Tulsa On The Road For Matchup At No. 17 Wichita State On Sunday

GAME #21: TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (11-9, 4-4) vs. WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS (16-4, 6-2)
Date/Time:	Sunday • Jan. 28 • 5 p.m.
Site:	Charles Koch Arena (10,506) • Wichita, Kan.
Coaches:	Tulsa – Frank Haith (Elon '88), 4th year Wichita State – Gregg Marshall (Randolph Macon '85), 11th year
TV:	CBS Sports Network (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas & Jenny Dell)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM (Bruce Howard & J.R. Rollo)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Wichita State leads, 66-61
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Wichita State

TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa men's basketball team will return to the hardwood for a 5 p.m. matchup on Sunday, Jan. 28, at No. 17 Wichita State in the second Havoc in the Heartland game this season.

The Golden Hurricane (11-9, 4-4) is coming off a 64-51 win over Memphis last Saturday at the Reynolds Center. Junior DaQuan Jeffries came off the bench to record his first double-double of the campaign with career highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds, while the TU defense held the Tigers to their second-lowest point total of the season. Tulsa allowed just four points, all at the free-throw line, in the final eight minutes and did not let Memphis get a shot off in the last four minutes.

Meanwhile, the Shockers (16-4, 6-2) snapped a two-game skid with an 81-62 win over UCF on Thursday night at Koch Arena. Shaq Morris came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points and Wichita State held UCF to 36.1-percent shooting in the win. WSU has won 68 of its last 70 games at Koch Arena over the last five seasons and the squad is led by Landry Shamet's 15.0 points and league-leading 5.2 assists per game.

Wichita State leads the all-time series, 66-61, and the Shockers escaped the Reynolds Center with a 72-69 victory on Jan. 13 in the last meeting between the teams.

Fast Break Points
• Tulsa is in its 107th season of basketball and fourth season in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa will close the month of January with a 5 p.m. contest at No. 17 Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 28. Five of Tulsa's seven games during the month have come against opponents currently ranked in the top 100 of the RPI.
• WSU leads the all-time series 66-61, including a 37-23 advantage in Wichita. The Shockers defeated TU 72-69 on Jan. 13 in Tulsa. It was the first conference meeting between the teams since 1996 (Missouri Valley).
• TU has faced WSU more than any other opponent in program history. The series dates back to a 32-30 TU victory on Dec. 20, 1930, in Wichita.
• Tulsa is coming off a 64-51 win over Memphis on Jan. 20 at the Reynolds Center behind DaQuan Jeffries' first double-double at TU with career highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds. The TU defense allowed just four points, all at the free-throw line, over the final eight minutes and Memphis did not attempt a shot in the last four minutes.
• Junior Etou leads the team at 15.1 ppg and 7.2 rpg and those marks rank seventh and fifth in The American, respectively.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in his last seven games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.4 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 12th in the league.
• After posting a -4.5 rebound margin through its first six games, TU has recorded a +4.9 rebound margin since. TU has outrebounded its opponent by double digits four times during that stretch.
• TU has notched 38 league wins since joining The American, which ranks third behind only SMU (49) and Cincinnati (48) 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.

The Game
• Tulsa will continue American Athletic Conference play at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, when it will return to the road for a matchup at No. 17 Wichita State in the second Havoc in the Heartland men's basketball game this season.
• Sunday's game can be seen on CBS Sports Network, 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
• Sunday's game will mark the 128th all-time meeting between Tulsa and Wichita State, with the Shockers holding a 66-61 edge in the series. TU has faced WSU more than any other opponent in program history.
• TU is 23-37 against WSU in Wichita, where the Shockers have won the last five meetings. Tulsa's last win in Wichita (82-76) came on Dec. 8, 2001.
• The Golden Hurricane and Shockers were members of the Missouri Valley Conference together from 1945-96.
• The series dates back to Dec. 20, 1930, when TU defeated WSU, 32-30, in Wichita.

Havoc In the Heartland
• In August 2017, The University of Tulsa and Wichita State University announced the creation of a rivalry series that spans 13 varsity sports.
• Points are awarded for head-to-head regular-season victories in volleyball, basketball and softball or a higher finish at conference championships in cross country, tennis, track & field and women's golf. A trophy will be awarded to the school with the most points at the end of each Academic Year. The annual Graduation Success Rate will be used as a tiebreaker.
• TU currently leads the series, 15-9, via a women's basketball victory (3pts), along with the Golden Hurricane men's and women's cross country teams finishing higher at the American Athletic Conference Championships (6pts each). WSU's nine points come from two victories in volleyball (3pts each) and one for men's basketball (3pts).

Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week
• Head coach Frank Haith and the TU coaching staff will join coaches across the country by wearing sneakers during Sunday's game as part of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week (Jan. 22-28). The week is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer, and promotes the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer.
• Haith is a member of the Coaches vs. Cancer Council. Formed in 1998, the Coaches vs. Cancer Council includes many of the best-known and most successful men's basketball coaches nationwide. Over the years, the council has helped guide, enhance and expand the program.

