GAME #16: TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (9-6, 6-4) at SMU Mustangs (9-4, 5-4)
Date/Time: Wednesday • Feb. 3, 2021 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Reynolds Center (8,355) • Tulsa, Okla.
TV: ESPNU | John Schriffen (pxp) & Brooke Weisbrod (analyst)
Series: 55th Meeting (Tulsa leads the series 33-21)
Remembering Steve
A longtime member of the Tulsa basketball table crew, scorer Steve DeVivo passed away Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. For the Women's and Men's basketball games, his seat at the scorer's table will be left vacant in his memory. Steve worked as a member the Golden Hurricane table crew for both TU football and basketball for over 20 years.
Steve will be greatly missed.
Legend's Night
• The Golden Hurricane take on the SMU Mustangs in Legend's Night on Feb. 3 on ESPNU ... the game will honor the 40th anniversary for the 1981 NIT Championship and the 20th anniversary of the 2001 NIT title.
• The 1980-81 team, led by legendary coach Nolan Richardson, went 26-7 and finished in second place in the MVC ... the Hurricane defeated Syracuse in the NIT Title game 86-84 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.
• Nolan Richardson broke barriers at Tulsa becoming the first African-American head coach in school history ... Richardson is 4th all-time in career wins at the helm of Tulsa with 119 victories in 5 seasons.
• The 2000-01 team, led by head coach Buzz Peterson, finished the season with a 26-11 record and a second place finish in the WAC ... Tulsa blew out the Alabama Crimson Tide 79-60 in the NIT Championship.
The Game
• Tulsa will take on the SMU Mustangs in a conference home matchup in the Reynolds Center Wednesday night on ESPNU ... it will be the first home game for the Hurricane since hosting Memphis on Jan. 17.
• The game is the 16th contest for Tulsa (9-6) this season ... the Mustangs are 9-4 on the season losing their last contest 70-48 in a road conference game against No. 6-ranked Houston Cougars on Jan. 31.
Scouting the Mustangs
• SMU was picked to finish 3rd in the preseason AAC Coaches Poll ... the Mustangs returned 4 of their 5 starters and both top scorers from last season, when the team went 19-11 and 9-9 in conference play.
• SMU added transfer big man Yor Anei from Oklahoma State who averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and was 4th in the BIG 12 with 1.9 blocks last season.
• The Mustangs returned leading scorer Tyson Jolly and junior guard Kendric Davis who each finished last season among the top-8 in points per game in the American Athletic Conference.
• The Mustangs opened their season with six straight wins including an 66-64 victory over the Dayton Flyers on the road in Dayton, Ohio ... they have lost 4 of their 9 conference game including two of the last three ... SMU has had 4 contests postponed due to Covid-19.
• SMU is led in scoring by Davis who is averaging 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game ... Feron Hunt is averaging 12.2 points and 8.0 rebounds a game for the Mustangs.
• SMU is led by Head Coach Tim Jankovich, who has been at the helm of the Mustangs for the last 5 seasons ... he holds a 99-53 record.
The Series
• This will be the 55th contest between the Golden Hurricane and the Mustangs ... Tulsa leads the series at 33-21 with TU winning the only meeting last season by a score of 79-57.
• TU won the first contest against the Mustangs on the road in Dallas, Texas 20-18 on Feb. 20, 1920 in Francis Schmidt's second season as the head coach of the Hurricane ... TU would finish 16-3 during the 1919-20 season.
• This is the 24th time Tulsa has hosted SMU in the Reynolds Center with the Hurricane holding an 13-10 advantage on the home court ... Tulsa has faired well on the road against SMU with a 19-9 record, while only going 1-2 in neutral site games.
A Tulsa Win Would
• Give the Hurricane its 10th win of the season, moving Tulsa to 10-6, 7-4 AAC on the year.
• Move Tulsa's all-time record against SMU to 34-21.
