Golden Hurricane Hit The Road To Face Tulane

The Coaches

Tulsa: Frank Haith (Elon ’88)

Career Record: 237-146 (12th year) Record at Tulsa: 32-17 (second year)

Tulane: Ed Conroy (The Citadel, ‘89)

Career Record: 170-214 (13th year)  Record at Tulane: 87-90 (6th year)

The Series

This will be the 20th meeting between Tulsa and Tulane. Tulsa leads the series, 14-5. The Golden Hurricane has won five in a row in the series, including both meetings last season. In 2014-15, TU won, 62-55 in New Orleans, and 76-55 in Tulsa. The last Green Wave win was 75-72 in New Orleans in 2013. The Hurricane has won 10 of the last 11 meetings, including five straight from 2010-12. Tulane won three in a row from 2007-09, including a pair of overtime games in 2008 (67-65 in Tulsa) and 2009 (76-75 in New Orleans). The teams have played six games in New Orleans since 2006, decided by an average of 3.3 points. Tulsa is 4-3 all-time against Tulane in New Orleans.

About Tulane

Tulane averages 66.2 points and 39.4 rebounds per game, as well as a .417 field goal and .303 3-point percentage while allowing 66.8 ppg, 36.2 rpg, a .399 field goal and a .331 3-point percentage. Louis Dabney leads the Green Wave with 12.9 points per game while Malik Morgan averages 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Dylan Osetkowski adds 9.9 points and leads the team with 8.8 rebounds per contest.

Tulsa Statistical Leaders

Shaquille Harrison leads the Golden Hurricane with 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game. James Woodard averages 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 3-pointers per game. Pat Birt adds 7.7 points, and Marquel Curtis puts up 7.2 points and 2.5 assists per outing. Tulsa averages 73.5 ppg, 34.9 rpg, a .441 field goal percentage, .319 3-point pct. and a .667 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 69.4 ppg, 36.1 rpg, a .415 field goal pct. and a .373 3-point pct.

Quick Hits

• Tulsa is looking to get to .500 in conference play after picking up a 55-43 win over East Carolina on Tuesday. Tulane is looking for its first league win of the season.

• Tulsa defeated East Carolina, 55-43, on Tuesday. Rashad Smith led the Golden Hurricane with 20 points, nine rebounds, 10-13 FG’s, two assists, a block and a steal, while Rashad Ray added 11 points.

• Through 15 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 206 assists to 173 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 15 games, the Hurricane had 159 assists-188 turnovers–0.8 ratio.

•  Tulsa is 2-1 on the road this season.

•  Against East Carolina, the Hurricane held its opponent to fewer than 50 points for the first time this season and the seventh time under head coach Frank Haith.

•  Harrison ranks seventh in the NCAA in getting to the free throw line. He has 128 attempts and ranks 25th in made free throws (82). Harrison also ranks 39th in the nation in steals (2.1 spg).

•  Rashad Ray has a 4.5 assist-turnover ratio this season (36 assists to eight turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.5 ratio over his last three years (219 assists to 88 turnovers).

•  The Hurricane has scored 90 points in four games so far this season. It is the most 90-point games since 2013-14, when Tulsa scored 90 points five times and is the second-most since 2000-01.

•  Harrison is on the 2016 Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List, from the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

•  Harrison has been nominated for the Allstate NABC Good Works Team, which recognizes players at all levels of college basketball who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement.

•  TU nabbed the first two American Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards of the season. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16, and Harrison received the honor on Nov. 23.

•  Tulsa is playing this season with nine seniors – the most seniors on one roster in the country.

•  Tulsa is in its second year season under the direction of head coach Frank Haith. In his first season, the Hurricane posted a 23-11 overall record and a 14-4 conference record. TU finished second in the American Athletic Conference regular season, played in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and reached the second round of the postseason NIT.

Tulsa Career Top-10 Rankings

James Woodard ranks fifth in TU career scoring with 1,627 points, and sixth with 222 career 3-pointers. He needs five threes to match Justin Hurtt (2007-11) for fifth place, and 196 points to match Tracy Moore (1984-88) for fourth place. Harrison ranks fourth at TU with 215 career steals, and fifth with 376 career assists. He needs seven steals to match Shea Seals (1993-97) for third place, and 12 assists to match Seals for fourth place. Brandon Swannegan has 133 career blocks, ranking fifth in TU history. He needs three blocks to match Eric Coley (1996-00) for fourth place.