Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. The team participates in Conference USA
. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik
.
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 University of Minnesota
coach Tubby Smith
. In 2005, Street & Smith's named the University of Tulsa as the 59th best college basketball program of all time.
, 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 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.
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.
Notable assistants in the program’s history have included Billy Gillispie
, Flip Saunders
, Kevin O’Neill, Tom Izzo
, Mike Anderson, and Ron Jirsa
.
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.
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 and his number is retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers
.
became head coach in 1918; Schmidt led the school to 16 consecutive victories in the 1919-20 season, the school record.. The team hit hard times and achieved occasional modest success until the arrival of Clarence Iba in 1949. Of special note is the 1942-1943 winless squad under Mike Milligan
, whose team went 0-10.
Under Iba, Tulsa reached the post-season for the first time in the 1953 NIT
. (In March 1921, Tulsa had been invited to the National A.A.U. tournament after an 18-1 season which widely regarded them as Oklahoma champions). In 1955, Iba led the Golden Hurricane to their first Missouri Valley Conference
title and NCAA tournament
appearance. Joe Swank succeeded Iba in 1960. It was under Swank that the color barrier was broken in the Tulsa basketball program. Swank had some winning seasons, but the program would be without real success until the arrival of Nolan Richardson.
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 Stopping Us Now" as their theme song during the Richardson years. 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.
Barnett was succeeded by Tubby Smith, who went on to coach at Kentucky
, Georgia
and Minnesota. Smith spent four seasons at Tulsa, winning two MVC championships and leading them past the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time, to the Sweet Sixteen in both the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons. A succession of high-profile coaches came through following Smith’s departure for Georgia. Steve Robinson
led the team to consecutive NCAA appearances before departing for Florida State
. Bill Self succeeded Robinson for three seasons, winning two WAC
titles in the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons and leading Tulsa to its best record ever, a 32-5 record in the 1999-00 season. Tulsa advanced to the Elite Eight in the 2000 NCAA tournament
as a #7 seed. Self departed for Illinois
and was succeeded by Buzz Peterson. Peterson led the team to the 2001 NIT Championship and promptly took the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee
.
Following Peterson’s departure, John Phillips
led the team to NCAA tournaments in his first two seasons and won a WAC title. However, he passed on local high school star Caleb Green
, a decision that came back to haunt him when Green signed with ORU. Phillips resigned on Christmas Day, 2004. The team finished that season 9th in the WAC, TU’s worst ever conference finish.. Doug Wojcik was hired before the 2005-06 season to revive the program. He led the team to 20 wins in both his second, third, and fourth seasons and the 2008 College Basketball Invitational
championship, led by tournament MVP Jerome Jordan
. Wojcik's hiring also coincided with Tulsa's decision to join Conference USA
.
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, no 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.”
Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Freshman of the Year
appearances (11–7 combined record), and one CBI
appearance (5–1 combined record). They are twice NIT champions, in 1981 and 2001, and were champions of their only CBI appearance in 2008.
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. In 1929, the program co-founded the Big Four Conference, which lasted five seasons..
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.
Tulsa currently plays in the Reynolds Center
, a 8,355 capacity on-campus arena adjacent to Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. The Reynolds Center was completed in 1998. The student section is known as the Reynolds Rowdies, and efforts are made by the coaching staff through frequent e-mails to encourage attendance and creativity from the student body. Previously, the Golden Hurricane had played off-campus, using the Tulsa Convention Center
from the mid 1976-77 season on. Before the Convention Center, the team played at the Expo Square Pavilion
from the 1947-1948 season. In the early years of the program, the team played at various area high schools and in smaller on-campus gymnasiums.
, which is located in southern Tulsa. The teams began play in 1974 and currently play annually. Tulsa hired Bill Self away from Oral Roberts in 1997.
Tulsa’s other rivalries have not had the intensity as that with Oral Roberts. While in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Golden Hurricane had an extensive rivalry with Wichita State
; that has largely faded since Tulsa left the conference. The team has also had longstanding competitions against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Arkansas
. The rivalry with Arkansas was enhanced with their hiring of Nolan Richardson away from Tulsa in 1985. Tulsa had an intense rivalry with Fresno State and Hawaii
while a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Southern Methodist
remains a fairly interesting rivalry, given that the two schools sometimes recruit similar players and that current Southern Methodist coach Matt Doherty was considered a front-runner for the Tulsa job prior to Doug Wojcik taking the helm; likewise, Doug Wojcik once interviewed for the Southern Methodist job.
