Big 12

Did Big 12 tourney’s floor cause injury to Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson?

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  • Player slipped on the new LED glass court and appeared to hurt his groin.
  • Big 12 used the LED glass court at T‑Mobile Center for the men’s tournament.
  • Players and coaches reported slipperiness and altered footing on the LED court.

Did the Big 12 tournament’s new court cause an injury to star Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson?

The first-team All-Big 12 selection was attempting to free himself in order to receive an inbound pass after an Iowa State basket on Thursday when he slipped and appeared to injury his groin during a game at T-Mobile Center.

About 8 1/2 minutes remained and the Cyclones men’s basketball team led by 22 when the slip occurred.

Anderson did not return to the game.

“Obviously, the floor is a bit slippery,” he said later. “I just kind of mis-stepped or did a move that caused me to slip and kind of ended up in an unnatural position.”

Members of the Windex glass care team clean the court during the second half of a Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City.
Members of the Windex glass care team clean the court during the second half of a Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com

The Big 12, for the first time, is using a new LED glass court for the tournament. The same playing surface was also used for last week’s women’s Big 12 tournament at T-Mobile Center. It’s the first time the glass floor, replacing a traditional wooden floor, has beem used for a college hoops tournament.

The floor has been met with mixed reviews this week in Kansas City. On Tuesday, Kansas State player Khamari McGriff said he experienced a migraine headache from the court’s built-in flashing lights.

Arizona State guard Noah Meeusen (15) slips as Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic (22) catches the ball before it goes out of bounds during the first half of a Big 12 men's basketball tournament game at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City.
Arizona State guard Noah Meeusen (15) slips as Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic (22) catches the ball before it goes out of bounds during the first half of a Big 12 men's basketball tournament game at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com

Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said the floor presented some “challenging moments.”

“It’s obviously a different surface than what we’re used to playing on, and there were some challenging moments today,” McCasland said. “It just has a different response than what we’re used to. We had a hard time changing directions over the course of the game.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 2:50 PM.

Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
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