Tulsa Men’s Basketball Opens Season Against Houston Baptist at 12 PM Tuesday

THE 2019-20 BASKETBALL SEASON GETS UNDERWAY TUESDAY WITH 12 NOON GAME AGAINST HOUSTON BAPTIST

THE GAME: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (18-14) vs. Houston Baptist Huskies (12-18)
DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019
TIME: 12:05 p.m. (CT)
SITE: Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355), Tulsa, Okla.
RADIO: 99.5 FM Big Country (pxp Bruce Howard & analyst J.R. Rollo)
TV/DIGITAL: ESPN 3 (pxp Chad McKee & analyst Bryndon Manzer)
TICKET PRICES: Starting as low as $15
FOR TICKETS: TulsaHurricane.com • 918.631.GoTU (4688)
GATES OPEN: 10:30 AM
PROMOTION: Blackboards & Backboards

THE COACHES:
TULSA
Frank Haith (Elon '88), 6^th year
Record at School: 95-66 (5 years)
Career Record: 282-194 (14 years)

HOUSTON BAPTIST
Ron Cottrell (St. Louis '03), 29^th year
Record at School: 487-407 (28 years)
Career Record: same

TULSA'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
F    1    Martins Igbanu, 6-8, 235, Sr-3L, 12.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, Lagos, Nigeria
F    0    Brandon Rachel, 6-6, 220, Jr-TR, 15.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, Natchitoches, La.
G    22 Reggie Jones, 6-7, 210, Jr-RS, 10.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, Marion, Ind.
G    5    Lawson Korita, 6-5, 205, Sr-3L, 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, Little Rock, Ark.
G    3    Elijah Joiner, 6-3, 200, Jr-2L, 5.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, Chicago, Ill.

OFF THE BENCH
F    41 Jeriah Horne, 6-7, 222, Jr-1L, 10.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, Overland Park, Kan.
G    11 Darien Jackson, 6-3, 189, Jr-2L, 3.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, Overland Park, Kan.
G    4    Isaiah Hill, 5-0, 165, Fr-HS, Bakersfield, Calif.
C    12 Emmanuel Ugboh, 7-0, 245, Jr-TR, Lagos, Nigeria
F    15 Josh Earley, 6-7, 210, Fr-HS, Shawnee Mission, Kan.

TULSA, Okla. –– The Tulsa men's basketball team opens the 2019-20 regular season on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 5, against the Houston Baptist Huskies on what is the Blackboards & Backboards Game.

The game tips off 12:00 p.m. at Donald W. Reynolds Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at TulsaHurricane.com, by calling 918.641.GoTU (4688) or at the Reynolds Center Athletic Ticket Office. Fans can also purchase tickets at the gate on game day, as arena doors open at 10:30 a.m.

Tulsa comes into this season with 5 returning letterwinners from a team that posted an 18-14 record a year ago. Three of those returning lettermen ranked among the top-6 in scoring during the 2018-19 campaign.

Martins Igbanu, a 6'8" senior forward, is Tulsa's returning leading scorer and rebounder with averages of 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and had a team-best 61-percent field goal percentage. Tulsa's 6'7" junior Jeriah Horne scored at a 10.1 clip and grabbed 4.9 rebounds coming off the bench for the Hurricane last season.

A trio of guards return with valuable playing time for the Hurricane, as returning 6'5" starter Lawson Korita tallied 5.7 points, 6'3" Elijah Joiner averaged 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds and 6'3" Darien Jackson scored at a 3.7 clip.

Newcomer Brandon Rachel, a 6'6" former 4-star prospect who played one year at LSU before spending last season at Pearl River Community College, is one of a number of newcomers that will be expected to be major contributors to the Hurricane this season.

Junior swingman, 6'7" Reggie Jones, is a transfer from Western Michigan University, who sat out last year. In his sophomore season at Western Michigan Jones averaged 10.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Isaiah Hill, a 6'0" guard, was a top prep performer in California, while seven-footer Emmanuel Ugboh averaged 12 points and 9.6 rebounds last year at Iowa Western Community College. Josh Earley also provides a big body in the interior.

Three more newcomers –– Arkansas transfer Keyshawn Embery-Simpson, Georgia Tech transfer Curtis Haywood II and Oklahoma State baseball transfer and walk-on Ryan Gendron –– will have to miss the 2019-20 season.

Tulsa's tune-up to the season came last week in the lone exhibition contest for the Hurricane against Rockhurst University. A strong second-half saw Tulsa pull away for a 76-56 victory. Newcomer Brandon Rachal led Tulsa with 16 points, followed by senior Martins Igbanu's 14 points and junior Darien Jackson's 12. The trio shot 73-percent on the night, converting 19-of-26 field goals.

Tulsa Men’s Basketball Opens Season Against Houston Baptist at 12 PM Tuesday

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Players Mentioned

Josh Earley

Keyshawn Embery-Simpson

Ryan Gendron

Curtis Haywood II

Isaiah Hill

Jeriah Horne

Martins Igbanu

Darien Jackson

Elijah Joiner

Reggie Jones

Lawson Korita

Brandon Rachal

Emmanuel Ugboh