With Tulsa’s move to Conference USA, it is hoped that a restoration of the Golden Hurricane program could form a natural rivalry with Memphis
and UAB for dominance in the conference.
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The team participates in Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik
Doug Wojcik
-References:...
.
The team has long been successful, especially since the hiring of Nolan Richardson
Nolan Richardson
Nolan Richardson is an American basketball head coach, who was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He has coached teams to winning a NCAA Men's Division I Basketball National Championship, a NIT, and a Junior College National Championship, the only coach to do so. Most...
in 1980. Many big-name coaches previously worked at Tulsa, like University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
coach Bill Self
Bill Self
Bill Self is an American college men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship....
and University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
coach Tubby Smith
Tubby Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...
. In 2005, Street & Smith's named the University of Tulsa as the 59th best college basketball program of all time.
Coaches
Clarence IbaClarence Iba
Clarence Iba is the former head basketball coach at the University of Tulsa. Iba coached the Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball team for eleven seasons, from 1949 to 1960. He is the brother of former Oklahoma State coach Henry Iba....
, brother of Henry Iba
Henry Iba
Henry Payne "Hank" Iba was an American basketball and baseball coach.-Early life:Iba was born and raised in Easton, Missouri...
, 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 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.
In the 1990s and 2000s, a succession of Tulsa coaches went on to big name programs across the country, including Tubby Smith, Buzz Peterson
Buzz Peterson
Robert Bower "Buzz" Peterson, Jr. is the current head coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks men's basketball team. Peterson was the Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers for four years before being fired in 2005. He previously coached a second stint at Appalachian State--he coached the 2009–10...
, and Bill Self. The team remained successful throughout the string of coaches.
Notable assistants in the program’s history have included Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
, Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, Kevin O’Neill, Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
, Mike Anderson, and Ron Jirsa
Ron Jirsa
Ron Jirsa is an American college basketball coach. He has previously been the head coach at the University of Georgia and Marshall University....
.
Players
| Retired basketball jerseys | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Year |
| 12 | Willie Biles | 1974 |
| 20 | Steve Harris Steve Harris (basketball) Steve Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Tulsa, Harris played in 5 NBA seasons from 1985 to 1990... |
1985 |
| 21 | Shea Seals Shea Seals Shea Brandon Seals is an American professional basketball player. He played in four games with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1997-98 NBA season... |
1997 |
| 24 | James King Jim King (basketball) James Staton "Country" King is a retired American professional basketball player and former college coach.A 6'2" guard from the University of Tulsa, King was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1963 NBA Draft... |
1963 |
| 25 | Paul Pressey Paul Pressey Paul Matthew Pressey is an American former professional basketball player. Pressey is widely, though unofficially, credited with being the originator of the point forward position, combining the attributes of a point guard and forward... |
1982 |
| 30 | Bob Patterson | 1955 |
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
Gary Collier
Gary Collier is a retired American college and professional basketball player who attended the University of Tulsa.Collier played four seasons for the Golden Hurricane and was named the 1994 MVC player of the year...
, 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.
Among those who did make it to the NBA, James King
Jim King (basketball)
James Staton "Country" King is a retired American professional basketball player and former college coach.A 6'2" guard from the University of Tulsa, King was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1963 NBA Draft...
, who came back to coach the program after his NBA career, and Bingo Smith
Bingo Smith
Robert "Bingo" Smith was a Forward/Guard for the San Diego Rockets , Cleveland Cavaliers and San Diego Clippers . He helped the Cavaliers win the 1975-76 NBA Central Division....
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 and his number is retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
.
Golden Hurricane players in the NBA
- Steve BraceySteve BraceyStephen Henry Bracey was an American basketball player.A 6' 1" guard from the University of Tulsa, Bracy played three seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors...
(1973-1975) - Al CuetoAl CuetoAlfonso Angel Cueto is a Cuban-born former professional basketball player.A 6'7" center, Cueto attended Coral Gables High School in Florida and the University of Tulsa. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the tenth round of the 1969 NBA Draft, but he never joined the team...
(1970-1971) - Julian HammondJulian HammondJulian Hammond is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'5" forward, Hammond played at the University of Tulsa during the mid-1960s. He was among the first group of black basketball players at Tulsa...
(1968-1972) - Steve HarrisSteve Harris (basketball)Steve Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Tulsa, Harris played in 5 NBA seasons from 1985 to 1990...
