From TU release...
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa men's basketball team will open its fourth season in the American Athletic Conference at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it will host ECU at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
The Golden Hurricane (7-5) went 5-1 at home during non-conference action and will look to improve that mark against the Pirates (6-5), who will be playing just their second game away from home this season. TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers, including a 2-1 mark since it joined The American.
Junior Etou leads TU and ranks fourth in the conference at 18.1 ppg, while his .559 shooting percentage ranks sixth. The senior needs just nine points to reach 1,000 for his Division I career. Etou scored 372 points in two seasons at Rutgers and he has registered 619 points (14.4 ppg) in 44 games at TU.
Meanwhile, ECU comes into Thursday's matchup having won four of its last five games since head coach Jeff Lebo resigned and Michael Perry was elevated to interim head coach. The Pirates were picked to finish 11th in The American preseason poll. The squad returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year's team, which went 15-18 overall and finished ninth in the league with a 6-12 mark. Senior guard B.J. Tyson leads three players averaging in double-figures at 15.5 ppg. Fellow guard Isaac Fleming is not far behind at 14.6 ppg, while guard/forward Kentrell Barkley checks in at 13.0 ppg to go along with a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
TU leads the all-time series against ECU, 16-3, including an 8-1 mark at home. This is the second time that the programs will meet in a conference-opening game. The Hurricane took a 67-49 win over the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2007, to open Conference USA action that season.
Fast Break Points
• Tulsa is in its 107th season of basketball and fourth season in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa will open American Athletic Conference play at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it hosts ECU at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
• TU leads the all-time series against the Pirates, 16-3, including an 8-1 mark in Tulsa.
• Tulsa is coming off a 71-59 setback at Oklahoma State on Dec. 19 in the squad's final non-conference game.
• TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers and it has won two of three conference openers since joining The American.
• Junior Etou leads the team at 18.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg and those marks rank fourth and 12th in The American, respectively. The senior also ranks sixth in the circuit with a .559 field goal percentage.
• Etou needs just nine points to reach 1,000 for his Division I career. The senior scored 372 points in two seasons at Rutgers and has registered 619 points in 44 games (14.1 ppg) at TU.
• Tulsa is shooting 46.3-percent from the floor, which ranks sixth in The American. TU has shot at least 45-percent in eight contests, including five games of at least 50-percent shooting.
• The Hurricane also rank sixth in the conference by averaging 75.9 ppg. TU has scored at least 78 points six times.
• After posting a -4.5 rebound margin through its first six games, TU has out-rebounded its opponent in five of its last six games for a +8.5 rebound margin. TU has outrebounded its opponent by double digits in three of those five games.
• TU has posted 34 league wins since joining The American, which is tied for the third-most behind SMU (44) and Cincinnati (41).
• Tulsa was picked to finish eighth in The American Preseason Poll. TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in all three previous seasons under head coach Frank Haith.
The Game
• Tulsa will open its fourth season of American Athletic Conference play at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it will host ECU at the Reynolds Center.
• Thursday's game can be seen on ESPNU, while fans in the Tulsa area can tune to Big Country 99.5 FM with Bruce Howard and former Hurricane player J.R. Rollo calling the action. Live audio from the game also can be found on tulsahurricane.com or by using the TuneIn app.
The Series
• Thursday's contest will mark the 20th all-time meeting between Tulsa and ECU with the Golden Hurricane holding a 16-3 lead in the series. The teams split a pair of meetings last season with each team defending its home court.
• Tulsa has won seven of the last eight meetings against ECU.
• TU is 8-1 against ECU in Tulsa, including wins in its last five matchups against the Pirates at home.
• This is the second time that the programs will meet in a conference-opening game. The Hurricane took a 67-49 win over the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2007, to open Conference USA action.
Scouting the Pirates
• ECU comes into Thursday's game having won four of its last five games since head coach Jeff Lebo resigned on Nov. 29 and Michael Perry took over as interim head coach.
