Editor's Note: Dick Weiss, a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, has covered college sports in Philadelphia and New York for more than 40 years. He will be providing regular commentary for the American Athletic Conference during the 2014-15 season.
Just as many of his predecessors did, Frank Haith has Tulsa primed for yet another postseason run.
by Dick Weiss
Tulsa basketball has always had a proud history. Eight consecutive coaches-- starting with Nolan Richardson and continuing with J.D. Barnett, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson, Bill Self, Buzz Peterson, John Phillips, Doug Wojcik and Danny Manning, have led the Golden Hurricane to either NCAA appearances on a postseason championship in the NIT or CBI since the 1980-81 season. Many of them used this job as a spring board to an higher paying coaching, more visible coaching position.
Richardson went on to win a national championship at Arkansas in 1994 and was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2014. Smith won a national championship at Kentucky in 1998 and Self coached Kansas to a national championship in 2008.
Tulsa's decision to hire Frank Haith came after Manning, who coached the Golden Hurricane to 21 wins, a Conference USA tournament title and its first NCAA appearance in a decade, resigned to take the Wake Forest job. It came as somewhat of a surprise. Haith had a good job at Missouri in the SEC. But he also had a vision of what his program could become a fluid, undervalued league that is the home of defending national champion UConn,and brand names like Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple, Houston and SMU.
"It's truly a blessing,'' Haith said at his introductory press conference. "When you look at the history of this prgoram, that's what made me interested in this job. I saw what Nolan, Tubby and Bill Self were able to accomplish. You want to be at a place where there's passion. And there was no question Tulsa's move to the American Athletic Conference was a part of making that decision. the strength of this league is phenomenal. It's a basketball league.''
The 48-year old Haith, a New Yorker who had a 76-28 record at Missouri and led the Tigers to two NCAA appearances in his three years in Columbia inherited a solid nucleus from Manning and has made Tulsa the flavor of the month in this upgraded conference. The Hurricane, which was picked to finish fifth in The American’s preseason poll, is 14-5 and a perfect 7-0 in league play. Tulsa just finished a week that highlighted by an impressive 73-54 victory over Memphis at the 8,300-seat Reynolds Center and a 66-64 victory over East Carolina Saturday at Minges Coliseum in Greenville.
Tulsa has now won nine straight games, 11 of its last 13, and has won 18 straight against conference opponents with a junior-heavy roster. The Hurricane has six returning juniors with significant playing experience – guards Shaquille Harrison, Rashad Ray, Rashad Smith and James Woodard and forwards Brandon Swannegan and D’Andre Wright – as well as two sophomores in forward TK Edogi and guard Stevie Repichowski
Harrison and Woodard have both emerged as stars in their first year in The American.
The 6-4 Harrison, a three-year starter from Lees Summit, Missouri, is averaging 15.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists and shooting 48.9 pecent. He was named The American’s Player the Week Jan. 12, after his 24-point performance in Tulsa’s win at Temple. He scored 19 points in the second half to lead the Golden Hurricane to a come-from-behind victory in the battle of conference unbeatens. Harrison made 7-of-11 field goals in the second half, and connected on 10-of-12 free throws, adding six rebounds, two assists and a steal in the contest . He was instrumental in Tulsa’s 19-1 run in the second half that propelled the Hurricane from an 11-point deficit to a seven-point lead late in the game. He scored nine points during the run, and 13 points in the final 10:46 to help secure the victory.
Woodard, a 6-3, three-year starter from Edmond Memorial High in Oklahoma, is averaging 15.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, and is a 1,000-point career scorer who is shooting 51.6 percent and 52.9 percent from the three. He has scored in double figures in 47 of the last 53 games and was named The American’s Player of the Week for a second time Jan. 19 when he averaged 21 points, shooting 52 percent from the field (12-for 23) and 61.5 percent from three point range, adding 4.5 rebounds and 15 steals in wins over UConn and USF. In the win over the Huskies, Woodward scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds on 6 of 12 shooting, including 3 for 6 three. At USF, he scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half.
Woodard scored 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in last Saturday's game against East Carolina. Harrison has 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Hurricane rallied from a 35-29 halftime deficit to win this one, breaking a 61-61 tie with five straight free throws.
In its last five games, the Golden Hurricane has put up big offensive performances in the second half. At Temple, Tulsa shot 56 percent in the second half (14-for-25), after shooting just 16 percent in the first half, to come back for a 63-56 win. Against UConn, Tulsa shot 50 percent in the second half (12-for-24), compared to 44 percent in the first period. At USF, Tulsa shot 60 percent (14-for-25) in the second half, compared to 40 percent (10-of-25) in the first. Against Memphis, Tulsa shot 48 percent (12-for-29) in the second half, compared to 33 percent (11-for-33) in the first half. And finally against East Carolina, Tulsa shot 50 percent in the second half after shooting just 10 for 28 in the first. And, after making just 1-of-12 3-point attempts in the opening half, the Hurricane knocked down 5-of-9 in the second. In the last five games, the Hurricane has shot 65- for-123 in the second half after making just of 45-of-134 in the first.
Tulsa, which leads the American in field goal defense, has held 18 of its last 19 opponents to less than 50 percent shooting. The Golden Hurricane is giving up just 61 points per game.
This is an experienced team that has built off the momentum gained from its NCAA appearance against UCLA and has received help in its development from a veteran coaching staff.
Haith, who in his 11th season as a head coach and his 29th overall as a college coach. Together with his three assistants, the Hurricane coaching staff has totaled more than 120 years of collegiate basketball coaching experience. Tom Abatemarco brings more than 40 years of coaching, and was head coach at Lamar, Drake and Sacramento State. Dennis Felton has 24 years of coaching experience, and served as the head coach at Western Kentucky and Georgia and Dave Leitao is in his 30th year as a college basketball coach, and was the head coach at DePaul and Virginia.
The Hurricane is blowing up a storm at just the right time in a league that is looking for some juice heading in March Madness.