PROVO — Pete Witbeck can scarcely believe that 30 years have passed since the Marriott Center opened its doors.
"You look back and say, wow, where have all the years gone? It's amazing," said Witbeck, who was an assistant coach on the 1971-72 BYU basketball team, the first to call the 22,700-seat arena home.
BYU will celebrate the Marriott Center's 30th birthday today when the Cougars host the University of Idaho (4 p.m. tipoff). Concession prices will be rolled back for the occasion and as part of halftime festivities, members of the 1971-72 squad will be honored.
Witbeck, who is retiring after 47 years of service to BYU, including a long stint as associate athletic director, said he's looking forward to this reunion with former players he both recruited and coached.
Ironically, the first basketball game held at the Marriott Center did not involve the Cougars. On Dec. 3, 1971, St. Joseph's downed Pacific, 64-58, in the first game of a doubleheader, which was followed by a 78-72 BYU victory over Kansas State in front of a crowd of 22,652. In the championship game the next night, the Cougars edged St. Joseph's, 73-72.
"I can recall chills running down my back and goosebumps on my arms," Witbeck said about that opening weekend. "That crowd was a wonderful sight to see. It was bigger than a lot of towns I had been in."
That '71 squad went on to claim the Western Athletic Conference title, post a 21-5 overall mark and 12-0 record at the Marriott Center. The Cougars featured a pair of late legends, coach Stan Watts (1911-2000) and forward Kresimir Cosic (1948-1995). Both men were inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame — Watts in 1986 and Cosic in 1996.
"I've always said that Watts built the Marriott Center and Cosic filled it," Witbeck said.
Over the last three decades, the Marriott Center has been good to the Cougars. Today, BYU (5-2) is looking to extend its 24-game homecourt winning streak after blasting Fort Lewis College, a Division II school, on Wednesday night, 101-53.
Idaho belongs to the Big West Conference and BYU's two losses this season have been against Big West teams, at UC Santa Barbara and at Utah State.
Idaho (2-6) is led by first-year coach Leonard Perry. The Vandals return three starters from last season's 6-21 squad and they lost by four points to Pacific at home on Wednesday. Senior forward Rodney Hilaire averages a team-high 11.9 points per game.
The all-time series between BYU and Idaho is tied 2-2. Last year, the Cougars crushed the Vandals, 75-47, at the Marriott Center.
Idaho (2-6) at BYU (5-2)
Today, Marriott Center,4 p.m.
TV: none
Radio: KSL 1160 AM
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com