.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Saturday, January 20
Reynolds Center
7 PM
University of Tulsa
vs
Memphis
Photo by: John Lew
Tulsa to Host Memphis on Legends Day this Saturday
1/18/2018 3:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| GAME #20: TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (10-9, 3-4) vs. MEMPHIS TIGERS (13-6, 4-2) | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time: | Saturday • Jan. 20 • 7 p.m. |
| Site: | Reynolds Center (8,355) • Tulsa, Okla. |
| Coaches: | Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88), 4th year Memphis – Tubby Smith (High Point '73), 2nd year |
| TV: | ESPNU (Taylor Zazour and Dino Gaudio) |
| Radio: | Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard) |
| Live Stats: | Live Stats |
| Series: | Memphis leads, 27-16 |
| Twitter: | @TUMBasketball | @TulsaHurricane |
| Instagram: | TulsaMBasketball |
| Game Notes: | Tulsa | Memphis |
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa men's basketball team will return home for a 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Jan. 20 when it will host Memphis on Legends Day at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. All past TU men's basketball lettermen in attendance will be recognized during the game.
The Golden Hurricane (10-9, 3-4) is coming off a slim 59-58 setback on Wednesday night at Temple despite 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds from Junior Etou. The senior forward is averaging a team-leading 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. His 9.0 rpg during conference play ranks second in the circuit.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (13-6, 4-2) have won their last four games after an 0-2 start to conference play and will enter Saturday's matchup tied with Houston for third in the league standings. Guard Jeremiah Martin leads Memphis at 18.6 points, which ranks second in the league, and 4.1 assists per game. Martin is averaging 19.7 ppg (2nd in The American) during conference action.
Memphis leads the all-time series, 27-16, but TU won last season's matchup in Tulsa behind 23 points from Etou and another 17 by Sterling Taplin.
Fast Break Points
• Tulsa is in its 107th season of basketball and fourth season in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa's tough January stretch continues at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, when it will host Memphis on Legends Day at the Reynolds Center. All past TU men's basketball lettermen in attendance will be recognized during the game.
• Memphis is led by former TU coach Tubby Smith (1991-95), while Tigers assistant Alvin "Pooh" Williamson played under Smith at TU from 1991-95.
• All seven of Tulsa's games during January are against opponents currently ranked in the top-100 of the RPI.
• Memphis leads the all-time series against Tulsa, 27-16, including a 10-7 mark in Tulsa. The Tigers rallied to claim the previous meeting this season, 76-67, on Jan. 6 in Memphis.
• Tulsa is coming off a 59-58 setback at Temple on Wednesday night. Junior Etou recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the loss.
• Junior Etou leads the team at 15.7 ppg and 7.4 rpg and those marks rank eighth and third in The American, respectively. He is averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in three career games against Memphis.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last six games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.7 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 13th in the league.
• After posting a -4.5 rebound margin through its first six games, TU has recorded a +5.5 rebound margin since. TU has outrebounded its opponent by double digits four times during that stretch.
• TU has notched 37 league wins since joining The American, which ranks third behind only SMU (48) and Cincinnati (46) during that span (2014-present).
• Tulsa was picked to finish eighth in The American Preseason Poll. TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in all three previous seasons under head coach Frank Haith.
Notes
The Game
• Tulsa will continue American Athletic Conference play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, when it will host Memphis on Legends Day at the Reynolds Center.
• Saturday's game can be seen on ESPNU, while fans in the Tulsa area can tune to Big Country 99.5 FM with Bruce Howard calling the action. Live audio from the game also can be found on tulsahurricane.com or by using the TuneIn app.
The Series
• Saturday's game will mark the 44th all-time meeting between Tulsa and Memphis. The Tigers lead the series 27-16, including a 10-7 mark in Tulsa.
• Tulsa won the first 11 meetings against Memphis (1964-71) and the teams split a pair of games last season. The Tigers defeated TU, 76-67, on Jan. 6 at FedExForum.
• TU took last year's meeting at the Reynolds Center, 81-71, behind 23 points from Junior Etou and another 17 points by Sterling Taplin.
