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PK80 A Resounding Success

Can we do it again?

By JD King

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NCAA Basketball: Portland State at Duke
Nov 23, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) goes in for a basket against Portland State Vikings guard Tyrell Henderson (1) during the second half of the PK80 Phil Knight Invitational between the Duke Blue Devils and the Portland State Vikings at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. 
Joseph Weiser-USA TODAY Sports

Creativity is probably an underrated talent in athletic administration but if there is one guy who has shown more than anyone it’s got to be Michigan State’s Mark Hollis.

Look at some of the ideas he’s had: putting a basketball game on an aircraft carrier. Basketbowl in 2003. Michigan State-Michigan playing hockey outdoors in Spartan Stadium and drawing nearly 75,000 people - to a college hockey game!

The PK80 event might have been his masterstroke though. It worked out brilliantly.

Aside from the immensely competitive event, the fact that Portland had two arenas so close to each other made for a very special atmosphere.

Everyone wants to do it again but it’ll be a couple of years before everyone can work it out which is too bad. The sport could use all the help it can get and this was a really good thing for all of college basketball. It won’t be forgotten any time soon.

CBS’s Matt Norlander rates all 16 teams here.

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