Mussatto: From Town Topic to Big 12 basketball, leaving behind Kansas City not easy for OU

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Castiglione holds an enviable distinction of once starting and ending his day at Town Topic, the famed 24-hour diner in the heart of downtown Kansas City.

The OU athletic director tries to hit up Town Topic at least once during his annual trips to the Big 12 basketball tournament. One year, Castiglione and deputy AD Larry Naifeh snuck in a 6 a.m. breakfast at Town Topic before an early meeting.

The OU men played the late game that night, and the Sooners won.

“We're just all charged up,” Castiglione said.

It was midnight, but instead of going back to the hotel, Castiglione somewhat sheepishly asked, “Would it be weird if we went back to Town Topic?”

“Well,” Naifeh said, “I saw this cherry pie in there I might want to get.”

More: How OU basketball's Kaden Cooper flashed talent in Big 12 tournament loss to TCU

Castiglione’s mind is filled with memories like that one. Memories of great games, good eats and lifelong friends he’s made in his near 40 trips to Kansas City for the Big Eight and Big 12 basketball tournaments.

This week was bittersweet for Castiglione and OU fans who make the annual Big 12 hoops pilgrimage to Kansas City. The Sooner men went one-and-done, losing Wednesday to TCU in OU’s first game of its last-ever Big 12 Tournament.

This time next year, the Sooner men will be Nashville-bound for the SEC men's basketball tournament. The women’s SEC Tournament will be in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Sooners are looking forward to life in the SEC, but not having Kansas City on the calendar will take some getting used to.

“It's been the perfect home for the conference tournament,” Castiglione told The Oklahoman. “Although the Big 12 experienced host sites in other cities, this has been the best place. That's been proven over and over and over again.”

Mussatto: Shorthanded Sooners might hold their breath until NCAA Selection Sunday

Sooner fans reluctant to leave Kansas City

When their son turned 10, Tip and Christy Holland stopped throwing birthday parties for him and instead gifted their son an annual birthday trip to the Big 12 Tournament.

Their son is 32 now, which means the Hollands, Sooner fans who live in Oklahoma City, have been coming up to Kansas City for much of the last 20 years.

“It makes you start thinking back to when we played it in Kemper (Arena), then when it traveled around and we’d come to Kansas City, it’s always been a favorite spot,” Tip Holland said. “And then the last few years just knowing, ‘Wow, this is the last one.’ We’re excited to do it, but it’s also a little bit sad that it’s going to be gone.”

Since 1997, Kansas City has hosted the Big 12 men’s tournament in all but five years — Dallas hosted three times and Oklahoma City twice.

Before the Big 12 days, from 1977-96, Kansas City’s Kemper Arena was the exclusive home of the Big Eight Tournament.

“We’re not happy it’s the last,” said OU fan Charlie Vest, who lives in Ada.

Charlie and his wife, Jacquie, have been coming to the tournament since the Big Eight days. The Sooners won four Big Eight Tournaments, tied with Kansas for second most behind Missouri’s six.

Charlie said his best memories are from 2001-03, when OU rattled off three conference tournament championships in a row. The Sooners haven’t won or appeared in the championship game since.

“We like Kansas City and we like coming to this tournament,” Charlie Vest said. “I grew up in Kansas City, actually. For me, it’s really a disaster compared to going to Nashville, which is OK, but not as good as Kansas City for us.”

The SEC men’s tournament will be played in Nashville through at least 2035.

“I think it’s horrible,” said OU fan Lynn Dunford, who was born in Ardmore and lives near Manhattan, Kansas. “Kansas City is such a great town. I used to go out and treat my parents to the Big Eight basketball tournament out at Kemper. Kansas City is just so set up for it.”

Dunford is torn. Given his proximity to Kansas City and his affinity for the Big 12 Tournament, he’s thinking about continuing his KC tradition rather than starting a new one in Nashville.

“I just might,” Dunford said. “I don’t know anything about SEC basketball. Obviously the Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country. It’s gonna be sad not to have OU in the mix, but, you know, if they’re done today I’m still gonna come to every one of the games.”

Tip and Christy Holland said they’ll follow the Sooners to Nashville next season.

“We don’t know if it’ll be the same experience,” Tip said, “but we’ll give it a chance.”

Mussatto: Porter Moser to DePaul rumors came at bad time for Oklahoma basketball

Joe Casiglione looks back

Joe Castiglione, then in Missouri’s administration, went to his first Big Eight Tournament in 1982. There were such clashes in those days, on the court and on the sidelines. Norm Stewart and Missouri beat Billy Tubbs’ Sooners in the 1982 championship game.

A year later, Oklahoma State beat Missouri in double overtime. Leroy Combs was named tournament MVP.

Since 1982, Castiglione has made all but five Big Eight/Big 12 Tournaments. His five absences coincided with his five years on the men’s NCAA Tournament selection committee.

Castiglione didn’t have to think hard when asked about his favorite years.

“The ones where the team I was associated with won the tournament title,” he said. “Those were obviously very fun.”

Missouri in 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993. Then a three-peat by OU in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Kansas City hosted the tournament in all but one of those years (2003).

“There's a lot of history with the Big Eight and Big 12,” Castiglione said. “No matter what, it'll always be a big piece of my life.”

Every person who’s been to Kansas City for the tournament, including Castiglione, has their list of favorite restaurants.

Town Topic, of course.

And Garozzo’s, a fabulous Italian restaurant.

“I'll be there tonight, as a matter of fact,” Castiglione said before the Sooners’ game Wednesday.

Then there’s the barbecue, a Kansas City staple. Joe C’s top-five spots in no order: Joe’s Kansas City (formerly Oklahoma Joe’s), Jack Stack, Arthur Bryant’s, Gates and Q39.

From the basketball to the food to the friendships, Kansas City will be missed.

“I can't imagine it being in any location that would match Kansas City for the Big 12,” Castiglione said. “And we've tried in a few other locations. It was good, but it doesn't match, doesn't come close to matching Kansas City.”

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Joe Castiglione, Sooners reflect on OU's final Big 12 Tournament in KC