Tulsa and Creighton have had some good matchups over the years. However, in the current four game series between the two schools, the Bluejays have dominated, including a memorable Doug McDermott game three seasons ago at Tulsa to open the series.
As the Bluejays return to Tulsa, a lot of things have changed. The Golden Hurricane have their third coach in as many seasons and Tulsa has moved to the American Athletic Conference, while the Jays have lost Doug McDermott and had a successful first season in the Big East.
To get caught up on Tulsa, we reached out to the newest beat writer to follow the Golden Hurricane, Kelly Hines, from the ever popular Tulsa World . Here is what she had to say.
White & Blue Review: Heading into this season, what kind of expectations are there for Tulsa hoops and to where they will finish in the AAC?
Kelly Hines: I think the expectation was for this team to continue how last year ended even though it has a different coaching staff. That would mean making the NCAA Tournament again, but this time as an at-large bid. Tulsa was projected to be in the middle of the pack in the AAC, and I thought that was about right. They returned four starters and most of their scoring, so it seemed possible but has gotten off to a shaky start.
WBR: Tulsa has gone through a lot of transition over the past few years with different coaches. What kind of offensive and defensive style does Frank Haith bring and how does he fit into the Tulsa environment.
KH: Haith tweaked his style slightly to match what the team was successful with last year. They don’t have a lot of size, but they try to counter with athleticism. He wants a lot of ball movement, an uptempo offense. Defensively, he’s been willing to try a few things to see what will work, and to mixed results. It’s still a work in progress, a lot of inconsistency. But he brings a lot of energy and along with his veteran staff a ton of experience
WBR: How is the fanbase handling the state of Tulsa hoops? Is the program where they want it to be? Are fans getting restless for the Tulsa of old?
KH: There are still loyal fans, but attendance is definitely down — just like it is almost everywhere. In Oklahoma, the OKC Thunder is drawing more of the fair-weather fans of the four in-state schools. Even last year when TU was on its late-season run, it never sold out its 8,355-seat arena. The interest in the program isn’t what it used to be, regardless of results. It’s the smallest FBS school, so that equals fewer fans. I’m sure they want to see the program contending for championships ever year, but with the new league that’s even less realistic.
WBR: Which player does Creighton need to look out for on Wednesday night?
KH; I think the guards will match up nicely, but Creighton’s trio of big men (Artino, Hanson and Groselle) are potentially too much for an undersized Tulsa team to handle. Tulsa typically goes with four guards and one forward, but I don’t know what Haith will do against a bigger team. D’Andre Wright has a ton of potential but frequently gets into foul trouble, as does reserve forward Brandon Swannegan.
WBR: Who is a player that might be a surprise this season for Tulsa?
KH: It’s hard for any to be a surprise because of the experience on this team. There are 10 juniors, and all six players who are averaging at least seven points are among those. But of those, Wright was probably most poised for a breakout year. He might still could get there, but as I mentioned the foul trouble has been an issue and he can be unpredictable in terms of scoring. He has a nice outside shot but could do a lot more damage inside
WBR: What is the home court environment for Tulsa? Is the fanbase pretty engaged for the games?
KH: There hasn’t been a really interesting home game this season, so it’s been a little dead. Now that football season is over (complete with a fired coach), I would think there will be more attention on basketball and this game is a good barometer to see how interested the fanbase will be this year.
WBR: This is the last of a four game series between Creighton & Tulsa. Do you know if there are any other series lined up in the future? Does this matchup still make sense with both schools changing conferences in the last couple of years?
KH: I think it’s a great matchup even though Creighton has definitely had the upper hand in the entire series. I don’t know for sure how Haith feels about it, but he said very positive things about Creighton’s program this week. I haven’t heard if the series has been renewed, but it would make sense to continue this one along with Tulsa’s with Wichita State. Both series seem to go through stretches where one team is winning quite a few in a row, though.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will Tulsa need to do in order to take down the Bluejays and walk away with a win?
KH: I think it will be close, but I’ll give the nod to Creighton because it seems to be further along in its development this season than Tulsa, which is so up and down particularly with its shooting. Tulsa would have to get hot and stay hot, and that’s been a real struggle.