Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
 | ||||
| University | University of Tulsa | |||
| Head coach | Eric Konkol (3rd season) | |||
| Conference | The American | |||
| Location | Tulsa, Oklahoma | |||
| Arena | Reynolds Center (capacity: 8,355) | |||
| Nickname | Golden Hurricane | |||
| Student section | The Storm Front | |||
| Colors | Old gold, royal blue, and crimson[1] | |||
| Uniforms | ||||
| ||||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1955, 1994, 1995, 2000 | ||||
| NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
| 1955, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2014, 2016 | ||||
| Conference tournament champions | ||||
| 1982, 1984, 1986, 1996, 2003, 2014 | ||||
| Conference regular season champions | ||||
| 1955, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2020 | ||||
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball team represents the
The team has long been successful, especially since the hiring of Nolan Richardson in 1980. Many big-name coaches previously worked at Tulsa, like University of Kansas coach Bill Self and Minnesota coach Tubby Smith. The Hurricane have been to the NCAA tournament 14 times in their history. In addition, they have won two National Invitation Tournaments, in 1981 and 2001, and one CBI tournament. In 2005, Street & Smith's named the University of Tulsa as the 59th best college basketball program of all time.[3]
History
Clarence Iba, brother of Henry Iba, helped to springboard Tulsa to success when named the head coach in 1949. He coached at the school for 11 years, the longest tenure of any Tulsa coach, and is the second all-time winningest coach at the school with 137 wins in his 11 seasons.
Nolan Richardson is credited with bringing the Tulsa program to national prominence when hired in 1980, and he led the school to the 1981 NIT Championship and had a .763 winning percentage at the school. He became the first coach in NCAA history to win 50 games in his first two seasons.[4]
In the 1990s and 2000s, a succession of Tulsa coaches went on to big-name programs across the country, including Tubby Smith, Buzz Peterson, and Bill Self. The team remained successful throughout the string of coaches.
Doug Wojcik, coach from 2005 to 2012, is the all-time winningest coach at the school with 140 wins.
Notable assistants in the program's history have included
.Notable players
Tulsa has had a series of great players at the program, many of whom have gone on to play in the NBA. Successful players to never make it to the NBA include Gary Collier, the 1994 MVC player of the year, Michael Scott, the 1989 and 1991 MVC defensive player of the year, and Willie Biles who led the MVC in scoring in both the 1972–73 and 1973–1974 seasons.[5]
Among those who did make it to the NBA, James King, who came back to coach the program after his NBA career, and Bingo Smith had the greatest success. King was selected to the 1968 NBA All-Star Game, and Smith scored more than 10,000 points in his career, having his number retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Steve Bracey (1970–72) was a member of the 1974–75 Golden State Warriors NBA Championship team.
Golden Hurricane players in the NBA
History
Tulsa's basketball program was founded by
Under Iba, Tulsa reached the post-season for the first time in the 1953
Nolan Richardson's hiring helped to usher in a new era of success at Tulsa that has remained fairly consistent since then. He led the team the NIT Championship in the 1980–1981 season, his first at the school. Richardson also won two MVC regular season and two MVC tournament championships in his five-season tenure. His flamboyant personality made him extremely popular; his teams adopted McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" as their theme song during the Richardson years.[12] Richardson was succeeded by J. D. Barnett, who continued the team's success, winning one tournament and one regular season championship and finishing lower than third in the conference only once. Barnett was fired, however, due to the significant increase in expectations at Tulsa following Richardson's success.[13]
Barnett was succeeded by Tubby Smith, who went on to coach at
Following Peterson's departure,
Much has been made of Tulsa's ability to hire good coaching candidates but their inability to retain them like Gonzaga has been able to. Since Barnett's firing after the 1990–1991 season, only one coach has stayed at the program more than four seasons and all but one have departed for larger programs. Barnett has speculated that finances may be a reason when larger programs come calling, but he also "[does]n't know what the real philosophical reasons are."[17]
