ORU Counting On Experience

Oral Roberts is hoping that playing a tough nonconference schedule will take the Golden Eagles deep into the NCAA tournament.<br/> <br/>They have played Arkansas, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Brigham Young,

Wednesday, March 14th 2007, 10:16 pm

By: News On 6

Oral Roberts is hoping that playing a tough nonconference schedule will take the Golden Eagles deep into the NCAA tournament.

They have played Arkansas, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Brigham Young, and Kansas. Oral Roberts is ready to use that experience against Washington State in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday.

"We thought a tough schedule would help us in the postseason," Oral Roberts senior Ken Tutt said. "The younger guys have now been in games with a tough atmosphere. Beating Kansas has given us the confidence that we know we can beat anybody when we play our
game."

Oral Roberts upset then No. 3 Kansas 78-71 on Nov. 15 in Lawrence. The Golden Eagles failed to do the same at Georgetown losing 73-53 and Arkansas 68-56 though the experience served as an added incentive going into the Mid-Continent Conference. The
Golden Eagles were 7-6 before conference play and finished with a 23-10 overall record.

"I like to play the best because that is how you become the best," senior forward Caleb Green said. "When we got through with our nonconference schedule we knew we wouldn't see any teams that were better than what we had already faced."