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Oklahoma returns to its roots for final exhibition game

Lon Kruger

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger directs his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Conference tournament, Wednesday, March 7, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

AP

For nearly fifty years the University of Oklahoma called McCasland Field House home, playing in the small gym from 1928 to 1975.

Lon Kruger’s squad returned to the building for an exhibition on Wednesday night, beating Central Oklahoma 94-66 on a night that saw some of the program’s greats return as well.

Twelve former Oklahoma players were honored at halftime of the game including Alvan Adams, who accounted for 43 points and 25 rebounds in the final OU game played at McCasland in March of 1975.

“I was glad they hadn’t torn it down, and they were able to use it for this exhibition game,” Adams said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Another person in attendance who played at McCasland was Kruger, who scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Kansas State in 1972. Kruger sat out the Wildcats’ 1973 trip to McCasland due to injury, and he’ll have the opportunity to coach a regular season game there when the Sooners host Texas A&M Corpus Christi on New Year’s Eve.

Attendance was 2,880 - few enough to get lost in the Lloyd Noble Center, which holds four times that many but a good-sized crowd for McCasland. And with the seats much closer to the court, it made for a noisy atmosphere.

“It’s very packed and everybody’s around us and we can hear everything,” forward Amath M’Baye said. “It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad the crowd showed up. That’s something I’d like to do again.”


Oklahoma won’t be the only team to return to an old home to play a regular season game. Seton Hall opens their season against Kansas City on Friday night at Walsh Gym, their on-campus home, and Michigan State will play Tuskegee at Jenison Field House on December 15.

Could the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi game lead to more regular season contests at McCasland? According to the story it’s something Kruger is in favor of, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea. It allows fans and the program to turn back the clock, and the coziness of the gym can only strengthen Oklahoma’s home court advantage.

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.