• The programs were members of the Missouri Valley Conference together from 1968-73.
Scouting the Tigers
• Memphis has won its last four games after an 0-2 start to conference play and the Tigers will enter Saturday's matchup tied with Houston for third in the league standings.
• Picked to finish ninth in The American preseason poll, the squad returns four letterwinners and a pair of starters from last year's team that went 19-13 overall and finished fifth in the league with a 9-9 mark.
• Guard Jeremiah Martin leads the Tigers at 18.6 points, which ranks second in the league, and 4.1 assists per game. Martin is averaging 19.7 ppg (2nd in The American) during conference action.
• Memphis has received a boost inside from Mike Parks Jr., who is averaging 13.2 ppg in conference play after averaging just 3.8 ppg in non-conference action.
• The Tigers are averaging 80.0 ppg during their four-game winning streak.
Last Meeting
• Martins Igbanu scored 17 points, but Memphis went on a 25-5 run in the second half to pull away for a 76-67 win over Tulsa on Jan. 6 at FedExForum. Junior Etou added a dozen points for TU.
• TU went on a 14-2 run in th first half to take control and the visitors led 33-32 at halftime.
• The Hurricane would lead by as much as 55-47 with 11:18 to play, but the Tigers responded with their game-deciding 25-5 run to take the lead for good.
• It is the only TU loss this season when leading at halftime.
Last Time Out
• Junior Etou recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, but Temple outscored Tulsa 7-2 in the final three minutes to slip past the Golden Hurricane, 59-58, on Wednesday night at Liacouras Center.
• Martins Igbanu also neared a double-double with 12 points and eight boards, while Sterling Taplin added 11 points and Lawson Korita chipped in with 10 points.
• TU led 58-54 with 2:33 left on Korita's offensive rebound and putback, but the Owls scored the next five points to take the lead. Tulsa had one last chance with 3.3 seconds remaining, but an inbounds pass got away from the Hurricane as time expired.
TU-Memphis Connection
• Tulsa fans will see a few familiar faces on the Memphis bench in Saturday's matchup against the Tigers, who are led by former TU head coach Tubby Smith.
• Smith coached the Hurricane for four seasons (1991-95) and compiled a 79-43 record. In his final two seasons, he led the Hurricane to Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles and appearances in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
• Memphis assistant coach Alvin "Pooh" Williamson was the first signee for Smith at TU and he played for the Hurricane from 1991-95 as a key member of those MVC title and Sweet Sixteen teams.
• Williamson returned to TU as an assistant coach in 2001 and was the program's interim head coach for 22 games during the 2004-05 season.
The Schedule
• Saturday's game continues a tough January stretch for Tulsa. All seven of its opponents during the month are teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, with four matchups against top-100 teams coming on the road.
• TU already has faced Wichita State (28), Temple (50), Houston (56), Memphis (83) and UConn (93) in January.
• After facing the Tigers again on Saturday in Tulsa, TU will close the month on the road at No. 4/7 Wichita State (28) on Jan. 28.
• Tulsa has a pair of wins against teams in the RPI top-100: Kansas State (73) and UConn (93).
Tulsa 3 Party
• Tulsa hit a then-American Athletic Conference record 17 3-pointers in its Jan. 3 double-overtime win over UConn. The total was just one shy of the program's record, set against North Texas on Dec. 8, 1998.
• Other than its program-record 18 triples in 1998, TU had last hit 15 3-pointers against Jackson State on Dec. 17, 2009.
• TU also set conference and team records for 3-pointers attempted, with 41 on the night.
• Corey Henderson Jr. hit eight 3-pointers, which ties for the second-most in a single game in program history. James Woodard went 10-of-16 from deep against SMU on March 8, 2015, for the program record, while Jason Parker also hit eight treys against Wichita State on Dec. 4, 2002.
• Henderson became the sixth player in American Athletic Conference history to hit at least eight 3-pointers in a game and the first to do it since UCF's Matt Williams hit a league-record 11 on Jan. 17, 2017.