(1985-1990) - James KingJim King (basketball)James Staton "Country" King is a retired American professional basketball player and former college coach.A 6'2" guard from the University of Tulsa, King was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1963 NBA Draft...
(1964-1973) - Tracy MooreTracy Moore (basketball)Tracy Lamont Moore is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. A 6'5" , 200 lb shooting guard, Moore played collegiately at the University of Tulsa...
(1992-1997) - Paul PresseyPaul PresseyPaul Matthew Pressey is an American former professional basketball player. Pressey is widely, though unofficially, credited with being the originator of the point forward position, combining the attributes of a point guard and forward...
(1983-1993) - Michael RuffinMichael RuffinMichael David Ruffin is an American professional basketball player who plays for Obradoiro CAB in Spain. At 6'8" and 248 lbs, he plays as a forward/center....
(2000-2007) - Shea SealsShea SealsShea Brandon Seals is an American professional basketball player. He played in four games with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1997-98 NBA season...
(1998) - Bingo SmithBingo SmithRobert "Bingo" Smith was a Forward/Guard for the San Diego Rockets , Cleveland Cavaliers and San Diego Clippers . He helped the Cavaliers win the 1975-76 NBA Central Division....
(1970-1980) - Ken Smith (1976)
- Ben UzohBen UzohBen Uzoh is an American professional basketball player. He played for the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane over his four year collegiate career. After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, Uzoh signed a partially guaranteed contract with the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets...
(2010-)
History
Tulsa’s basketball program was founded by W.R. Bergen in 1907, when the school still went by the name Kendall College. It went 1-1 in its first season. Following the 1908-09 season, the team went on hiatus for several years before restarting for the 1913-14 season under Harvey Allen. In 1917, the school played its first games outside the state of Oklahoma, but did not see great success until Francis SchmidtFrancis Schmidt
Francis Albert Schmidt was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa , the University of Arkansas , Texas Christian University , Ohio State University , and the University of Idaho , compiling a...
became head coach in 1918; Schmidt led the school to 16 consecutive victories in the 1919-20 season, the school record.. The team hit hard times and achieved occasional modest success until the arrival of Clarence Iba in 1949. Of special note is the 1942-1943 winless squad under Mike Milligan
Mike Milligan (basketball coach)
Walter Scott "Mike" Milligan is a former football player and head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh who also served one season as the head basketball coach at the University of Tulsa.-Playing days:...
, whose team went 0-10.
Under Iba, Tulsa reached the post-season for the first time in the 1953 NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. (In March 1921, Tulsa had been invited to the National A.A.U. tournament after an 18-1 season which widely regarded them as Oklahoma champions). In 1955, Iba led the Golden Hurricane to their first Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
title and NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearance. Joe Swank succeeded Iba in 1960. It was under Swank that the color barrier was broken in the Tulsa basketball program. Swank had some winning seasons, but the program would be without real success until the arrival of Nolan Richardson.
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
Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, commonly called Arch Madness, is an annual basketball tournament which features the men's basketball teams of each of the Missouri Valley Conference member universities. The tournament, held in St...
championships in his five season tenure. His flamboyant personality made him extremely popular; his teams adopted McFadden & Whitehead
McFadden & Whitehead
McFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"...
's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" as their theme song during the Richardson years. Richardson was succeeded by J. D. Barnett
J. D. Barnett
J.D. Barnett is a former head basketball coach at several Division I institutions, the most high-profile being Virginia Commonwealth University, where his most notable win consisted of a buzzer-beater NCAA Tournament win over Jim Calhoun's Northeastern Huskies...
, 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.
Barnett was succeeded by Tubby Smith, who went on to coach at Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and Minnesota. Smith spent four seasons at Tulsa, winning two MVC championships and leading them past the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time, to the Sweet Sixteen in both the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons. A succession of high-profile coaches came through following Smith’s departure for Georgia. Steve Robinson
Steve Robinson (basketball coach)
Steve Robinson , a native of Roanoke, Virginia, is an assistant college basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. He is the former head coach of the University of Tulsa and Florida State University...
led the team to consecutive NCAA appearances before departing for Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. Bill Self succeeded Robinson for three seasons, winning two WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
titles in the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons and leading Tulsa to its best record ever, a 32-5 record in the 1999-00 season. Tulsa advanced to the Elite Eight in the 2000 NCAA tournament
2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
as a #7 seed. Self departed for Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and was succeeded by Buzz Peterson. Peterson led the team to the 2001 NIT Championship and promptly took the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.