Awards
Coach of the Year
- Clarence Iba – 1955 – MVC
- Joe Swank – 1967 – MVC
- Ken Hayes – 1969, 1973 – MVC
- Nolan Richardson – 1981, 1985 – MVC
- J. D. Barnett – 1987 – MVC
- Tubby Smith – 1994, 1995 – MVC
- Bill Self – 2000 – WAC
- Danny Manning – 2014 – C-USA
- Frank Haith – 2020 – AAC
Player of the Year
- Bingo Smith – 1969 – MVC
- Paul Pressey – 1982 – MVC
- Gary Collier – 1994 – MVC
Defensive Player of the Year
- Michael Scott – 1989, 1991 – MVC
- Lou Dawkins – 1994 – MVC
Freshman of the Year
- Shea Seals – 1994 – MVC
- Greg Harrington – 1999 – WAC[18]
Retired numbers
Seven numbers have been retired by the University of Tulsa basketball program.[19] The most recent was that of Bingo Smith on February 22, 2020.[20]
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane retired numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Tenure | No. ret. | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Willie Biles | 1971–1974 | 2010 | [21] | |
| 20 | Steve Harris | 1981–1985 | [22] | ||
| 21 | Shea Seals | 1993–1997 | 1997 | [23] | |
| 24 | Jim King | 1960–1963 | 2000 | [24] | |
| 25 | Paul Pressey | 1980–1982 | [24] | ||
| 30 | Bob Patterson | 1951–1955 | [24] | ||
| 32 | Bingo Smith | 1966–1969 | 2020 | [20] | |
Post-season
The Golden Hurricane have made 16 NCAA tournament appearances (12–16 combined record), 10 NIT appearances (12–8 combined record), and two CBI appearances (5–2 combined record). They are twice NIT champions, in 1981 and 2001, and were champions of the CBI in 2008.
NCAA tournament results
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Sweet Sixteen Regional third place game |
Colorado SMU |
L 59–69 W 68–67 | |
| 1982 | 3 | Second round | (6) Houston | L 74–78 |
| 1984 | 4 | Second round | (5) Louisville | L 67–69 |
| 1985 | 6 | First round | (11) UTEP | L 75–79 |
| 1986 | 10 | First round | (7) Navy | L 68–87 |
| 1987 | 11 | First round | (6) Oklahoma | L 69–74 |
| 1994 | 12 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
(5) UCLA (4) Oklahoma State (1) Arkansas |
W 112–102 W 82–80 L 84–108 |
| 1995 | 6 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
(11) Old Dominion (2) Massachusetts |
W 68–62 W 64–52 L 51–76 |
| 1996 | 11 | First round | (6) Louisville | L 80–82OT |
| 1997 | 5 | First round Second Round |
(12) Clemson |
W 81–52 L 59–65 |
| 1999 | 9 | First round Second Round |
(8) College of Charleston (1) Duke |
W 62–53 L 56–97 |
| 2000 | 7 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
(10) UNLV (2) Cincinnati (6) Miami (FL) (8) North Carolina |
W 89–62 W 69–61 W 80–71 L 55–59 |
| 2002 | 12 | First round Second Round |
(5) Marquette (4) Kentucky |
W 71–69 L 82–87 |
| 2003 | 13 | First round Second Round |
(4) Dayton (5) Wisconsin |
W 84–71 L 60–61 |
| 2014 | 13 | Second round | (4) UCLA | L 59–76 |
| 2016 | 11 | First Four | (11) Michigan | L 62–67 |
NCAA tournament seeding history
The NCAA began seeding the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with the 1979 edition.[25] The 64-team field started in 1985, which guaranteed that a championship team had to win six games.[26]
| Years → | '82 | '84 | '85 | '86 | '87 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '99 | '00 | '02 | '03 | '14 | '16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds → | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
NIT Results
The Golden Hurricane have two NIT championships, in 1981 and 2001.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | First round | Duquesne | L 69–88 |
| 1967 | First round | Marquette |
L 60–64 |
| 1969 | First round | Saint Peter's | L 71–74 |
| 1981 | First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship game |
W 81–71 W 76–72 W 69–68 W 89–87 W 86–84 | |
| 1990 | First round | Oklahoma State | L 74–83 |
| 1991 | First round | Oklahoma | L 86–111 |
| 2001 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship |
UC Irvine Minnesota Ole Miss Memphis Alabama |
W 75–71 W 73–70 W 77–75 W 72–64 W 79–66 |
| 2009 | First round Second Round |
Northwestern Auburn |
W 68–59 L 55–74 |
| 2010 | First round | Kent State | L 74–75 |
| 2015 | First round Second Round |
William & Mary Murray State |
W 70–67 L 62–83 |
CBI results
The Golden Hurricane were champions of the 2008 College Basketball Invitational, which was the inaugural tournament.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals Game 1 Finals Game 2 Finals Game 3 |