Trending
• Junior Etou ranks 32nd in the nation with 126 free-throw attempts this season and 57th in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.6) via kenpom.com. Etou has attempted at least 10 free throws four times this season.
• After averaging 1.6 ppg in his first five games, Corey Henderson Jr. is averaging 11.4 ppg in his last 14 contests and 11.1 ppg during conference play.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last six games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.7 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 13th in the league.
• TU is 51-7 under head coach Frank Haith when leading at halftime, including a 9-1 mark this season.
Crashing The Boards
• After being outrebounded in five of its first six games with a rebound margin of -4.5 rpg, Tulsa has crashed the glass and outrebounded its opponents by a combined 531-460 (40.8-35.4; +5.4 rpg) in its last 13 contests.
• TU has outrebounded four opponents (UTSA, Illinois State, Kansas State, Tulane) during that stretch by double-digits, including three games (UTSA, Illinois State, Tulane) with at least a +20 rebound margin.
• During that stretch, Junior Etou has led the way by averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, including a career-high 15 boards against Temple (Jan. 17). Martins Igbanu also has helped crash the glass at 6.4 rpg.
• The Hurricane is 8-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
Free Fallin'
• The Hurricane lead the league and rank 29th in the nation with 447 free throws attempted, while it is connecting at a 71.6-percent mark at the charity stripe to rank sixth in The American.
• TU has shot more free throws than its opponent 15 times this season and own a 9-6 record in those games.
• Junior Etou ranks second in the conference and 32nd in the nation with 126 free throws attempted. His 90 makes at the charity stripe also rank second in the league and 53rd in the nation.
• Martins Igbanu has attempted 39 free throws over the last five games, connecting on 31 for a 79.5-percent mark in that span. His 59 makes at the charity stripe rank second on the team and he is shooting 73.8-percent on the year.
TU To Participate In Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge
• Making 3-point shots this basketball season takes on even more meaning this year for head coach Frank Haith and The University of Tulsa men's basketball team. The Golden Hurricane will square off against teams across the nation to fight cancer as part of the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge.
• Fans can pledge a donation for each 3-point shot that TU makes over the final 16 games of the regular-season (Jan. 3-March 4) to support American Cancer Society research, education and patient programs at:
pledgeit.org/cvc18-tulsa. Fans also have the option of a fixed donation and Haith started the Golden Hurricane campaign with a contribution of $500.
•So far, Tulsa has made 50 3-pointers in five games during the challenge, which started with a then-conference record 17 triples against UConn (Jan. 3).
Haith In His Fourth Season at TU
• Head coach Frank Haith is in his fourth season at Tulsa, where he has compiled a 68-49 record and made a pair of postseason appearances during his tenure. Overall, he has an on-court record of 273-178 in his 14th season.
• Haith has led the Golden Hurricane to a pair of 20-win seasons and postseason appearances (2015 NCAA Tournament, 2016 NIT) during his first three seasons.
• With a win over No. 9 Wichita State in 2015-16, he led TU to its first win over a top-10 squad since 2000. Later that season, TU won at No. 16 SMU for its first road win against a top-16 program since 1981.
Haith in Exclusive Coaching Company
• Head coach Frank Haith is the only active Division I coach to take teams in four of the Power 6 conferences to the NCAA Tournament. Haith guided Tulsa (The American) to the Big Dance in 2015, Missouri (SEC) in 2013, Missouri (Big 12) in 2012 and Miami (ACC) in 2008.
• In addition, Haith is one of just 20 active coaches that have taken at least three different teams to the NCAA Tournament.
• Haith will face three other coaches on that list this season when TU matches up against Tubby Smith (Memphis), Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Bruce Weber (Kansas State).
Tulsa's Success in The American
• Since joining the American Athletic Conference prior to the 2014-15 season, the Golden Hurricane has posted 37 league wins, which is the third-most in the circuit.
• Only SMU (48 wins) and Cincinnati (46 wins) have earned more victories than Tulsa's 37, which tops UConn (33) and Memphis (31) along with six other conference programs.
• TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in each of Haith's three seasons. The Golden Hurricane was picked to finish eighth in the conference prior to the 2017-18 season.
Etou Named Preseason Second-Team American Athletic Conference
• Senior forward Junior Etou was named preseason second-team American Athletic Conference in a vote by the league's head coaches.
• Last season, Etou led the Golden Hurricane in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg) and was the only player to start all 32 games. He was even better in conference play as he averaged 13.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg.
• So far in 2017-18, Etou leads the Hurricane in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). Those marks rank eighth and third in the conference, respectively.
• Etou has scored in double-figures 17 times, including six games of at least 20 points.
Look Who's Back
• Tulsa returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, and 72-percent of its offense from last season's team.
• Returning starters include senior forward Junior Etou (32 starts), sophomore forward Martins Igbanu (17), junior guard Sterling Taplin (30) and senior guard Jaleel Wheeler (29).
• Other returners include junior forward Geno Artison, senior guard Corey Henderson Jr., sophomore guard Lawson Korita and junior forward Alex Foree.
• In all, Tulsa returns 68.8-percent of its minutes, 66.9-percent of its rebounding, 79.8-percent of its assists and 65.5-percent of its steals.
New Faces
• Along with the eight returning letterwinners, Tulsa has five newcomers, four of which made their debut in the season opener against Lamar.
• The newcomers eligible for 2017-18 are sophomore guard Curran Scott, junior guard/forward DaQuan Jeffries, freshman guard Darien Jackson and freshman guard Elijah Joiner. Sophomore forward Jeriah Horne will sit out the season after transferring from Nebraska.
• Scott redshirted the 2016-17 season after transferring from Charlotte, where he averaged 10.3 ppg as a freshman in 2015-16. He practiced with the Golden Hurricane last season.
• TU's four newcomers have totaled 353 points (18.6 ppg), led by 122 points (6.4 ppg) from Curran Scott.
Tulsa Enters 20th Season at the Reynolds Center
• After hosting the first TU men's basketball game on Dec. 29, 1998, the Golden Hurricane will play its 20th season in the Donald W. Reynolds Center this year.
• Tulsa has posted an overall record of 233-72 (.764) in its 19+ seasons, including a 7-2 mark this season.
• The building has seen 41 sellouts and 1,827,818 fans have witnessed Tulsa basketball at the Reynolds Center.
Offense Shines In Exhibition Wins
• Tulsa improved to 66-2 all-time in exhibition games, including a run of 37 consecutive victories, with wins over Northwestern Oklahoma State (96-65) and Missouri S&T (113-56) prior to the start of the 2017-18 season.
• TU put up impressive numbers in the wins as the team averaged 104.5 points and shot 56.6-percent from the floor, including 46.9-percent from behind the arc. Tulsa also recorded 46 assists to just 21 turnovers and out-rebounded its two opponents by a combined total of 99-46.
• Five players averaged in double-figures during exhibition play, led by Junior Etou's 17.0 ppg. Joining him were Corey Henderson Jr. (16.0 ppg), DaQuan Jeffries (12.5 ppg), Curran Scott (12.5 ppg) and Geno Artison (11.5 ppg).
• TU made 20 3-pointers in the win over Missouri S&T (the program's regular-season record for a game is 18), with half of that total coming from Henderson (6) and Artison (4).
TU Adds Three in the Early Signing Period
• Tulsa has signed three student-athletes — Chris Barnes, Peter Hewitt and Zeke Moore — to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period.
• All three signees are enrolled at junior colleges and will have three years of eligibility at TU.
• Barnes is a 6-foot-4 guard from Compton, Calif., who played his freshman season at UTEP. He appeared in 16 games for the Miners after earning all-conference honors as a senior at Compton HS. He is redshirting this season at Angelina College.
• Peter Hewitt is a 6-foot-10 forward from Mountain View, Calif., who redshirted last season at UC Davis. He currently plays for Las Positas College and he has helped the team average 84.2 ppg and start 10-4 this season. Hewitt was a three-year letterwinner at Saint Francis High School and led the Lancers to a pair of West Coast Athletic League titles.