• The Pirates were picked to finish 11th in The American preseason poll. The squad returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year's team, which went 15-18 overall and finished ninth in the league with a 6-12 mark.
• Senior guard B.J. Tyson leads three players averaging in double-figures at 15.5 ppg. Fellow guard Isaac Fleming is not far behind at 14.6 ppg, while guard/forward Kentrell Barkley checks in at 13.0 ppg to go along with a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
Sharp Shooting
• TU is shooting 46.3-percent from the floor to rank sixth in the American Athletic Conference. The squad has shot better than 45-percent eight times, including at least 50-percent in five contests.
• Junior Etou ranks sixth in the league by shooting 55.9-percent (66-of-118) this season. In all, seven players are shooting better than 45-percent during the campaign.
• The team's hot shooting has helped the offense rank sixth in the circuit by averaging 75.9 ppg. TU has scored at least 78 points six times this season.
• Freshman Elijah Joiner is shooting 44.1-percent behind the arc and is second on the team with 15 3-pointers made.
Trending
• Junior Etou has attempted at least 10 free throws four times this season. Etou ranks ninth in the nation with 94 free-throw attempts this season and seventh in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (8.3) via kenpom.com.
• After averaging 1.6 ppg in his first five games, Corey Henderson Jr. is averaging 11.7 ppg in his last seven contests.
• TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers, including a 2-1 mark since joining The American. The Hurricane will open its conference slate at home for the third consecutive season.
Crashing The Boards
• After being outrebounded in five of its first six games with a rebound margin of -4.5 rpg, Tulsa has crashed the glass and outrebounded its opponents by a combined 240-189 (40.0-31.5; +8.5 rpg) in its last six contests.
• TU has outrebounded three opponents (UTSA, Illinois State, Kansas State) during that stretch by double-digits, including two games (UTSA, Illinois State) with a +20 rebound margin.
• During that stretch, Junior Etou has led the way by averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, while Sterling Taplin (5.5 rpg) and Martins Igbanu (5.3 rpg) are not far behind.
• The Hurricane is 5-1 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa men's basketball team will open its fourth season in the American Athletic Conference at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it will host ECU at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
The Golden Hurricane (7-5) went 5-1 at home during non-conference action and will look to improve that mark against the Pirates (6-5), who will be playing just their second game away from home this season. TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers, including a 2-1 mark since it joined The American.
Junior Etou leads TU and ranks fourth in the conference at 18.1 ppg, while his .559 shooting percentage ranks sixth. The senior needs just nine points to reach 1,000 for his Division I career. Etou scored 372 points in two seasons at Rutgers and he has registered 619 points (14.4 ppg) in 44 games at TU.
Meanwhile, ECU comes into Thursday's matchup having won four of its last five games since head coach Jeff Lebo resigned and Michael Perry was elevated to interim head coach. The Pirates were picked to finish 11th in The American preseason poll. The squad returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year's team, which went 15-18 overall and finished ninth in the league with a 6-12 mark. Senior guard B.J. Tyson leads three players averaging in double-figures at 15.5 ppg. Fellow guard Isaac Fleming is not far behind at 14.6 ppg, while guard/forward Kentrell Barkley checks in at 13.0 ppg to go along with a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
TU leads the all-time series against ECU, 16-3, including an 8-1 mark at home. This is the second time that the programs will meet in a conference-opening game. The Hurricane took a 67-49 win over the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2007, to open Conference USA action that season.
Fast Break Points
• Tulsa is in its 107th season of basketball and fourth season in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa will open American Athletic Conference play at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it hosts ECU at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
• TU leads the all-time series against the Pirates, 16-3, including an 8-1 mark in Tulsa.
• Tulsa is coming off a 71-59 setback at Oklahoma State on Dec. 19 in the squad's final non-conference game.
• TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers and it has won two of three conference openers since joining The American.
• Junior Etou leads the team at 18.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg and those marks rank fourth and 12th in The American, respectively. The senior also ranks sixth in the circuit with a .559 field goal percentage.
