Talking about bad basketball and maybe some bad basketball reporting...is it too much to ask that TU's 18th win of the season, a road win at SMU, be covered on the front page of the sports section. Hey, we're not fooling anybody, I know that TU hoops isn't what it was a few years ago, but Doug Wojcik has done a really nice job considering the mess John Phillips left this program and on a night when TU was the only team of the Big 5 that played, the game story appearing on page 3 of the sports is a disgrace.

OK, people, you've put the Picker in something of a squeeze.

Company loyalty, and all that.

But the Picker can be true to its boss and objective as well.

To be frank (not Shirley), we feel something of a twinge every time we see a TU basketball game story inside the newspaper. Win or lose, this is a Tulsa team. It's not about cheerleading. Or promoting. Were we running this operation, it would be policy: Local team game story usually gets a little pop on the front page. Wins always make it out front.

If you went by success-equals-coverage, OU football would be front and center most days.

OU or OSU grads in the area wouldn't determine story placement if we ruled the World, either. We didn't go to TU but will still rather read about a TU game story than an OU or OSU feature.

If TU stinks, the spot outside would be tiny.

Size and placement would relate to skill.

But it's a local team.

Period.

TU is virtually ignored everywhere else in this state, that's another angle.

Now, about the hoop tournament: It's a fact, the best teams are way, way down, the reason being, the stars are just passing through. Some don't even stop at college.

A team like Southern Illinois could win it all. And by all, we mean all.

These are good points you people made. Thanks for them.