Monday, December 22
Tulsa, Okla.
2 p.m.
Tulsa
vs
Denver
Tulsa Welcomes Denver to the Reynolds Center for Final Non-Conference Tilt
12/21/2025 10:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa looks to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule with nine straight wins as they welcome Denver to the Reynolds Center for a Monday matinee. The Golden Hurricane are coming off a thrilling 82-81 victory over Western Kentucky thanks to Miles Barnstable's three with less than one second to play. Fans can get tickets as low as $5 for tomorrow's game online at the link below.
TICKETS
Date/Time: December 22, 2025 / 2 PM
Site: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Arena: Reynolds Center (8,355)
Radio: 1170 AM, Learfield Network affiliates, and Varsity Network App
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp) & J.R. Rollo (analyst)
Video: ESPN+
Talent: Josh Haley (pxp) & Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Social Updates: @TUMBasketball | #ReignCane
History: First meeting
MEDIA CENTRAL
STORY LINES
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in points per game (89.3), point differential (18.7), field goal percentage (.487), three-point percentage (.389), threes per game (11.3), free throw percentage (.782), rebound margin (10.0), assists per game (17.1), and assist to turnover ratio (1.65).
• The Golden Hurricane are the only program in the country to lead its conference in points per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage.
• Tulsa has had one of the best offenses nationally and rank tied for 22nd in scoring offense, 21st in scoring margin, 17th free throw percentage, 14th in free throws made per game, 21st in three-point percentage, and are 13th in three-pointers per game.
• Tulsa is averaging 89.3 points per game this season, which would be the second most points per game in program history. The team has averaged 80-plus points per game 14 times with a school record of 90.8 set in 1983-84.
• Tulsa is one of five programs with 11-plus games with 80-plus points, tied for the most in the country.
• Tulsa has now played in three one-point games this season. It is the most such games in a season since 2008-09 and the team is 2-1 this season. All three of the team's road games have been one-point games.
• Miles Barnstable's three-pointer led Tulsa to an 82-81 victory on Friday at Western Kentucky. The senior's buzzer beater was No. 7 on Sportcenter's Top 10 plays. He has also held down the American Conference's Play of the Week for the last two weeks.
• Tulsa is 11-1 for the first time since 1999-00 and for the fourth time in program history. The program also started 11-1 or better in 83-84 and 68-69.
• The Golden Hurricane are on a eight-game winning streak for the first time since the 2014-15 season when they won 12 in a row. The winning streak is the longest in the career of head coach Eric Konkol.
• Tulsa is the only school in the American Conference to reach 10 non-conference wins.
SERIES HISTORY
• This is the first meeting between the programs.
• Denver is the third first-time opponent for Tulsa this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Denver is 7-7 after an 86-79 road win over Northern Colorado on Saturday.
• Zane Nelson led the way with 32 points, going 5-for-5 from three-point range.
• The Pioneers lead the Summit Conference in points per game (84.1), field goal percentage (.495), and three-point percentage (.396).
SEASON NOTABLES
• Head coach Eric Konkol is closing in on 200 wins as a Division I coach. Konkol, tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in the American, needs just 2 wins to reach that milestone.
• Tulsa won the Mayor's Cup despite Oral Roberts shooting .500 percent from the field and making 14 threes. Since the 2004-05 season per Stathead, it is Tulsa's first road win in which the opponent shot .500 percent or better from the field and made 10 or more threes. Last season, teams were 839-13 (.985) at home, shooting .500 percent or better from the field, and made more than 10 threes.
• The Golden Hurricane won their first in-season tournament, the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, since 2002 with a 63-60 victory over Northern Iowa.
• The Golden Hurricane have played three one-point games this season, with two in back-to-back games (Oral Roberts and Kansas State). It was the team's first back-to-back one-point finishes since 2011. The team is 2-1 in one-point games this season. It's the team's most one-point games since 2008-09.
• Tulsa's 117-point performance against UAPB set a new Reynolds Center facility record for points in a game. It was the ninth-most points in a game in school history and is the program's first game with 115-plus points since 2000.
• Three opponents on the schedule are new to the Golden Hurricane men's basketball program, Oklahoma Christian, Manhattan Christian, and Denver.
• 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 3-0 in coaches challenges this season.
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.
• Tulsa has averaged 80 or more points in a season 14 times but not since 2001-02.
• Tulsa has three games scoring 100-plus points this season, their most 100-point performances in a year since 1995-96.
• Last season the Golden Hurricane scored 80-plus points 10 times, already surpassing that total with 11.
• The only school to hold Tulsa under 80 points is Northern Iowa, who at 57.6 points per game is second nationally in defense.
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in points per game (89.3), point differential (18.7), field goal percentage (.487), three-point percentage (.389), threes per game (11.3), free throw percentage (.782), rebound margin (10.0), assists per game (17.1), and assist to turnover ratio (1.65).
SPREADING THE LOVE
• Tulsa has had at least 15 assists in 11 of 12 games of the season. The Golden Hurricane reached that mark just 12 times last season.
• Thrice this season Tulsa has had at least 20 assists in a game, tying a school record also set in 1993-94, 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2020-21.
• Tulsa has assisted on .594 of made field goals this season, 205-of-345.
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.
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
• Miles Barnstable was the hero with a last second three to beat Western Kentucky, 82-81.
• Tulsa trailed by as many as 10 in the first half in the win.
• Tulsa shot .571 (16-for-28) from the field and .500 (7-of-14) from three, scoring 52 points in second half in the comeback win.