• Zeke Moore is a 6-foot-7 guard from St. Louis, Mo., who played his freshman season at Saint Louis. He saw action in 29 games and averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds before transferring to Southwest Illinois CC, where he is redshirting this season. Moore was a standout at Riverview Gardens HS for his father, head coach Gerard Moore, and he averaged 21.1 ppg as a senior.
Next Up
• Tulsa will close the month with a 5 p.m. matchup at No. 4/7 Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 28.
The Golden Hurricane (10-9, 3-4) is coming off a slim 59-58 setback on Wednesday night at Temple despite 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds from Junior Etou. The senior forward is averaging a team-leading 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. His 9.0 rpg during conference play ranks second in the circuit.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (13-6, 4-2) have won their last four games after an 0-2 start to conference play and will enter Saturday's matchup tied with Houston for third in the league standings. Guard Jeremiah Martin leads Memphis at 18.6 points, which ranks second in the league, and 4.1 assists per game. Martin is averaging 19.7 ppg (2nd in The American) during conference action.
Memphis leads the all-time series, 27-16, but TU won last season's matchup in Tulsa behind 23 points from Etou and another 17 by Sterling Taplin.
Fast Break Points
• Tulsa is in its 107th season of basketball and fourth season in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa's tough January stretch continues at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, when it will host Memphis on Legends Day at the Reynolds Center. All past TU men's basketball lettermen in attendance will be recognized during the game.
• Memphis is led by former TU coach Tubby Smith (1991-95), while Tigers assistant Alvin "Pooh" Williamson played under Smith at TU from 1991-95.
• All seven of Tulsa's games during January are against opponents currently ranked in the top-100 of the RPI.
• Memphis leads the all-time series against Tulsa, 27-16, including a 10-7 mark in Tulsa. The Tigers rallied to claim the previous meeting this season, 76-67, on Jan. 6 in Memphis.
• Tulsa is coming off a 59-58 setback at Temple on Wednesday night. Junior Etou recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the loss.
• Junior Etou leads the team at 15.7 ppg and 7.4 rpg and those marks rank eighth and third in The American, respectively. He is averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in three career games against Memphis.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last six games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.7 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 13th in the league.
• After posting a -4.5 rebound margin through its first six games, TU has recorded a +5.5 rebound margin since. TU has outrebounded its opponent by double digits four times during that stretch.
• TU has notched 37 league wins since joining The American, which ranks third behind only SMU (48) and Cincinnati (46) during that span (2014-present).
• Tulsa was picked to finish eighth in The American Preseason Poll. TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in all three previous seasons under head coach Frank Haith.
Notes
The Game
• Tulsa will continue American Athletic Conference play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, when it will host Memphis on Legends Day at the Reynolds Center.
• Saturday's game can be seen on ESPNU, while fans in the Tulsa area can tune to Big Country 99.5 FM with Bruce Howard calling the action. Live audio from the game also can be found on tulsahurricane.com or by using the TuneIn app.
The Series
• Saturday's game will mark the 44th all-time meeting between Tulsa and Memphis. The Tigers lead the series 27-16, including a 10-7 mark in Tulsa.
• Tulsa won the first 11 meetings against Memphis (1964-71) and the teams split a pair of games last season. The Tigers defeated TU, 76-67, on Jan. 6 at FedExForum.
• TU took last year's meeting at the Reynolds Center, 81-71, behind 23 points from Junior Etou and another 17 points by Sterling Taplin.
• The programs were members of the Missouri Valley Conference together from 1968-73.
Scouting the Tigers
• Memphis has won its last four games after an 0-2 start to conference play and the Tigers will enter Saturday's matchup tied with Houston for third in the league standings.
• Picked to finish ninth in The American preseason poll, the squad returns four letterwinners and a pair of starters from last year's team that went 19-13 overall and finished fifth in the league with a 9-9 mark.
• Guard Jeremiah Martin leads the Tigers at 18.6 points, which ranks second in the league, and 4.1 assists per game. Martin is averaging 19.7 ppg (2nd in The American) during conference action.