Scouting the Shockers
• Wichita State snapped a two-game skid with an 81-62 win over UCF on Thursday night at Koch Arena. Shaq Morris came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points and the Shockers held UCF to 36.1-percent shooting in the win.
• WSU was picked to finish second in its first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers return 12 letterwinners and all five starters from last year's team that went 31-5 and won the MVC.
• The Shockers are led by Wooden Award candidate Landry Shamet's 15.0 points and 5.2 assists per game, while Shaq Morris (12.5 ppg), Conner Frankamp (11.3 ppg) and Darral Willis Jr. (11.0 ppg) all average in double-figures.
• WSU has won 68 of its last 70 games at Koch Arena over the last five seasons.

Last Meeting
• Sterling Taplin poured in a career-high 26 points, but then-No. 5 Wichita State edged Tulsa 72-69 in front of a sellout crowd on Jan. 13 at the Reynolds Center in the first-ever Havoc in the Heartland men's basketball game.
• Taplin went 10-of-17 from the field and 6-of-10 behind the arc to lead all scorers. The junior scored 17 of his game-high total in the second half to lead a TU rally.
• Tulsa led by as much as 10 points twice in the first half, but WSU bridged halftime with a 25-4 run to grab a double-digit lead in the second half.
• WSU led 59-49 with 8:42 to play and the deficit was cut to two points twice down the stretch, including 71-69 on Corey Henderson Jr.'s 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining.
• TU had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minutes, but Taplin's potential game-tying shot missed at the buzzer.

Last Time Out
• DaQuan Jeffries came off the bench for his first double-double at TU with career highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds as Tulsa defeated Memphis 64-51 last Saturday night at the Reynolds Center.
• Jaleel Wheeler also came off the bench to score a season-high 13 points as TU had a 37-0 advantage in bench points.
• The Hurricane went on runs of 8-0 and 11-0 in the first half to build a 13-point lead at halftime. Memphis cut the lead to 49-47 with 8:19 to play, but the Tulsa defense limited the Tigers to just four free throws the rest of the way.
• TU held Memphis to just four shot attempts in the final eight minutes and none over the final 4:22. During that time, the Hurricane forced nine turnovers and the squad totaled 25 points off 20 Tigers miscues to help pull away for the win, which snapped a four-game skid.

The Schedule
• Sunday's game will conclude a tough January stretch for Tulsa. Five of its seven opponents during the month are teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, with three matchups against top-100 teams coming on the road.
• TU has faced Wichita State (26), Temple (47), Houston (49), UConn (73) and Memphis (107) in January.
• Tulsa has a pair of wins against teams currently in the RPI top-100: K-State (54) and UConn (73).

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 57th in the nation with 126 free-throw attempts this season and 39th in the nation in free-throw rate (64.0) via kenpom.com. Etou has attempted at least 10 free throws in a game four times this season.
• After averaging 1.6 ppg in his first five games, Corey Henderson Jr. is averaging 11.5 ppg in his last 15 contests and 11.3 ppg during conference play.
• Martins Igbanu is averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in his last seven games, including a career-high 27-point outing at Houston (Jan. 11). Igbanu's 13.4 ppg during conference play leads the team and ranks 13th in the league.
• TU is 52-7 under head coach Frank Haith when leading at halftime, including a 10-1 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 566-497 (40.4-35.5; +4.9 rpg) in its last 14 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 7.6 rebounds per game, including a career-high 15 boards against Temple (Jan. 17). Martins Igbanu also has helped crash the glass at 6.2 rpg.
• The Hurricane is 8-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.

Free Fallin'
• The Hurricane rank second in the league 61st in the nation with 462 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 57th in the nation with 126 free throws attempted. His 90 makes at the charity stripe also rank second in the league and 82nd in the nation.
• Martins Igbanu has attempted 43 free throws over the last five games, connecting on 33 for a 76.7-percent mark in that span. His 62 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 57 3-pointers in six 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 69-49 record and made a pair of postseason appearances during his tenure. Overall, he has an on-court record of 274-178 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 has faced three other coaches on that list this season when TU matched 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 38 league wins, which is the third-most in the circuit.
• Only SMU (49 wins) and Cincinnati (48 wins) have earned more victories than Tulsa's 38, which tops UConn (34) 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 (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg). Those marks rank seventh and fifth 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 377 points (18.9 ppg), led by 141 points (10.1 ppg) from DaQuan Jeffries.

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 234-72 (.765) in its 19+ seasons, including an 8-2 mark this season.
• The building has seen 41 sellouts and 1,833,007 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 return to the Reynolds Center for a 7 p.m. matchup with SMU (14-7, 4-4) on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The Golden Hurricane will then take to the road for a matchup at USF (8-13, 1-7) on Feb. 4 before a home contest with Tulane (12-8, 3-5) on Feb. 8.

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Tulsa On The Road For Matchup At No. 17 Wichita State On Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Geno Artison

Junior Etou

Alex Foree

Corey Henderson Jr.

Jeriah Horne

Martins Igbanu

Darien Jackson

DaQuan Jeffries

Elijah Joiner

Lawson Korita

Curran Scott

Sterling Taplin

Jaleel Wheeler