• Give TU its 2nd straight win against the Mustang after winning the lone contest last season.
Last Game Against the Mustangs
• On a day that one of the greatest scorers in Tulsa history, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, had his jersey #32 retired, Martins Igbanu had a scoring exhibition of his own ... the senior scored a game-high 23 points in leading Tulsa to a 79-57 win over SMU
• Igbanu converted 9-of-13 field goals and 5-of-5 free throws en route to his fifth 20+ scoring game in the last 8 contests ... he missed his third double-double of the season by pulling down a game-high 9 rebounds.
• Lawson Korita added 14 points, while Darien Jackson scored 12 in the 22-point victory ... the Tulsa bench outscored SMU 30-8 ... TU had a 13-2 edge in fast-break points, 26-8 advantage off turnovers and 34-20 edge for points in the paint.
• Tulsa shot 49 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range, while holding SMU to 38.9 percent overall and 27-percent from behind the arc ... Tulsa tied a season-low 9 turnovers, while forcing the Mustangs into 16 turnovers.
• Tulsa's 22-point victory is the 6th game in league play that Tulsa has won by double-digits, and the third game that the Hurricane has won by 20+ points (Temple 26, Memphis 40).
Record Watch
• Elijah Joiner and Darien Jackson have been vital for the Hurricane this season ... each of the upperclassmen are closing in on TU all-time records this season.
• Joiner, Tulsa's senior point guard, has cracked the top-20 all-time in assists for the Hurricane with his 48 assists this season ... in his career he has 262 assists in 107 games and is number 20 all-time, trailing Pooh Williamson's 277.
• Jackson is a defensive minded guard, who is the heart of the Hurricane defense ... the senior has accumulated 92 steals in his career and is only 17 steals away from catching Michael Scott who is 20th all-time with 109.
• Jackson has also shown out on the offensively leading the AAC and TU in field goal percentage ... shooting at a 64.3% clip ... if he reaches 125 attempts and shoots above a 65.9 percentage he would rank 1st all-time on the FG percentage list.
Date/Time: Wednesday • Feb. 3, 2021 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Reynolds Center (8,355) • Tulsa, Okla.
TV: ESPNU | John Schriffen (pxp) & Brooke Weisbrod (analyst)
Series: 55th Meeting (Tulsa leads the series 33-21)
Remembering Steve
A longtime member of the Tulsa basketball table crew, scorer Steve DeVivo passed away Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. For the Women's and Men's basketball games, his seat at the scorer's table will be left vacant in his memory. Steve worked as a member the Golden Hurricane table crew for both TU football and basketball for over 20 years.
Steve will be greatly missed.
Legend's Night
• The Golden Hurricane take on the SMU Mustangs in Legend's Night on Feb. 3 on ESPNU ... the game will honor the 40th anniversary for the 1981 NIT Championship and the 20th anniversary of the 2001 NIT title.
• The 1980-81 team, led by legendary coach Nolan Richardson, went 26-7 and finished in second place in the MVC ... the Hurricane defeated Syracuse in the NIT Title game 86-84 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.
• Nolan Richardson broke barriers at Tulsa becoming the first African-American head coach in school history ... Richardson is 4th all-time in career wins at the helm of Tulsa with 119 victories in 5 seasons.
• The 2000-01 team, led by head coach Buzz Peterson, finished the season with a 26-11 record and a second place finish in the WAC ... Tulsa blew out the Alabama Crimson Tide 79-60 in the NIT Championship.
The Game
• Tulsa will take on the SMU Mustangs in a conference home matchup in the Reynolds Center Wednesday night on ESPNU ... it will be the first home game for the Hurricane since hosting Memphis on Jan. 17.
• The game is the 16th contest for Tulsa (9-6) this season ... the Mustangs are 9-4 on the season losing their last contest 70-48 in a road conference game against No. 6-ranked Houston Cougars on Jan. 31.
