Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #96
Conference Rank: #5 Conference USA
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Danny Manning’s first year as a head coach went surprisingly well. Tulsa finished with a 17-16 record and a postseason trip. The postseason consisted of a whooping at the hands of Wright State in the CBI, but getting there was a major accomplishment for such a young team. The bar will be set higher this time and in a conference that does not have Memphis in it anymore, it could turn into a wide open race.
2012-13 Record: 17-16, 8-8
2012-13 Postseason: CBI
Coach: Danny Manning
Coach Record: 17-16 at Tulsa, 17-16 overall
Who’s Out:
The scoring punch of Scottie Haralson will be missed. He has been a prolific shooter throughout his collegiate career and in 2012-2013 he turned into the senior leader this team really needed him to be. He was more than a leader; Haralson also averaged 11.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest. The other major departure is Kauri Black. The 6-7 forward spent much of his senior season as the lone big man in a four guard offense. Black did not put up huge numbers, but he did what the Golden Hurricane needed him to do. With Zeldric King and Jamie Booker also moving on, the Tulsa bench could have some issues if injuries strike again, especially in the frontcourt where King was forced into 16.2 minutes per contest.
Who’s In:
The frontcourt is where the newcomers will need to be ready. Lew Evans’ one year of experience at Casper College in Wyoming could go a long way. Coach Manning wants some power forwards who can score inside and out and that is exactly what Evans brings to the table. While Evans will compete for minutes right away, Emmanuel Ezechinonso may need a little more time. The 6-11 freshman is raw offensively, yet he can get up and down the floor very well for a player his size and hit the glass. Tarekey Edogi and walk-on Riley Kemmer will add more depth in the paint. Stevie Repichowski and Marquel Curtis are the newcomers on the perimeter. Curtis is coming off of two very successful seasons at the junior college level and has the experience to immediately emerge as a major scoring threat. He is a tough 6-3 wing who can also shoot and he will score in bunches.
Who to Watch:
Tim Peete and Pat Swilling Jr. are the lone senior scholarship players on the roster. Peete started a majority of the games last season at the point, but was replaced. As far as true point guards go who can play tough defense, Peete is the best Tulsa can do right now, but his lack of scoring punch could keep him out of the starting lineup again. Sophomore Rashad Ray is an option to run the show as well. Swilling is a shooter. He does not take many shots inside the arc, yet he connected on nearly 41 percent of his attempts from long range and averaged 10.7 points per game. Coach Manning mostly utilized him as a shooter off of the bench and that could be the case again in 2013-2014. Sophomore Shaquille Harrison is really a slashing wing, but he can handle the ball too and it was Harrison who was running the point much of the time when Peete was on the bench. He did lead the squad with 2.8 assists per contest. Harrison never found his shooting touch yet he can score by attacking the basket. The backcourt talent continues with James Woodard, who averaged a team high 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds. The 6-3 sophomore did more than his part on the glass and should be able to spend more time worrying about scoring if the Golden Hurricane can manage to find enough frontcourt depth to keep the wings on the wing.
Final Projection:
That depth in the frontcourt will come from the newcomers, but there are returning options too. Most notable is Rashad Smith, who was averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds before suffering a season ending injury four games into the 2012-2013 season. It was that injury which forced Tulsa to play small. D’Andre Wright has more size at 6-9 and 247 pounds. He has a knack for getting into foul trouble, but that should be less of an issue with a year of experience under his belt. Wright proved to be the most capable interior scorer on the team. Brandon Swannegan is yet another sophomore forward who suddenly looks relatively experienced. If Smith can get back into form and Wright can improve on his promising freshman campaign, Tulsa should have a player who can score in the paint on the floor at all times. That will create space for Woodard and Harrison to slash to the basket and Swilling to knock down three’s. The conference’s ninth best offense a season ago will be much more potent.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Tim Peete, Senior, Guard, 3.0 points per game
Shaquille Harrison, Sophomore, Guard, 6.8 points per game
James Woodard, Sophomore, Guard, 12.0 points per game
Rashad Smith, Sophomore, Forward, 14.5 points per game
D’Andre Wright, Sophomore, Forward, 8.5 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.9 (158th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.2 (212, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.4 (173, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.1 (91, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (268, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.1 (166, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.0 (248, 9)
Rebound Margin: 1.6 (125, 8)
Assists Per Game: 11.8 (243, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.7 (275, 9)
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