TU MBB Preview: The Road To Connecticut

The Golden Hurricane returns to action Thursday night in Connecticut for an American Athletic showdown with UConn at 6:00 p.m.

Due to an upsetting loss to SMU Saturday, Tulsa is currently 17-6 overall and 10-1 in the AAC. TU fell 68-57 to the No. 23 ranked Mustangs, but has won 12 of its last 13 games and is 9-3 on the road this season.

The loss broke Tulsa's 12-game win streak, and blemished its perfect conference record. James Woodard led TU with 15 points, all from three-pointers. Shaquille Harrison added ten points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals. D'Andre Wright also added to the mix, putting up ten points and grabbing six rebounds.

As of now, UConn is 13-9 overall and 6-4 in the league. The team is on a 2-game win streak and is 8-3 at home.

The Huskies average 65.7 points an outing, shooting .448 from the field and 36 percent from the arc.

Ryan Boatright leads Connecticut in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game. He also contributes 4.5 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists. His main help usually comes from Daniel Hamilton, who averages ten points per game and leads the team in rebounding.

TU averages 66.4 points per game, with a field goal percentage of .422 and a three-point percentage of .318. Tulsa only allows opponents an average of 60.8 points, and a .398 field goal percentage and a .334 3-point percentage.

Tulsa ranks third in the AAC in scoring defense with 57.9 points per game, and second in rebounds with 37.5.

Woodard is the third leading scorer in the league, averaging 15.1 points per game and 2.6 three-pointers made per game. He is also ranked 20 on Tulsa's career scoring list, with 1,254 points in 34 (career) games.

Harrison ranks first in league steals, with an average of 2.2 per game. At TU, he ranks ninth in steals with 161.

The upcoming matchup will be the third meeting between the two teams, both holding a win apiece. The Golden Hurricane holds the most recent win. The team defeated UConn 66-58 at home this past January, while the last time UConn seized victory over TU was back in 1978, when the team won 89-68 in New Haven Connecticut.

The national defending champs will be a tough road game for the league leading Golden Hurricane. "Each individual's strengths and weaknesses are always in play. Teams sometimes play better as the season progresses, and I think Connecticut's playing better," said TU head coach Frank Haith. "They're on a winning streak right now. Obviously they've got one of the best guards in our league in Boatright, but their front line is very long and lengthy. We have to do a better job of dealing with that, and bringing those guys away from the basket."

Road Kill: The Golden Hurricane and Away Games

Tulsa has won seven consecutive road games this year, including six conference games. This is only the second time TU has ever won seven straight road matches in a single season.