Scouting the Mustangs
• SMU was picked to finish 3rd in the preseason AAC Coaches Poll ... the Mustangs returned 4 of their 5 starters and both top scorers from last season, when the team went 19-11 and 9-9 in conference play.
• SMU added transfer big man Yor Anei from Oklahoma State who averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and was 4th in the BIG 12 with 1.9 blocks last season.
• The Mustangs returned leading scorer Tyson Jolly and junior guard Kendric Davis who each finished last season among the top-8 in points per game in the American Athletic Conference.
• The Mustangs opened their season with six straight wins including an 66-64 victory over the Dayton Flyers on the road in Dayton, Ohio ... they have lost 4 of their 9 conference game including two of the last three ... SMU has had 4 contests postponed due to Covid-19.
• SMU is led in scoring by Davis who is averaging 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game ... Feron Hunt is averaging 12.2 points and 8.0 rebounds a game for the Mustangs.
• SMU is led by Head Coach Tim Jankovich, who has been at the helm of the Mustangs for the last 5 seasons ... he holds a 99-53 record.
The Series
• This will be the 55th contest between the Golden Hurricane and the Mustangs ... Tulsa leads the series at 33-21 with TU winning the only meeting last season by a score of 79-57.
• TU won the first contest against the Mustangs on the road in Dallas, Texas 20-18 on Feb. 20, 1920 in Francis Schmidt's second season as the head coach of the Hurricane ... TU would finish 16-3 during the 1919-20 season.
• This is the 24th time Tulsa has hosted SMU in the Reynolds Center with the Hurricane holding an 13-10 advantage on the home court ... Tulsa has faired well on the road against SMU with a 19-9 record, while only going 1-2 in neutral site games.
A Tulsa Win Would
• Give the Hurricane its 10th win of the season, moving Tulsa to 10-6, 7-4 AAC on the year.
• Move Tulsa's all-time record against SMU to 34-21.
• Give TU its 2nd straight win against the Mustang after winning the lone contest last season.
Last Game Against the Mustangs
• On a day that one of the greatest scorers in Tulsa history, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, had his jersey #32 retired, Martins Igbanu had a scoring exhibition of his own ... the senior scored a game-high 23 points in leading Tulsa to a 79-57 win over SMU
• Igbanu converted 9-of-13 field goals and 5-of-5 free throws en route to his fifth 20+ scoring game in the last 8 contests ... he missed his third double-double of the season by pulling down a game-high 9 rebounds.
• Lawson Korita added 14 points, while Darien Jackson scored 12 in the 22-point victory ... the Tulsa bench outscored SMU 30-8 ... TU had a 13-2 edge in fast-break points, 26-8 advantage off turnovers and 34-20 edge for points in the paint.
• Tulsa shot 49 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range, while holding SMU to 38.9 percent overall and 27-percent from behind the arc ... Tulsa tied a season-low 9 turnovers, while forcing the Mustangs into 16 turnovers.
• Tulsa's 22-point victory is the 6th game in league play that Tulsa has won by double-digits, and the third game that the Hurricane has won by 20+ points (Temple 26, Memphis 40).
Record Watch
• Elijah Joiner and Darien Jackson have been vital for the Hurricane this season ... each of the upperclassmen are closing in on TU all-time records this season.
• Joiner, Tulsa's senior point guard, has cracked the top-20 all-time in assists for the Hurricane with his 48 assists this season ... in his career he has 262 assists in 107 games and is number 20 all-time, trailing Pooh Williamson's 277.
• Jackson is a defensive minded guard, who is the heart of the Hurricane defense ... the senior has accumulated 92 steals in his career and is only 17 steals away from catching Michael Scott who is 20th all-time with 109.
• Jackson has also shown out on the offensively leading the AAC and TU in field goal percentage ... shooting at a 64.3% clip ... if he reaches 125 attempts and shoots above a 65.9 percentage he would rank 1st all-time on the FG percentage list.