Following Peterson’s departure, John Phillips
John Phillips (basketball coach)
John Thomas Phillips is a former college basketball coach and current radio broadcaster for the University of Tulsa. Phillips was hired as head coach after Buzz Peterson left to take the head coaching position with the Tennessee Volunteers.-Assistant coaching career:Phillips started his assistant...
led the team to NCAA tournaments in his first two seasons and won a WAC title. However, he passed on local high school star Caleb Green
Caleb Green (basketball player)
Caleb Green is a professional basketball player, currently playing for Spirou Basket in Belgium. Previously he played for TBB Trier in Germany and Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.-College career:...
, a decision that came back to haunt him when Green signed with ORU. Phillips resigned on Christmas Day, 2004. The team finished that season 9th in the WAC, TU’s worst ever conference finish.. Doug Wojcik was hired before the 2005-06 season to revive the program. He led the team to 20 wins in both his second, third, and fourth seasons and the 2008 College Basketball Invitational
2008 College Basketball Invitational
The 2008 College Basketball Invitational was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament or the 2008 National Invitation Tournament...
championship, led by tournament MVP Jerome Jordan
Jerome Jordan
Jerome Jordan is a Jamaican professional basketball center. He currently plays for Slovenian club KK Krka.-Collegiate career:Jordan selected Tulsa over North Texas and Stetson, enrolling in the 2006–07 school year....
. Wojcik's hiring also coincided with Tulsa's decision to join Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
.
Much has been made of Tulsa’s ability to hire good coaching candidates but their inability to retain them like Gonzaga
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
has been able to. Since Barnett’s firing after the 1990-1991 season, no 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.”
Awards
Coach of the Year- Clarence Iba - 1955 - MVC
- Joe Swank - 1967 - MVC
- Ken Hayes - 1969 - MVC
- Ken Hayes - 1973 - MVC
- Nolan Richardson - 1981 - MVC
- Nolan Richardson - 1985 - MVC
- J. D. Barnett - 1987 - MVC
- Tubby Smith - 1994 - MVC
- Tubby Smith - 1995 - MVC
- Bill Self - 2000 - WAC
Player of the Year
- Bingo Smith - 1969 - MVC
- Paul Pressey - 1982 - MVC
- Gary Collier - 1994 - MVC
Defensive Player of the Year
- Michael Scott - 1989 - MVC
- Michael Scott - 1991 - MVC
- Lou Dawkins - 1994 - MVC
Freshman of the Year
- Shea Seals - 1994 - MVC
- Greg Harrington - 1999 - WAC
Post-Season
The Golden Hurricane have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances (12–14 combined record), 9 NITNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
appearances (11–7 combined record), and one CBI
College Basketball Invitational
The College Basketball Invitational is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI selects 16 teams that are not selected for the NCAA Tournament...
appearance (5–1 combined record). They are twice NIT champions, in 1981 and 2001, and were champions of their only CBI appearance in 2008.
NCAA Tournament Results
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 1955 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -West region:-National Championship:-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page.... |
Sweet Sixteen Regional Third Place Game |
Colorado SMU |
L 69–59 W 68–67 |
| 1982 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana... * |
Second Round | Houston | L 78–74 |
| 1984 1984 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1984 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 53 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1984, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Seattle, Washington. A total of... * |
Second Round | Louisville | L 69–67 |
| 1985 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began... |
First Round | UTEP | L 79–75 |
| 1986 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas... |
First Round | Navy | L 87–68 |
| 1987 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
First Round | Oklahoma | L 74–69 |
| 1994 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina... |
First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
UCLA Oklahoma State Arkansas |
W 112–102 W 82–80 L 108–84 |
| 1995 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,... |
First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
Illinois Old Dominion Massachusetts |
W 68–62 W 64–52 L 76–51 |
| 1996 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in... |
First Round | Louisville | L 82–80 OT |
| 1997 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
First Round Second Round |
Boston U Clemson |
W 81–52 L 65–59 |
| 1999 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St.... |
First Round Second Round |
College of Charleston Duke |
W 62–53 L 97–56 |
| 2000 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
First Round Second Roudn Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
UNLV Cincinnati Miami (FL) North Carolina |
W 89–62 W 69–61 W 80–71 L 59–55 |
| 2002 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia... |
First Round Second Round |
Marquette Kentucky |
W 71–69 L 87–82 |
| 2003 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
First Round Second Round |
Dayton Wisconsin |
W 84–71 L 61–60 |
- Received first round bye in 1982 & 1984
NIT Results
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 1953 National Invitation Tournament The 1953 National Invitation Tournament was the 1953 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
First Round | Duquesne | L 88–69 |
