Tulsa vs. UCF Sunday: MBB Game 19 Preview

TULSA (12-6, 4-2 American) vs. UCF (10-6, 4-1 American)
Date/Time:	Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 • 2:05 p.m.
Site:	Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355)
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88) – 35-17, 2nd year UCF – Donnie Jones (Pikeville '88) – 77-76, 6th year
TV:	American Sports Network/ESPN 3.com (Ron Thulin and Ben Braun)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard and J.V. Haney)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Tulsa leads, 9-6
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| UCF

TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa men's basketball team plays host to UCF in a big American Athletic Conference matchup at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

The Golden Hurricane is 12-6 overall and 4-2 in The American, while the Knights are 10-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play and second place in the league standings. The Hurricane has won four games in a row, and UCF has won two in a row and four of their last five contests.

The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on the American Sports Network and ESPN3.

The Series
This will be the 16th meeting between Tulsa and UCF. Tulsa leads the series, 9-6. The teams have split each of the last four meetings since 2011. The Hurricane won, 56-54, in Orlando last year, and won the last meeting in Tulsa, 66-61 in 2012. The last UCF win in the series was 83-75 in Orlando in 2013. TU won three in a row over the Knights between 2009-10. The Hurricane is 7-0 all-time against UCF in Tulsa, including 5-0 since 2007 with an average margin of 10.8 points.

About UCF
UCF averages 75.6 points and 40.3 rebounds per game, as well as a .466 field goal and .339 3-point percentage, while allowing 71.1 ppg, 35.1 rpg, a .405 field goal and a .309 3-point percentage. A.J. Davis leads the team with 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, adding 3.4 assists, while Adonys Henriquez averages 10.9 points and 1.9 3-pointers per game. Shaheed Davis and Tacko Fall average 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds, and 8.0 points and 5.1 rebounds, respectively.

Tulsa Statistical Leaders
Shaquille Harrison leads the Golden Hurricane with 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, scoring 16.1 points, while James Woodard leads the team with a 16.8 ppg average. He adds 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 3-pointers per game. Pat Birt adds 9.3 points, Rashad Smith scores 7.5 points, and Marquel Curtis puts up 6.5 points and 2.4 assists per outing. Tulsa averages 73.8 ppg, 34.2 rpg, a .448 field goal percentage, .346 3-point pct. and a .662 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 68.2 ppg, 36.5 rpg, a .410 field goal pct. and a .351 3-point pct.

Quick Hits
• Tulsa has won four games in a row, defeating East Carolina, 55-43, Tulane, 81-67, UConn, 60-51, and East Carolina, 84-69.
• Tulsa defeated East Carolina, 84-69, on Tuesday in Greenville. The Golden Hurricane made 14 3-pointers, led by 22 points and four threes from James Woodard and 20 points and six treys from Pat Birt. Shaquille Harrison tallied 10 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
• Tulsa's four-game win streak matches its longest of the season. TU started the season 4-0.
• Over the course of its four-game winning streak, Tulsa has allowed opponents just 57.5 points per game and a .363 field goal percentage and .245 3-point percentage – 10.7 points below its defensive scoring average for the season.
• James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison make up the top scoring duo in the American Athletic Conference, averaging a combined 31.9 points per game and 43 percent of the team's total points.
• Through 18 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 251 assists to 200 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 18 games, the Hurricane had 190 assists-213 turnovers–0.9 ratio.
• Tulsa has had two players score 20 points in the same game four times this season – James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison each did so twice, and Woodard and Pat Birt paired up to score 20 points apiece on two occasions. This is the first time since 2001-02 that TU has had four games in a season in which two players have scored at least 20 points in the same game
• Tulsa is 6-3 at home this season.
• Rashad Ray has a 3.5 assist-turnover ratio this season (42 assists to 12 turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.4 ratio over his last three years (225 assists to 92 turnovers).
• Harrison ranks 28^th in the nation in steals (2.1 spg).
• 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 1,690 points, and fifth with 235 career 3-pointers. He needs five threes to match Marcus Hill (1997-01) for fourth place, and needs 133 points to match Tracy Moore (1984-88) for fourth place.
     Harrison ranks tied for third at TU with 222 career steals, and fourth with 396 career assists. He needs 49 steals to match Steve Harris (1981-85) for second place (271), and 29 assists to match Ben Uzoh (2006-10) for third place (425).
     Brandon Swannegan has 134 career blocks, ranking fifth in TU history. He needs two blocks to match Eric Coley (1996-00) for fourth place.

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Tulsa vs. UCF Sunday: MBB Game 19 Preview

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Players Mentioned

Pat Birt

Marquel Curtis

Shaquille Harrison

Rashad Ray

Rashad Smith

Brandon Swannegan

James Woodard