Bradley Bradley |
W 61–45 W 69–60 W 73–69 W 73–68 L 74–83 W 70–64 |
| 2013 | First round | Wright State | L 52–72 |
Conferences
Tulsa has been a member of a variety of conferences over its history. With Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference was formed for the 1914–1915 season. Tulsa would participate in this conference for fifteen years, with occasional breaks.[6] In 1929, the program co-founded the Big Four Conference, which lasted five seasons.[7]
The University of Tulsa joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1934. Tulsa remained a member of the MVC until 1996, when it joined the Western Athletic Conference for the 1996–1997 season. While a member of the WAC, it was at various times in both the Mountain and Pacific Division. Tulsa joined Conference USA with the 2005–2006 season.[27] For the 2014–2015 season, the Golden Hurricane joined the American Athletic Conference.[28]
Arenas
Tulsa currently plays in the
Rivals
Tulsa's primary basketball rival is Wichita State University, but that rivalry had faded somewhat between the time Tulsa left the Missouri Valley Conference after the 1995 season and both teams having joined the American Athletic Conference by 2017, when it was renewed indefinitely by both schools. Tulsa also has a mild rivalry with Oral Roberts University, which is located in southern Tulsa. The teams began play in 1974 and has largely been one sided, however Oral Roberts has tightened the gap quite a bit in recent years, the two teams currently play annually. A
While in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Golden Hurricane had an extensive rivalry with
Tulsa moved into the American Athletic Conference in July 2014, restoring natural rivalries with AAC members Memphis, Cincinnati, SMU and Houston.[27]
References
- ^ Tulsa Brand Guide (PDF). February 1, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Eric Konkol accepts head coach job at University of Tulsa". Crescent City Sports. 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- ^ University of Tulsa men's basketball media guide, pg. 139
- ^ "Coaching Great Nolan Richardson and Three Former Athletes to Receive Induction into TU Athletic Hall of Fame." Archived April 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Best of Tulsa. Oct. 8, 2006.
- ^ University of Tulsa Media Guide, pp. 24, 26
- ^ a b Bonham, Chad. Golden Hurricane Basketball at the University of Tulsa. Chicago: Arcadia, 2004, pg. 9
- ^ a b c Bonham, pg. 10
- ^ Bonham, pg. 19
- ^ Bonham, pg. 22
- ^ Logsdon, Guy Williams. The University of Tulsa: A History from 1882 to 1972, Doctoral Dissertation at the University of Tulsa, 1975, pp. 158, 262.
- ^ Bonham, pg. 35
- ^ "Tubbs happy for Richardson: Q&A with Nolan Richardson." Tulsa World, Oct. 13, 2006.
- ^ Bonham, pg. 68
- ^ Bill Haisten, "When TU was Elite: Ten years ago, Bill Self coached the Golden Hurricane to a 32–5 record and within one game of advancing to the Final Four", Tulsa World, March 26, 2010.
- ^ Brown, Mike. ORU seniors hoping for a Tulsa sweep, Tulsa World, November 28, 2006.
- ^ University of Tulsa Media Guide, pg. 153
- ^ Tiberii, Jeff. “Tulsa produces, can't keep best coaches.” Archived December 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Daily Orange, January 26, 2005.
- ^ University of Tulsa Media Guide, pg. 24
- ^ "2012–13 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball media guide, page 90" (PDF). Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
- ^ a b "Bobby "Bingo" Smith's Jersey Retired by Alma Mater". nba.com. January 15, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
- ^ Tulsa to Retire Willie Biles Jersey During Legends Weekend at tulsahurricane.com, 2 Jun 2010
- ^ Former Tulsa Basketball star Steve Harris passed away Monday by John Moss, 22 Feb 2016
- ^ Tulsa to Retire Seals' No. 21, 22 Feb 1997 at The Oklahoman
- ^ a b c KING'S NO. 24 TO BE RETIRED, 14 Feb 2000
- ^ "NCAA tournament:All-timeAll-time No. 1 seeds, teams, history". ncaa.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Harold, Shelton; Loucks, Nick; Fallica, Chris (July 21, 2008). "Counting down the most prestigious programs since 1984–85". ESPN. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ a b ”Six Schools Join Conference USA”. NCAASports.com, July 5, 2005.
- ^ Haisten, Bill (July 1, 2014). "TU's American Athletic Conference membership takes effect Tuesday". Tulsa World. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- ^ "A cheering crowd" (JPG).