• Memphis has received a boost inside from Mike Parks Jr., who is averaging 13.2 ppg in conference play after averaging just 3.8 ppg in non-conference action.
• The Tigers are averaging 80.0 ppg during their four-game winning streak.
Last Meeting
• Martins Igbanu scored 17 points, but Memphis went on a 25-5 run in the second half to pull away for a 76-67 win over Tulsa on Jan. 6 at FedExForum. Junior Etou added a dozen points for TU.
• TU went on a 14-2 run in th first half to take control and the visitors led 33-32 at halftime.
• The Hurricane would lead by as much as 55-47 with 11:18 to play, but the Tigers responded with their game-deciding 25-5 run to take the lead for good.
• It is the only TU loss this season when leading at halftime.
Last Time Out
• Junior Etou recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, but Temple outscored Tulsa 7-2 in the final three minutes to slip past the Golden Hurricane, 59-58, on Wednesday night at Liacouras Center.
• Martins Igbanu also neared a double-double with 12 points and eight boards, while Sterling Taplin added 11 points and Lawson Korita chipped in with 10 points.
• TU led 58-54 with 2:33 left on Korita's offensive rebound and putback, but the Owls scored the next five points to take the lead. Tulsa had one last chance with 3.3 seconds remaining, but an inbounds pass got away from the Hurricane as time expired.
TU-Memphis Connection
• Tulsa fans will see a few familiar faces on the Memphis bench in Saturday's matchup against the Tigers, who are led by former TU head coach Tubby Smith.
• Smith coached the Hurricane for four seasons (1991-95) and compiled a 79-43 record. In his final two seasons, he led the Hurricane to Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles and appearances in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
• Memphis assistant coach Alvin "Pooh" Williamson was the first signee for Smith at TU and he played for the Hurricane from 1991-95 as a key member of those MVC title and Sweet Sixteen teams.
• Williamson returned to TU as an assistant coach in 2001 and was the program's interim head coach for 22 games during the 2004-05 season.
The Schedule
• Saturday's game continues a tough January stretch for Tulsa. All seven of its opponents during the month are teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, with four matchups against top-100 teams coming on the road.
• TU already has faced Wichita State (28), Temple (50), Houston (56), Memphis (83) and UConn (93) in January.
• After facing the Tigers again on Saturday in Tulsa, TU will close the month on the road at No. 4/7 Wichita State (28) on Jan. 28.
• Tulsa has a pair of wins against teams in the RPI top-100: Kansas State (73) and UConn (93).
Tulsa 3 Party
• Tulsa hit a then-American Athletic Conference record 17 3-pointers in its Jan. 3 double-overtime win over UConn. The total was just one shy of the program's record, set against North Texas on Dec. 8, 1998.
• Other than its program-record 18 triples in 1998, TU had last hit 15 3-pointers against Jackson State on Dec. 17, 2009.
• TU also set conference and team records for 3-pointers attempted, with 41 on the night.
• Corey Henderson Jr. hit eight 3-pointers, which ties for the second-most in a single game in program history. James Woodard went 10-of-16 from deep against SMU on March 8, 2015, for the program record, while Jason Parker also hit eight treys against Wichita State on Dec. 4, 2002.
• Henderson became the sixth player in American Athletic Conference history to hit at least eight 3-pointers in a game and the first to do it since UCF's Matt Williams hit a league-record 11 on Jan. 17, 2017.
Trending
• Junior Etou ranks 32nd in the nation with 126 free-throw attempts this season and 57th in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.6) via kenpom.com. Etou has attempted at least 10 free throws four times this season.
• After averaging 1.6 ppg in his first five games, Corey Henderson Jr. is averaging 11.4 ppg in his last 14 contests and 11.1 ppg during conference play.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last six games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.7 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 13th in the league.
• TU is 51-7 under head coach Frank Haith when leading at halftime, including a 9-1 mark this season.
Crashing The Boards
• After being outrebounded in five of its first six games with a rebound margin of -4.5 rpg, Tulsa has crashed the glass and outrebounded its opponents by a combined 531-460 (40.8-35.4; +5.4 rpg) in its last 13 contests.
