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Some of us — OK, many of us — here at Talking Points Central, are old enough to remember when a win like Oregon’s over Arizona on Thursday in college basketball would have been a big deal.
Clearly the Trail Blazers beating the Heat was the headline grabber on Thursday.
But once upon a time college basketball was a big deal in these parts, too.
Many factors have changed that — including many brought upon college basketball by its leadership. The best college basketball players are gone after one season. The proliferation of post-season tournaments has spoiled the college basketball regular season. The best local players often run off to Kentucky or Duke.
There’s no turning back. But, for those of us who were around to see Magic Johnson play in the Far West Classic holiday tournament in Portland, and to remember when Oregon State was ranked No. 1, excuse us if we feel like something special has been lost.
