The experimental court at the Big 12 Tournament quickly went from curiosity to controversy, and it won’t even last the entire event. The LED glass floor at T-Mobile Arena, which initially drew both skepticism and intrigue, will be a one-and-done experiment. In fact, it didn’t even make it through the full tournament, as officials replaced it overnight with a traditional hardwood court for the remainder of the games.
Attempting to replace the traditional hardwood surface was always going to be a risky decision. Basketball players have spent their entire lives playing on hardwood floors, and suddenly asking them to compete on a glass LED surface during a conference tournament was always likely to draw pushback. It’s similar to asking football players to suddenly play on a completely different type of field, something that rarely goes over well. So it’s no surprise that the same reaction followed in basketball.
Throughout the week, players and coaches voiced concerns about the court, with several instances of slipping and complaints about footing. The most notable moment came when Texas Tech star Christian Anderson went down with an injury and did not return to the game. He had this to say after the game.
Kansas State forward Taj Manning was also vocal after the game. Manning said the built-in lights on the court even caused one Kansas State player to suffer a migraine. He also criticized the playing surface itself, saying the court was slippery and calling it “pretty bad,” adding that they “shouldn’t bring it back.”
In the end, the Big 12’s high-tech experiment lasted only a few days before the conference returned to the traditional hardwood players are accustomed to.