| 1967 1967 National Invitation Tournament The 1967 National Invitation Tournament was the 1967 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 14 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
First Round | Marquette | L 64–60 |
| 1969 1969 National Invitation Tournament The 1969 National Invitation Tournament was the 1969 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
First Round | Saint Peter's | L 74–71 |
| 1981 1981 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Purdue 75, West Virginia 72... |
First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship |
Texas-Pan American UTEP South Alabama West Virginia Syracuse |
W 81–71 W 76–72 W 69–68 W 89–87 W 86–84 |
| 1990 1990 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 83, New Mexico 81... |
First Round | Oklahoma State | L 83–74 |
| 1991 1991 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Colorado 98, Massachusetts 91... |
First Round | Oklahoma | L 111–86 |
| 2001 2001 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Memphis 86, Detroit 71... |
First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship |
UC Irvine Minnesota Mississippi Memphis Alabama |
W 75–71 W 73–70 W 77–75 W 72–64 W 79–66 |
| 2009 2009 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:... |
First Round Sweet Sixteen |
Northwestern Alabama |
W 68–59 L 74–55 |
| 2010 2010 National Invitation Tournament -Arizona State Bracket:-Virginia Tech Bracket:-Mississippi State Bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:*2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament... |
First Round | Kent State | L 75–74 |
CBI Results
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 College Basketball Invitational The 2008 College Basketball Invitational was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament or the 2008 National Invitation Tournament... |
First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals Game 1 Finals Game 2 Finals Game 3 |
Miami (OH) Utah Houston Bradley Bradley Bradley |
W 61–45 W 69–60 W 73–69 W 73–68 L 83–74 W 70–64 |
Conferences
Tulsa has been a member of a variety of conferences over its history. With OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
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. In 1929, the program co-founded the Big Four Conference, which lasted five seasons..
The University of Tulsa joined the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
in 1934. Tulsa remained a member of the MVC until 1996, when it joined the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
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
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
with the 2005-2006 season.
Arenas
Reynolds Center
Reynolds Center is an 8,355-seat multi-purpose arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The arena opened in 1998 and is named for Donald W. Reynolds. It is home to the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball and volleyball teams. It hosted the 2001-03 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball...
, a 8,355 capacity on-campus arena adjacent to Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. The Reynolds Center was completed in 1998. The student section is known as the Reynolds Rowdies, and efforts are made by the coaching staff through frequent e-mails to encourage attendance and creativity from the student body. Previously, the Golden Hurricane had played off-campus, using the Tulsa Convention Center
Tulsa Convention Center
The Maxwell Convention Center or Tulsa Convention Center is a 7,111-seat multi-purpose arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The civic arena was constructed in 1964 and named for Tulsa Mayor James L. Maxwell who was the driving force behind the planning and start of the venue...
from the mid 1976-77 season on. Before the Convention Center, the team played at the Expo Square Pavilion
Expo Square Pavilion
The Expo Square Pavilion, sometimes called simply The Pavilion, and formerly known as the Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion, is a 6,311-seat multi-purpose arena, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.It was built in 1932; the architect was Leland I Shumway...
from the 1947-1948 season. In the early years of the program, the team played at various area high schools and in smaller on-campus gymnasiums.
Rivals
Tulsa’s primary basketball rival is Oral RobertsOral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
, which is located in southern Tulsa. The teams began play in 1974 and currently play annually. Tulsa hired Bill Self away from Oral Roberts in 1997.
Tulsa’s other rivalries have not had the intensity as that with Oral Roberts. While in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Golden Hurricane had an extensive rivalry with Wichita State
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
; that has largely faded since Tulsa left the conference. The team has also had longstanding competitions against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. The rivalry with Arkansas was enhanced with their hiring of Nolan Richardson away from Tulsa in 1985. Tulsa had an intense rivalry with Fresno State and Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
while a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Southern Methodist
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
remains a fairly interesting rivalry, given that the two schools sometimes recruit similar players and that current Southern Methodist coach Matt Doherty was considered a front-runner for the Tulsa job prior to Doug Wojcik taking the helm; likewise, Doug Wojcik once interviewed for the Southern Methodist job.
With Tulsa’s move to Conference USA, it is hoped that a restoration of the Golden Hurricane program could form a natural rivalry with Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
and UAB for dominance in the conference.