Tulsa to Open American Athletic Conference Play at Home Dec. 31 vs. UConn

2016-17 Tulsa Men's Basketball Schedule

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa's 2016-17 basketball schedule is now complete with the release of the 18-game American Athletic Conference schedule today.

TU's league slate, which includes nine home games, begins with a Dec. 31 date against UConn at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. The Hurricane will face UConn only at home and Temple only on the road, while playing home-and-away contests against SMU, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, East Carolina, Tulane, UCF and USF. Once again, all 18 of Tulsa's conference games will be televised on an ESPN network or by CBS Sports Network.

The schedule features three Saturday home games, including UConn, UCF and SMU, while a stretch of three straight home contests from Jan. 28-Feb. 4 is comprised of UCF, Cincinnati and SMU. TU will also play USF and East Carolina back-to-back at home in late February. Tulsa will play three sets of two-game road swings, including two games in four days at SMU and Tulane to end the season.

To open conference play, Tulsa will face four of the top seven teams from last season, with contests against UConn, at Houston, Memphis and at defending league champion Temple.

"The American is a tremendous conference," Tulsa Head Coach Frank Haith said. "You look at last year's NCAA Tournament and we were among the leaders in college basketball for NCAA bids received. The coaching and talent in The American makes it one of the best in college basketball and the depth of our league schedule illustrates that perfectly. From our conference opener on New Years Eve, all the way through March, we are going to be playing some meaningful basketball games on national TV night in and night out."

The New Year's Eve meeting against UConn, slated for 1 p.m. will be the seventh contest all-time between the schools. The Hurricane has two wins in the series, both at home, and nearly erased a 20-point second half deficit at Gampel Pavilion last season.

Tulsa travels to Houston for a Jan. 4 game against the Cougars, which tied with Tulsa for third place in the conference standings last year at 12-6. The Hurricane, which leads the series, 27-22, and has won seven of the last eight meetings, will face Houston at home on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Former TU head coach Tubby Smith will return to Tulsa for the first time as a visiting coach when he brings Memphis to the Reynolds Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Since joining the American Athletic Conference, the series is tied, 2-2. The Hurricane won twice in 2014-15, and the Tigers won both meetings last season.

Tulsa will make the trip to Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 14 to take on reigning conference champion Temple. The Hurricane leads the series, 5-1, and has won three of the four meetings in the last two years. Temple's lone win in the series was in Philadelphia last season.

Tulane visits Tulsa on Wednesday, Jan. 18, and the Hurricane returns the trip to New Orleans on Sunday, March 5 to close out the season. Tulsa leads the all-time series, 16-5, and has won seven meetings in a row.

The Hurricane travels to Tampa for just the second time, to face USF on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tulsa has won all three meetings, including an 84-74 home victory to close out the regular season last year. The Bulls return to the Reynolds Center on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Tulsa plays its first set of back-to-back road games, following the USF contest with a trip to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The Hurricane, which leads the series, 15-2, will host the Pirates on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

TU plays three straight games within the friendly confines of the Reynolds Center, beginning Jan. 28 against UCF. Tulsa has won three meetings in a row, and leads the series, 11-6. The Hurricane travels to Orlando on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Tulsa welcomes Cincinnati on Wednesday, Feb. 1. TU claimed a rousing, 70-68 overtime victory over the Bearcats at the Reynolds Center last season. The Hurricane will travel to UC on Saturday, Feb. 18, as part of the two-game road swing with UCF. TU plays UCF and Cincinnati in consecutive games both at home and on the road.

The Golden Hurricane concludes its three-game homestand against SMU on Saturday, Feb. 4. Tulsa leads the series, 31-17, after an 82-77 win on the road last year, though the Mustangs have won four of six meetings since 2013. TU plays SMU in Dallas on Thursday, March 2, before concluding the regular season at Tulane on March 5.

The American Athletic Conference Championship returns to Hartford, Conn., this season, and will take place March 9-12 at the XL Center.

Tipoff times and television networks were also announced for Tulsa's non-conference home games against Oregon State and Oklahoma State. TU's game against Oregon State on Tuesday, Nov. 22 will begin at 8 p.m., and be televised on ESPNews, while the contest against in-state rival Oklahoma State on Saturday, Dec. 10 will tip at 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

"I am excited about this year's team," Haith said. "We have a young group, but it's a group that loves to work and get better daily. They fit how we want to play. They fit our identity of being blue collar, playing fast and playing with passion. This is a group our alumni, fanbase, and city will really enjoy getting to watch grow."

Season tickets for the 17-game home schedule are on sale NOW! Tickets start as low as $210. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the TU Athletics Ticket Office in the Donald W. Reynolds Center, or by calling 918-631-GoTU (4688).

Follow Tulsa Men's Basketball on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TUMBasketball and Instagram at TulsaMBasketball. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane. For all news and information about Tulsa Basketball, go to www.TulsaHurricane.com.

Tulsa to Open American Athletic Conference Play at Home Dec. 31 vs. UConn

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