Hurricane-force speed
BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Sunday, November 11, 2012
11/11/12 at 5:55 AM
During the first half of last week's University of Tulsa basketball exhibition against Panhandle State at the Reynolds Center - as the Golden Hurricane led by only five points - a longtime TU fan sent a text message to a Tulsa World writer.
The message: "Don't give a (bleep) how many games they win. It's already better."
And that was before the Hurricane really hit its stride.
The combination of smothering defensive pressure and 63 percent shooting lifted Tulsa to a 19-point lead with 15 minutes left to play and to a 37-point cushion with six minutes remaining. TU prevailed 113-70.
There are no more exhibitions. There are games - beginning with Sunday's 7 p.m. opener against visiting LSU-Shreveport (an NAIA program coached by former TU guard Kyle Blankenship).
As a two-time All-American at Kansas, Danny Manning played in 147 games. In 15 NBA seasons, he played in 926. As a head coach, his experience begins on Sunday with the Golden Hurricane.
"I'll be a little nervous and have a little anxiety," said Manning, who became Tulsa's head man after working on Bill Self's Kansas staff for nine seasons. "As a player, I got a little nervous before the games."
For the opener, prices on all tickets and concessions are reduced by 50 percent. Each fan in attendance receives a Tulsa basketball T-shirt. Inscribed on the back: "I Believe in D'Mann."
The fans will see perhaps the most relentlessly uptempo Hurricane team since Nolan Richardson coached at TU 30 years ago.
"Coach Manning wants a lot of speed on the court," said point guard Rashad Ray, one of six first-year freshmen on Manning's roster.
Said junior guard Tim Peete: "Get ready to see a lot of running. This team is probably looked at as undersized, but we'll play bigger than we look."
TU has only one player - freshman forward D'Andre Wright - who is as tall as 6-foot-8, and he's not in the starting lineup. Manning will start the same five who started in the exhibition victories over Emporia State and Panhandle State: a pair of 6-7 forwards, Rashad Smith and Kauri Black, along with guards Scottie Haralson, James Woodard and Shaq Harrison.
"Those guys have played well together," Manning said. "It's a good group."
Woodard, who totaled 23 points and five assists against Panhandle State, has shown signs of being an immediately effective freshman.
The Hurricane next travels to California to play in a University of San Diego-hosted event. TU faces Northern Kentucky on Thursday, USD on Friday and Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
Tulsa's next two home dates are set for Nov. 21 (against Jackson State) and Nov. 24 (against Stephen F. Austin).
Nick Wood, a walk-on from Cascia Hall, is among Manning's six first-year freshmen.
"There are days when this (Tulsa) team isn't at its top level. Everybody has those days," Wood said. "But on those days when everybody is clicking on all cylinders, I can tell this is going to be an exciting season."
LSU-Shreveport at Tulsa
7 p.m. Sunday
Reynolds Center
Radio: KRMG fm102.3, am740
LSU-Shreveport (1-0)
|
|
Ht. |
Pt. |
Rb. |
| F |
Reid |
6-6 |
9.0 |
10.0 |
| F |
Harris |
6-5 |
10.0 |
15.0 |
| C |
Malone |
6-6 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
| G |
Politte |
6-2 |
20.0 |
8.0 |
| G |
Jones |
6-1 |
13.0 |
4.0 |
Tulsa (0-0)
|
|
Ht. |
Pt. |
Rb. |
| F |
Black |
6-7 |
4.4 |
3.2 |
| F |
Smith |
6-7 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
| G |
Haralson |
6-4 |
11.1 |
2.3 |
| G |
Woodard |
6-4 |
-- |
-- |
| G |
Harrison |
6-3 |
-- |
-- |
*TU stats from last season
Bill Haisten 918-581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Tulsa head coach Danny Manning makes his regular-season debut Sunday against LSU-Shreveport. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World
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