• TU has outrebounded four opponents (UTSA, Illinois State, Kansas State, Tulane) during that stretch by double-digits, including three games (UTSA, Illinois State, Tulane) with at least a +20 rebound margin.
• During that stretch, Junior Etou has led the way by averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, including a career-high 15 boards against Temple (Jan. 17). Martins Igbanu also has helped crash the glass at 6.4 rpg.
• The Hurricane is 8-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
Free Fallin'
• The Hurricane lead the league and rank 29th in the nation with 447 free throws attempted, while it is connecting at a 71.6-percent mark at the charity stripe to rank sixth in The American.
• TU has shot more free throws than its opponent 15 times this season and own a 9-6 record in those games.
• Junior Etou ranks second in the conference and 32nd in the nation with 126 free throws attempted. His 90 makes at the charity stripe also rank second in the league and 53rd in the nation.
• Martins Igbanu has attempted 39 free throws over the last five games, connecting on 31 for a 79.5-percent mark in that span. His 59 makes at the charity stripe rank second on the team and he is shooting 73.8-percent on the year.
TU To Participate In Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge
• Making 3-point shots this basketball season takes on even more meaning this year for head coach Frank Haith and The University of Tulsa men's basketball team. The Golden Hurricane will square off against teams across the nation to fight cancer as part of the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge.
• Fans can pledge a donation for each 3-point shot that TU makes over the final 16 games of the regular-season (Jan. 3-March 4) to support American Cancer Society research, education and patient programs at:
pledgeit.org/cvc18-tulsa. Fans also have the option of a fixed donation and Haith started the Golden Hurricane campaign with a contribution of $500.
•So far, Tulsa has made 50 3-pointers in five games during the challenge, which started with a then-conference record 17 triples against UConn (Jan. 3).
Haith In His Fourth Season at TU
• Head coach Frank Haith is in his fourth season at Tulsa, where he has compiled a 68-49 record and made a pair of postseason appearances during his tenure. Overall, he has an on-court record of 273-178 in his 14th season.
• Haith has led the Golden Hurricane to a pair of 20-win seasons and postseason appearances (2015 NCAA Tournament, 2016 NIT) during his first three seasons.
• With a win over No. 9 Wichita State in 2015-16, he led TU to its first win over a top-10 squad since 2000. Later that season, TU won at No. 16 SMU for its first road win against a top-16 program since 1981.
Haith in Exclusive Coaching Company
• Head coach Frank Haith is the only active Division I coach to take teams in four of the Power 6 conferences to the NCAA Tournament. Haith guided Tulsa (The American) to the Big Dance in 2015, Missouri (SEC) in 2013, Missouri (Big 12) in 2012 and Miami (ACC) in 2008.
• In addition, Haith is one of just 20 active coaches that have taken at least three different teams to the NCAA Tournament.
• Haith will face three other coaches on that list this season when TU matches up against Tubby Smith (Memphis), Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Bruce Weber (Kansas State).
Tulsa's Success in The American
• Since joining the American Athletic Conference prior to the 2014-15 season, the Golden Hurricane has posted 37 league wins, which is the third-most in the circuit.
• Only SMU (48 wins) and Cincinnati (46 wins) have earned more victories than Tulsa's 37, which tops UConn (33) and Memphis (31) along with six other conference programs.
• TU has finished better than its preseason prediction in each of Haith's three seasons. The Golden Hurricane was picked to finish eighth in the conference prior to the 2017-18 season.
Etou Named Preseason Second-Team American Athletic Conference
• Senior forward Junior Etou was named preseason second-team American Athletic Conference in a vote by the league's head coaches.
• Last season, Etou led the Golden Hurricane in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg) and was the only player to start all 32 games. He was even better in conference play as he averaged 13.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg.
• So far in 2017-18, Etou leads the Hurricane in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). Those marks rank eighth and third in the conference, respectively.
• Etou has scored in double-figures 17 times, including six games of at least 20 points.