• Etou needs just nine points to reach 1,000 for his Division I career. The senior scored 372 points in two seasons at Rutgers and has registered 619 points in 44 games (14.1 ppg) at TU.
• Tulsa is shooting 46.3-percent from the floor, which ranks sixth in The American. TU has shot at least 45-percent in eight contests, including five games of at least 50-percent shooting.
• The Hurricane also rank sixth in the conference by averaging 75.9 ppg. TU has scored at least 78 points six times.
• After posting a -4.5 rebound margin through its first six games, TU has out-rebounded its opponent in five of its last six games for a +8.5 rebound margin. TU has outrebounded its opponent by double digits in three of those five games.
• TU has posted 34 league wins since joining The American, which is tied for the third-most behind SMU (44) and Cincinnati (41).
• Tulsa was picked to finish eighth in The American Preseason Poll. TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in all three previous seasons under head coach Frank Haith.
The Game
• Tulsa will open its fourth season of American Athletic Conference play at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it will host ECU at the Reynolds Center.
• Thursday's game can be seen on ESPNU, while fans in the Tulsa area can tune to Big Country 99.5 FM with Bruce Howard and former Hurricane player J.R. Rollo calling the action. Live audio from the game also can be found on tulsahurricane.com or by using the TuneIn app.
The Series
• Thursday's contest will mark the 20th all-time meeting between Tulsa and ECU with the Golden Hurricane holding a 16-3 lead in the series. The teams split a pair of meetings last season with each team defending its home court.
• Tulsa has won seven of the last eight meetings against ECU.
• TU is 8-1 against ECU in Tulsa, including wins in its last five matchups against the Pirates at home.
• This is the second time that the programs will meet in a conference-opening game. The Hurricane took a 67-49 win over the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2007, to open Conference USA action.
Scouting the Pirates
• ECU comes into Thursday's game having won four of its last five games since head coach Jeff Lebo resigned on Nov. 29 and Michael Perry took over as interim head coach.
• The Pirates were picked to finish 11th in The American preseason poll. The squad returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year's team, which went 15-18 overall and finished ninth in the league with a 6-12 mark.
• Senior guard B.J. Tyson leads three players averaging in double-figures at 15.5 ppg. Fellow guard Isaac Fleming is not far behind at 14.6 ppg, while guard/forward Kentrell Barkley checks in at 13.0 ppg to go along with a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
Sharp Shooting
• TU is shooting 46.3-percent from the floor to rank sixth in the American Athletic Conference. The squad has shot better than 45-percent eight times, including at least 50-percent in five contests.
• Junior Etou ranks sixth in the league by shooting 55.9-percent (66-of-118) this season. In all, seven players are shooting better than 45-percent during the campaign.
• The team's hot shooting has helped the offense rank sixth in the circuit by averaging 75.9 ppg. TU has scored at least 78 points six times this season.
• Freshman Elijah Joiner is shooting 44.1-percent behind the arc and is second on the team with 15 3-pointers made.
Trending
• Junior Etou has attempted at least 10 free throws four times this season. Etou ranks ninth in the nation with 94 free-throw attempts this season and seventh in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (8.3) via kenpom.com.
• After averaging 1.6 ppg in his first five games, Corey Henderson Jr. is averaging 11.7 ppg in his last seven contests.
• TU is 51-47 all-time in conference openers, including a 2-1 mark since joining The American. The Hurricane will open its conference slate at home for the third consecutive season.
Crashing The Boards
• After being outrebounded in five of its first six games with a rebound margin of -4.5 rpg, Tulsa has crashed the glass and outrebounded its opponents by a combined 240-189 (40.0-31.5; +8.5 rpg) in its last six contests.
• TU has outrebounded three opponents (UTSA, Illinois State, Kansas State) during that stretch by double-digits, including two games (UTSA, Illinois State) with a +20 rebound margin.
• During that stretch, Junior Etou has led the way by averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, while Sterling Taplin (5.5 rpg) and Martins Igbanu (5.3 rpg) are not far behind.
• The Hurricane is 5-1 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