UP NEXT
• Tulsa is off until Dec. 31 when they start American Conference play against Rice in the Reynolds Center on ESPNU.
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.
TICKETS
Date/Time: December 22, 2025 / 2 PM
Site: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Arena: Reynolds Center (8,355)
Radio: 1170 AM, Learfield Network affiliates, and Varsity Network App
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp) & J.R. Rollo (analyst)
Video: ESPN+
Talent: Josh Haley (pxp) & Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Social Updates: @TUMBasketball | #ReignCane
History: First meeting
MEDIA CENTRAL
STORY LINES
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in points per game (89.3), point differential (18.7), field goal percentage (.487), three-point percentage (.389), threes per game (11.3), free throw percentage (.782), rebound margin (10.0), assists per game (17.1), and assist to turnover ratio (1.65).
• The Golden Hurricane are the only program in the country to lead its conference in points per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage.
• Tulsa has had one of the best offenses nationally and rank tied for 22nd in scoring offense, 21st in scoring margin, 17th free throw percentage, 14th in free throws made per game, 21st in three-point percentage, and are 13th in three-pointers per game.
• Tulsa is averaging 89.3 points per game this season, which would be the second most points per game in program history. The team has averaged 80-plus points per game 14 times with a school record of 90.8 set in 1983-84.
• Tulsa is one of five programs with 11-plus games with 80-plus points, tied for the most in the country.
• Tulsa has now played in three one-point games this season. It is the most such games in a season since 2008-09 and the team is 2-1 this season. All three of the team's road games have been one-point games.
• Miles Barnstable's three-pointer led Tulsa to an 82-81 victory on Friday at Western Kentucky. The senior's buzzer beater was No. 7 on Sportcenter's Top 10 plays. He has also held down the American Conference's Play of the Week for the last two weeks.
• Tulsa is 11-1 for the first time since 1999-00 and for the fourth time in program history. The program also started 11-1 or better in 83-84 and 68-69.
• The Golden Hurricane are on a eight-game winning streak for the first time since the 2014-15 season when they won 12 in a row. The winning streak is the longest in the career of head coach Eric Konkol.
• Tulsa is the only school in the American Conference to reach 10 non-conference wins.
SERIES HISTORY
• This is the first meeting between the programs.
• Denver is the third first-time opponent for Tulsa this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Denver is 7-7 after an 86-79 road win over Northern Colorado on Saturday.
• Zane Nelson led the way with 32 points, going 5-for-5 from three-point range.
• The Pioneers lead the Summit Conference in points per game (84.1), field goal percentage (.495), and three-point percentage (.396).
SEASON NOTABLES
• Head coach Eric Konkol is closing in on 200 wins as a Division I coach. Konkol, tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in the American, needs just 2 wins to reach that milestone.
• Tulsa won the Mayor's Cup despite Oral Roberts shooting .500 percent from the field and making 14 threes. Since the 2004-05 season per Stathead, it is Tulsa's first road win in which the opponent shot .500 percent or better from the field and made 10 or more threes. Last season, teams were 839-13 (.985) at home, shooting .500 percent or better from the field, and made more than 10 threes.
• The Golden Hurricane won their first in-season tournament, the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, since 2002 with a 63-60 victory over Northern Iowa.
• The Golden Hurricane have played three one-point games this season, with two in back-to-back games (Oral Roberts and Kansas State). It was the team's first back-to-back one-point finishes since 2011. The team is 2-1 in one-point games this season. It's the team's most one-point games since 2008-09.
• Tulsa's 117-point performance against UAPB set a new Reynolds Center facility record for points in a game. It was the ninth-most points in a game in school history and is the program's first game with 115-plus points since 2000.
• Three opponents on the schedule are new to the Golden Hurricane men's basketball program, Oklahoma Christian, Manhattan Christian, and Denver.
• 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 3-0 in coaches challenges this season.
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.
• Tulsa has averaged 80 or more points in a season 14 times but not since 2001-02.
• Tulsa has three games scoring 100-plus points this season, their most 100-point performances in a year since 1995-96.
• Last season the Golden Hurricane scored 80-plus points 10 times, already surpassing that total with 11.
• The only school to hold Tulsa under 80 points is Northern Iowa, who at 57.6 points per game is second nationally in defense.
• Tulsa leads the American Conference in points per game (89.3), point differential (18.7), field goal percentage (.487), three-point percentage (.389), threes per game (11.3), free throw percentage (.782), rebound margin (10.0), assists per game (17.1), and assist to turnover ratio (1.65).
SPREADING THE LOVE
• Tulsa has had at least 15 assists in 11 of 12 games of the season. The Golden Hurricane reached that mark just 12 times last season.
• Thrice this season Tulsa has had at least 20 assists in a game, tying a school record also set in 1993-94, 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2020-21.
• Tulsa has assisted on .594 of made field goals this season, 205-of-345.
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.
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
• Miles Barnstable was the hero with a last second three to beat Western Kentucky, 82-81.
• Tulsa trailed by as many as 10 in the first half in the win.
• Tulsa shot .571 (16-for-28) from the field and .500 (7-of-14) from three, scoring 52 points in second half in the comeback win.
UP NEXT
• Tulsa is off until Dec. 31 when they start American Conference play against Rice in the Reynolds Center on ESPNU.
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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballMBB | Konkol Memphis Preview
Monday, January 19
MBB | Konkol 1-12-26 Preview
Monday, January 12
MBB | Konkol USF Preview
Monday, January 05
MBB | Konkol Western Kentucky Preview
Tuesday, December 16