Bench play is essential for TU basketball team
BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Thursday, November 15, 2012
11/15/12 at 6:02 AM
Because University of Tulsa basketball coach Danny Manning demands such a relentlessly fast pace on offense and constant pressure on defense, four and sometimes five of his reserves will get significant playing time.
During Sunday's 110-54, season-opening rout of LSU-Shreveport, TU got 43 points from its bench. That level of production is impossible to sustain, but Manning says consistent bench scoring is essential for the Golden Hurricane.
In the opener, 10 Tulsa players were on the court for at least 11 minutes.
"I would like to see our bench outscore the other team's bench every game," Manning said. "Is that going to happen? I don't think so. But that's the goal."
After playing two exhibitions and the LSU-Shreveport game at the Reynolds Center, Manning's inexperienced Hurricane travels to California for a University of San Diego-hosted event. TU faces Northern Kentucky on Thursday (6:30 p.m. Central), San Diego on Friday (9 p.m.) and Cal State Northridge on Saturday (7 p.m.).
Northern Kentucky is a first-year NCAA Division I program and a new member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. In Division II last season, the Norse were 23-7. While Manning has six first-year freshmen on his roster, Northern Kentucky has nine freshmen.
It is expected that Manning will continue with the same starting lineup that includes freshman guards James Woodard and Shaq Harrison, senior guard Scottie Haralson, sophomore forward Rashad Smith and senior forward Kauri Black.
Against LSU-Shreveport, Woodard scored 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting overall and 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. TU shot 52 percent from the field and 25-of-30 from the foul line.
Hurricane forward D'Andre Wright had an eventful 11-minute run against LSU-Shreveport. The 6-foot-8 freshman from Lawton was 8-of-10 on free throws and totaled 12 points and four rebounds.
"D'Andre did some really good things," Manning said. "There will be times when he'll play 20-something minutes, depending on match-ups and foul trouble and injuries. We'll have quite a few guys averaging 12 minutes and above. Probably 10 guys, for sure. You have to do that because of our style of play."
Said Wright: "You just do the most you can do with the minutes that (Manning) gives you. I'll just play as hard as I can for as long as he wants me on the court. When you're out there, you've got to produce."
NUCDF tournament
TU vs. Northern Kentucky
6:30 p.m. Thursday
University of San Diego
Radio: KRMG fm102.3, am740
Tulsa (1-0)
| | Ht. | Pt. | Reb. |
| F |
Black |
6-7 |
8.0 |
9.0 |
| F |
Smith |
6-7 |
8.0 |
5.0 |
| G |
Haralson |
6-4 |
14.0 |
5.0 |
| G |
Woodard |
6-4 |
28.0 |
5.0 |
| G |
Harrison |
6-3 |
9.0 |
2.0 |
Northern Kentucky (0-0)
| | Ht. | Pt. | Reb. |
| F |
Watson |
6-7 |
6.3 |
4.7 |
| F |
Jones |
6-4 |
10.7 |
2.9 |
| G |
Johnson |
5-9 |
- |
- |
| G |
Jackson |
6-4 |
9.4 |
5.3 |
| G |
Faulkner |
6-1 |
10.0 |
3.6 |
Statistics from the 2011-12 season. Guard Todd Johnson is a freshman
Original Print Headline: TU reserves ready to play
Bill Haisten 918-581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com
