home to Oral Roberts, 78-71.
"Oh man, I was sick to my stomach," he said. "How did Oral Roberts beat these guys?"
Stallworth had been seeking an Orleans Arena meeting Saturday night at 8 between two of the country's top-ranked teams, No. 1 and defending national champion Florida and Kansas.
The loss doesn't figure to diminish the significance of that game - which ESPN2 will televise and colorful analyst Dick Vitale will work - or the event, though. The eight-team Las Vegas Invitational will be the first college basketball games played at a venue linked to a casino with a sports book.
"This game, obviously, will be on the books," Stallworth said of a line being placed on the Florida-Kansas game in the Orleans sports book. "The negative implication, they were worried about. Our argument to them was, 'Guys, UNLV is on the board and they play here. It's not like it's that big of a deal.'
"Then it never really came up as an issue."
Larry Keating, a senior associate athletic director at Kansas, visited in July. Temperatures nearing 120 degrees kept him from golfing, but he was impressed with the arena, Stallworth and Chris Spencer, who has organized holiday college basketball tournaments at Las Vegas high schools the past six years.
The University of Florida had told Keating it would follow his recommendation, and Keating approved. Ball State, Western Kentucky and four lower-division teams will also participate in the eight games Friday and Saturday.
"There have been a lot of obstacles," said Spencer, 40. "But perseverance sometimes pays off. You get lucky once in a while."
Kansas sold almost all of the 4,500 tickets it requested, and Florida fans purchased nearly 1,000. All-session tickets were listed at $54.50-$128 and are now going on StubHub for $99-$530.
"We want to make this the premier college basketball tournament in the country," Stallworth said. "We want to make people forget about the Maui Classic."
Cliff Findlay, a former UNLV basketball player who owns Findlay Toyota, played a major role as the event's main sponsor.
Spencer confirmed that North Carolina, Louisville, Brigham Young and Creighton have agreed to play in next year's Invitational. UCLA, he said, is a long shot for the future.
In December, Southern California, Kansas State, New Mexico and Wichita State will play in the first Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans. In 2007, Alabama, Purdue and Iowa State have signed on for the Classic.
THIS WEEK'S BEST BET
Air Force at UNLV, College Football, 4 p.m. Friday, Sam Boyd Stadium
The Rebels get a chance to snap the "wishbone" on the day after Thanksgiving. Air Force is one of the only teams still running the once-popular option offense.
TICKETS: $15 to $28
ON THE WEB: www.unlvtickets.com
ALSO WORTH A LOOK
Washburn at UNLV, College Basketball, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thomas & Mack Center
The Division II Ichabods are coached by Bob Chipman, who played with Rebels coach Lon Kruger for Kansas State coach Jack Hartman in 1971-72 and '72-'73.
TICKETS: $12 to $28
ON THE WEB: www.unlvtickets.com
FOR COUCH POTATOES
Denver vs. Kansas City, 5 p.m. Thursday, NFL Network (Ch. 317 on Cox digital cable)
The first Thanksgiving-day NFL tripleheader will be capped by the regular-season debut of a live game on the league's own network. Congress held a hearing last week to determine how that network affects cable and satellite rates.
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