Tulsa vs. Houston: MBB Game 23 Preview

TULSA (14-8, 6-4 American) vs. HOUSTON (16-6, 6-4 American)
Date/Time:	Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 • 2:05 p.m.
Site:	Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355)
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88) – 37-19, 2nd year Houston – Kelvin Sampson (UNC Pembroke '78) – 29-25, 2nd year
TV:	ESPNU (Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard and J.R. Rollo)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Tulsa leads, 26-22
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Houston

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

The Golden Hurricane (14-8, 6-4 American) and Cougars (16-6, 6-4 American) played just 10 days ago in Houston, with UH winning 81-66. The Hurricane has won six of its last eight games, dropping , 83-79 overtime contest at Temple Thursday, while Houston has won three in a row following a four-game skid.

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

The Series
This will be the 49th meeting between Tulsa and Houston. Tulsa leads the series, 26-22. The Cougars won 81-66 back on Jan. 27 in Houston. The Golden Hurricane previously won six in a row in the series since 2012, and has won 10 of the last 13 since 2008. TU won all three meetings last season, defeating UH, 72-54 in Tulsa, 57-44 in Houston, and 59-51 in the American Conference Tournament in Hartford, Conn. The teams played each year from 1950-51 to 1959-60 as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Tulsa won the first two meetings in 1951, 50-45 in Houston, and, 60-44 in Tulsa. TU is 14-8 all-time against UH in Tulsa, and has won the last six meetings in Tulsa.

About Houston
Houston averages 78.3 points and 39.6 rebounds per game, as well as a .459 field goal and .338 3-point percentage, while allowing 68.9 ppg, 35.3 rpg, a .415 field goal and a .288 3-point percentage. Rob Gray Jr. leads the Cougars with 17.3 points per game, while Devonta Pollard averages 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds and Damyean Dotson adds 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest.

Tulsa Statistical Leaders
James Woodard leads the Golden Hurricane with 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Shaquille Harrison averages 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, along with 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. Pat Birt adds 10.3 points, Rashad Smith scores 7.0 points, and Brandon Swannegan puts up 6.1 points. Tulsa averages 73.2 ppg, 35.4 rpg, a .435 field goal percentage, .324 3-point pct. and a .669 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 68.2 ppg, 37.5 rpg, a .409 field goal pct. and a .345 3-point pct.

Quick Hits
• Tulsa has won six of its last eight games.
• Tulsa fell at Temple, 83-79 in overtime, Thursday in Philadelphia. Shaquille Harrison recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and James Woodard tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Pat Birt led the Golden Hurricane with 22 points and five 3-pointers.
• Two Tulsa players have scored 20 points in the same game five times this season – the most since the 1993-94 team had at least two players score at least 20 points in the same game eight times.
• Through 22 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 301 assists to 244 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 22 games, the Hurricane had 238 assists-254 turnovers–0.9 ratio.
• James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison make up the top scoring duo in the American Athletic Conference, averaging a combined 31.6 points per game and 42 percent of the team's total points.
• Tulsa is 8-3 at home this season.
• Rashad Ray has a 3.4 assist-turnover ratio this season (48 assists to 14 turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.9 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.5 ratio over his last three years (231 assists to 94 turnovers).
• Harrison ranks 32^nd in the nation in steals (2.0 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 1,746 points, and tied for fourth with 240 career 3-pointers. He is tied with Marcus Hill (1997-01), and with eight threes, he can match Scottie Haralson (2010-13) for third place (248).
     Harrison ranks third at TU with 228 career steals, and fourth with 415 career assists. He needs 43 steals to match Steve Harris (1981-85) for second place (271), and 10 assists to match Ben Uzoh (2006-10) for third place (425).
     Brandon Swannegan has 138 career blocks, ranking fourth in TU history. He needs 113 blocks to match Kevin Johnson (1999-03) for third place.

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Tulsa vs. Houston: MBB Game 23 Preview

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Players Mentioned

Pat Birt

Shaquille Harrison

Rashad Ray

Rashad Smith

Brandon Swannegan

James Woodard