Look Who's Back
• Tulsa returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, and 72-percent of its offense from last season's team.
• Returning starters include senior forward Junior Etou (32 starts), sophomore forward Martins Igbanu (17), junior guard Sterling Taplin (30) and senior guard Jaleel Wheeler (29).
• Other returners include junior forward Geno Artison, senior guard Corey Henderson Jr., sophomore guard Lawson Korita and junior forward Alex Foree.
• In all, Tulsa returns 68.8-percent of its minutes, 66.9-percent of its rebounding, 79.8-percent of its assists and 65.5-percent of its steals.
New Faces
• Along with the eight returning letterwinners, Tulsa has five newcomers, four of which made their debut in the season opener against Lamar.
• The newcomers eligible for 2017-18 are sophomore guard Curran Scott, junior guard/forward DaQuan Jeffries, freshman guard Darien Jackson and freshman guard Elijah Joiner. Sophomore forward Jeriah Horne will sit out the season after transferring from Nebraska.
• Scott redshirted the 2016-17 season after transferring from Charlotte, where he averaged 10.3 ppg as a freshman in 2015-16. He practiced with the Golden Hurricane last season.
• TU's four newcomers have totaled 353 points (18.6 ppg), led by 122 points (6.4 ppg) from Curran Scott.
Tulsa Enters 20th Season at the Reynolds Center
• After hosting the first TU men's basketball game on Dec. 29, 1998, the Golden Hurricane will play its 20th season in the Donald W. Reynolds Center this year.
• Tulsa has posted an overall record of 233-72 (.764) in its 19+ seasons, including a 7-2 mark this season.
• The building has seen 41 sellouts and 1,827,818 fans have witnessed Tulsa basketball at the Reynolds Center.
Offense Shines In Exhibition Wins
• Tulsa improved to 66-2 all-time in exhibition games, including a run of 37 consecutive victories, with wins over Northwestern Oklahoma State (96-65) and Missouri S&T (113-56) prior to the start of the 2017-18 season.
• TU put up impressive numbers in the wins as the team averaged 104.5 points and shot 56.6-percent from the floor, including 46.9-percent from behind the arc. Tulsa also recorded 46 assists to just 21 turnovers and out-rebounded its two opponents by a combined total of 99-46.
• Five players averaged in double-figures during exhibition play, led by Junior Etou's 17.0 ppg. Joining him were Corey Henderson Jr. (16.0 ppg), DaQuan Jeffries (12.5 ppg), Curran Scott (12.5 ppg) and Geno Artison (11.5 ppg).
• TU made 20 3-pointers in the win over Missouri S&T (the program's regular-season record for a game is 18), with half of that total coming from Henderson (6) and Artison (4).
TU Adds Three in the Early Signing Period
• Tulsa has signed three student-athletes — Chris Barnes, Peter Hewitt and Zeke Moore — to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period.
• All three signees are enrolled at junior colleges and will have three years of eligibility at TU.
• Barnes is a 6-foot-4 guard from Compton, Calif., who played his freshman season at UTEP. He appeared in 16 games for the Miners after earning all-conference honors as a senior at Compton HS. He is redshirting this season at Angelina College.
• Peter Hewitt is a 6-foot-10 forward from Mountain View, Calif., who redshirted last season at UC Davis. He currently plays for Las Positas College and he has helped the team average 84.2 ppg and start 10-4 this season. Hewitt was a three-year letterwinner at Saint Francis High School and led the Lancers to a pair of West Coast Athletic League titles.
• Zeke Moore is a 6-foot-7 guard from St. Louis, Mo., who played his freshman season at Saint Louis. He saw action in 29 games and averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds before transferring to Southwest Illinois CC, where he is redshirting this season. Moore was a standout at Riverview Gardens HS for his father, head coach Gerard Moore, and he averaged 21.1 ppg as a senior.
Next Up
• Tulsa will close the month with a 5 p.m. matchup at No. 4/7 Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 28.
#ForOurCity
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballTuesday, May 19
Monday, March 23
Thursday, March 12
Monday, March 09