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Tulsa Announces 2004-05 Men's Basketball Schedule
7/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 27, 2004
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Tulsa, Oklahoma - The University of Tulsa men's basketball schedule features area schools -- Arkansas, Oral Roberts and Oklahoma -- and six home games against teams that advanced to either the NCAA or NIT post-season tournaments last year, it was announced today by Head Coach John Phillips.
The Hurricane open the season with a Preseason NIT home game against Wright State on November 16. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Arizona-San Diego contest on Nov. 18. The site of that second game is to be determined.
The NIT semifinals and finals are scheduled for Nov. 24 and 26 at Madison Square Gardens in New York City.
This year, Tulsa hosts NCAA participants Nevada and UTEP, and NIT teams of Wichita State, Boise State, Rice and Hawaii. The Hurricane will play another NCAA participant, Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, and may get another chance against a 2004 NCAA participant in a second round preseason NIT contest should Tulsa and Arizona both advance.
"We're looking forward to getting back on the court and playing the type of basketball our fans are used to seeing," said Phillips. "The Preseason NIT gives us an early start against quality competition and that continues with a very good non-conference schedule. The Western Athletic Conference should produce another year of high-caliber teams and a competitive league race."
Five WAC teams posted 20 or more victories last year and only one loss separated four teams from the regular season title.
Tulsa will host Northwestern State from Louisiana on Nov. 21. The Hurricane opened the 2003-04 campaign with a 78-49 win against the Demons. Tulsa travels across the border to the state of Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Nov. 30. Tulsa looks to avenge an 81-74 home loss from a year ago. The last time Tulsa played at Bud Walton Arena, the Hurricane came away with a 61-60 victory in the 2002-03 season. The Razorbacks hold an overall 33-25 game edge in the series, including a 19-9 mark at home.
After that trip across the state line, Tulsa returns home to the Donald W. Reynolds Center for a four-game home stand before the holiday season. Tulsa will face cross-town rival Oral Roberts on Dec. 5, looking to extend a 13-game home winning streak against the Golden Eagles, and avenge an 87-81 loss last year at the ORU Mabee Center.
A week later, Tulsa hosts Prairie View A&M on Dec. 12, and after another week off hosts longtime rival Wichita State on Dec. 18. This contest will make the Tulsa-WSU series the longest in Tulsa basketball history. Currently, the Hurricane has faced both Drake and Wichita State 118 times. Tulsa leads the series 60-58, but Wichita State snapped a 13-game losing streak against the Hurricane last year with a 66-58 win in Wichita.
An old friend of the state of Oklahoma visits Tulsa with his Lamar basketball team on Dec. 22. Billy Tubbs returns to Tulsa as the head coach of the Lamar Cardinals for the final Hurricane game before Christmas Day.
Three days later, Tulsa travels to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City on Dec. 28 to square off against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader in the Touchstone Energy All-College Classic. The second game pits Oklahoma State against Gonzaga. Tulsa dropped an 81-73 decision against the #14-ranked Sooners last year in Norman. OU holds a 23-11 advantage in the series.
Tulsa will tip-off the Western Athletic Conference season before the New Year at home against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 31. The Hurricane and Bulldogs split last year's meetings, both winning on their own home court. Tulsa captured an 80-70 win over Tech in the season home finale. The series is tied at four games apiece.
The Hurricane will seek revenge against the SMU Mustangs to kick off the new year with a home game on Jan. 2. Tulsa dropped three games against the Mustangs a year ago, but still holds a 17-9 series edge.
After opening the WAC season at home, Tulsa takes off for four straight road games including one non-conference match-up. The Hurricane opens the WAC road campaign at Boise State on Jan. 6. In the two games last year, Tulsa won a 58-57 thriller at home on a game-winning shot by Charles Ramsdell, but dropped the road game in Boise.
From there, it's off to El Paso, Texas, where Tulsa faces the 2004 surprise team of the WAC, UTEP, two days later on Jan. 8. The Hurricane will travel across the western state border of Texas for a non-conference game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, New Mexico (Jan. 10). Tulsa dropped two games to UTEP last year, but defeated New Mexico State at home, 78-66. The Hurricane leads both series, including 19-7 against UTEP and 20-16 against the Aggies.
Tulsa closes out its four-game road swing at Rice on Jan. 15. Tulsa leads the series 13-4 against the Owls as the two teams split last year's meetings.
The Hurricane returns home for two games as defending WAC Champion Nevada (Jan. 20) and Fresno State (Jan. 22) come to town. Both teams swept the season series against Tulsa last year. Tulsa still leads the series against Nevada, 7-3, while Fresno State has a series advantage of 10-5.
Tulsa closes out the month of January with a two-game road swing that takes the Hurricane to northern California and the islands of Hawaii. Tulsa looks to continue its stronghold in the series against San Jose State on Jan. 27. Tulsa leads the series against the Spartans 17-1 after winning both games last year.
From there, it's off to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Tulsa faces Hawaii on Jan. 29. The Rainbow Warriors took the lead in the series last year, 10-8, by winning both games.
Tulsa returns home for a three-game home stand as the Hurricane begin the second round of games against WAC foes. UTEP visits the Reynolds Center on Feb. 3, followed by Boise State (Feb. 5) and Rice (Feb. 12).
A trip to Fresno State (Feb. 16) comes up for the Hurricane before a break in the conference schedule. Tulsa will play a home game as part of ESPN's "Bracket Buster Saturday" on Feb. 19. The opponent will be announced at a later date.
Tulsa travels to Reno, Nevada, to take on the Wolf Pack on Feb. 21. The Hurricane will close out the home portion of the schedule against Hawaii (Feb. 25) and San Jose State (Feb. 27). Tulsa finishes the regular season with road contests at SMU (Mar. 3) and Louisiana Tech (Mar. 5).
The Western Athletic Conference Tournament will be held in Reno, Nevada, on the campus of defending WAC Champion Nevada, March 8-12.
Tulsa will hold its annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 2:05 p.m., and will play two exhibition contests before opening the regular season. In the exhibitions, Tulsa will face a World Wide Foreign team on Nov. 7, and then host Cameron University on Nov, 11.
