Tulsa Returns to the Reynolds Center to Start Three-Game Homestand

Tuesday, December 2

Tulsa, Okla.

7 p.m.

Tulsa

Manhattan Christian College

Miles Barnstable shoots against San Jose State

Tulsa Returns to the Reynolds Center to Start Three-Game Homestand

12/1/2025 4:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

TULSA, Okla. — Coming off a championship in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, the Tulsa men's basketball team hosts Manhattan Christian in the first of a three-game homestand at the Reynolds Center on Tuesday.

Date/Time: December 2, 2025 / 7 PM
Site: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Arena: Reynolds Center (8,355)
Radio: 99.5 FM Big Country , Learfield Network affiliates, and Varsity Network App
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp) & J.R. Rollo (analyst)
Video: ESPN+
Talent: Chad McKee (pxp) & Pooh Williamson (analyst)
Social Updates: @TUMBasketball | #ReignCane
History: First Meeting

STORY LINES
• The Golden Hurricane host Manhattan Christian for the first meeting between the two schools.
• The Thunder are the second of three first time opponents for the Golden Hurricane. They also are the seventh first-time opponent for head coach Eric Konkol, with only Oral Roberts as a program he has faced before.
• Tulsa is coming off its first in-season tournament win since 2002 when they won the Acrisure Holiday Invitational over Northern Iowa, 63-60.
• It was the first time all season the Golden Hurricane were held under 80 points, a streak reaching six games. The last time Tulsa had a streak of six or more games with 80+ points was the 2001-02 season when they did so in seven games in a row.
• Tulsa received their highest ever NET ranking in the first batch of rankings, released on Dec. 1 at No. 27 in the country. The program's previous high was No. 52 back in 2020-21. Last season the Golden Hurricane finished ranked No. 271.
• Tulsa is off to its best start in the Konkol era at 6-1. The Golden Hurricane are 6-1 to start a season for the first time since the 2019-20 season when they started 7-1.
• At 6-1, Eric Konkol is tied for the second-best start to a season in his career, matching the 2017-18 season at Louisiana Tech. His 2015-16 squad, his first season as a head coach, got off to an 8-1 start.
The Golden Hurricane are back in action tomorrow when they host Manhattan Christian with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Reynolds Center.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Manhattan Christian College is an NCCAA school located in Manhattan, Kansas.
• They are led by former Thunder player Jordan Strom, who is sixth on the school's all-time leading scorers list with 1,915 points.
• Strom was named the 2024-25 NCCAA National Coach of the Year after leading the team to the NCCAA National Semifinals and No. 3 seed.
• They played in the NCCAA National Championship in 2022-23, falling to Kansas Christian College, 98-73.
• Over the last five seasons, the Thunder are 44-3 in Midwest Christian College Conference play, winning four conference tournament championships in that span.

SERIES HISTORY
• This is the first meeting between the programs.

HOT HAND
• Tulsa got off to a terrific start offensively, scoring 80+ points in each of the first six contests.
• It was the program's longest such streak since the 2001-02 season, a streak of seven games. That team would score 80+ points 19 times.
• The program's single season record is 21 times, set back in 1983-84, under head coach Nolan Richardson.
• The Golden Hurricane lead the American Conference in shooting with a .474 (190-for-401) shooting percentage.
• The team is also second in the league in three-point percentage, connecting from long range at a .378 (71-188) clip. Only Rice's .386 (83-215) percentage is better.
• The Golden Hurricane also lead the league in three-pointers made per game (10.1) and are third in the league in points per game (83.0).
• The offense also takes advantage at the free throw line, shooting .778 (130-167) from the line, second in the league behind only Tulane's .783 (144-184).

SPREADING THE LOVE
• Tulsa has had at least 15 assists in six of seven games of the season. The Golden Hurricane reached that mark just 12 times last season.
• Twice this season Tulsa has had at least 20 assists in a game.
• Tulsa is second in the conference at 16.7 assists per game.
• Tulsa has assisted on .616 of made field goals this season, 117-of-190.

LONGEVITY IN THE LEAGUE
• Head coach Eric Konkol enters his fourth season with the Golden Hurricane.
• Konkol enters the year tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in the American Conference.
• Only Penny Hardaway (Memphis, 8th season), Ron Hunter (Tulane, 7th season), and Andy Kennedy (UAB, 6th season) have been in the league longer.
• East Carolina head coach, and former Tulsa assistant, Michael Scwartz, is also entering his fourth season leading his program.

FIRST TIMERS
• Three opponents on the schedule are new to the Golden Hurricane men's basketball program.
• Tulsa plays Oklahoma Christian, Manhattan Christian, and Denver for the first time ever this season, all at the Reynolds Center.

NEW LOOK ROSTER
• The Golden Hurricane roster features 11 newcomers in 2025-26, 8 transfers and 3 freshmen.
• David Green headlines the group after two stellar seasons at Rhode Island, where he averaged 14.2 points per game the last two seasons. Green previously played for Eric Konkol back in 2021-22 at Louisiana Tech where he averaged 7.2 points and 3.0 rebounds off the bench in Konkol's final season in Ruston.
• Miles Barnstable is a scoring threat anywhere on the floor. After starting his collegiate career at DIII Wisconsin-Whitewater, Barnstable has scored 1,449 points entering his senior season. Last season he was the Summit League Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference First Team at St. Thomas.
• Myles Rigsby and Terrance Ford Jr. bring a championship pedigree to the roster after transferring from the Sun Belt Conference. Rigsby's Troy Trojans defeated Ford's Arkansas State Red Wolves in the SBC Championships last season to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after the two sides were part of a four-way tie for the regular season crown.
• Romad Dean is a veteran presence after spending 3 seasons at Fordham. The senior started 32 games last season, averaging 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds and shooting .342 from deep.
• From the JUCO level, Ade Popoola is a scoring threat after averaging 18.6 points a year ago. He was ranked the No. 7 JUCO transfer by Rivals and the No. 11 JUCO transfer by JUCOrecruiting.com.
• Doryan Onwuchekwa brings depth to the post after grabbing 4.9 boards in just 18.2 minutes of action last year at Georgia Tech while local product Carter Benton transfers from Pacific, appearing in 19 games for the Tigers last season.
• TU's roster will also feature 3 true freshmen. KJ Martin Jr. joined the team last spring after graduating high school early but did not appear in a game. Jaylen Lawal joins the team as a 3-star recruit out of high school while Leon Sifferlin joins the roster with international experience from France.

BACK ON THE BENCH
• Three players return who saw game action last season to the Golden Hurricane.
• Ian Smikle headlines the returners for the Golden Hurricane. Last season the West Palm Beach, Florida native earned American Conference All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Last season he pulled down 183 rebounds, the third most by a freshman in program history.
• Tyler Behrend and Cal Conroy also saw action last season for the Golden Hurricane. Behrend appeared in 16 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds while Conroy saw time in 2 contests.

LAST TIME OUT
• In a gritty, defensive performance, the Golden Hurricane held off Northern Iowa, 63-60, to win the Acrisure Holiday Invitational Championship.
• It was Tulsa's first in-season tournament win since 2002.
• Miles Barnstable would be named the tournament MVP after averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds over two games. The senior also hit the three-pointer with just over a minute to play that sealed the win for Tulsa.
• It was the first loss of the season for Northern Iowa.

UP NEXT
• Tulsa stays at home as they host Missouri State in the Reynolds Center on Satuday with a 2 p.m. tip-off.

Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.