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When TU was Elite

Ten years ago, Bill Self coached the Golden Hurricane to a 32-5 record and within one game of advancing to the Final Four
Members of TU's 1999-2000 team huddle before a home game against SMU. TU's 70-59 win was one of 32 wins that season. Tom Gilbert/Tulsa World file
Members of TU's 1999-2000 team huddle before a home game against SMU. TU's 70-59 win was one of 32 wins that season. Tom Gilbert/Tulsa World file
From left, Eric Coley, Tony Heard, Marcus Hill and Greg Harrington (in back) sit at the Reynolds Center during an NCAA Tournament watch party in 2000. Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World file1999-2000 TU basketball team. COURTESY/University of TulsaTU’s Dante Swanson, DeAngelo McDaniel, Bill Self andBrandon Kurtz celebrate in the closing seconds of a winover Miami (Fla). Tulsa World fileTU’s David Shelton, shownagainst Miami (Fla.) onMarch 24, 2000, played akey role in the Golden Hurricane’swin over Cincinnati,totaling 14 points and sevenrebounds. Tulsa World file

 By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 3/26/2010  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 3/26/2010  5:16 AM
Watch TU’s 2000 NCAA Tournament games against Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina.

Related story: After stellar career, Coley found trouble.

WHEN BILL SELF met with reporters in October 1999, his comments were not tempered. His message was bold.

"I think we could make a strong case that the University of Tulsa basketball program is the best in the state," the Golden Hurricane coach said. " ... This team has a chance to be very, very good."

A few months before the 2000 Oklahoma Sooner football team achieved a 13-0 record and the national championship, the TU basketball team supercharged the city of Tulsa with the greatest season in school history.

The Hurricane was 32-5 and ranked in 13 consecutive Associated Press polls. TU captured the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title and finished two baskets shy of crashing the NCAA Tournament's Final Four.

Seeded seventh in the NCAA, TU eliminated UNLV and Cincinnati during the opening weekend. This week is the 10th anniversary of the Hurricane's South Region games in Austin. In a Sweet Sixteen showdown, TU prevailed 80-71 over Miami (Fla.).

At the Elite Eight level, TU was matched with an elite opponent — the North Carolina Tar Heels.

North Carolina was an eight seed and had 13 losses. Ten years ago, TU was as prominent within the mid-majors classification as Gonzaga and Butler are today. In 2000, TU was making its sixth NCAA appearance in seven seasons. In three of those appearances, the Hurricane surged to at least the Sweet Sixteen.

Against the Tar Heels, TU was a four-point favorite to win and move on to the Final Four.

It didn't happen. TU's rhythm was rocked by foul trouble and lousy shooting. Late free throws sealed a 59-55 Tar Heel triumph.

The state of Oklahoma nearly had two representatives in the 2000 Final Four. While TU was edged by North Carolina in the South Region finale, Oklahoma State lost 77-65 to Florida in the championship game of the East Region. In the Final Four, Florida defeated North Carolina and Michigan State beat Wisconsin. In the championship game, Michigan State was an 89-76 winner over Florida.

"I think about that season a lot," former TU guard Tony Heard said. "I've got a lot of pictures from that season in my house.

"You meet people all the time who talk about that season. They'll say something like, 'Hey, my son was born that weekend when you guys went to the Elite Eight!' People seem to remember it so well, and then you realize how special that season was."

Kevin Johnson was a TU redshirt freshman forward in 1999-2000.

"That season seems like yesterday to me," said Johnson, now 30. "But now I'll walk around the campus and I don't know anyone, and I think, 'Man, I'm getting old.' It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years."

The 1999-2000 Golden Hurricane lost five times — to North Carolina, three times to Fresno State and to Oral Roberts — by a combined total of 11 points.

In 35 of Tulsa's 37 games, Self's starters were guards Greg Harrington, Marcus Hill and Heard, along with forward Eric Coley and center Brandon Kurtz. Sixth man David Shelton, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward, was the Hurricane's leading scorer with a 13.5-point average.

The Hurricane backcourt had a strong local presence. Hill, a junior, and freshman Antonio Reed were Booker T. Washington High School alumni. Freshman Dante Swanson was a budding star from Wagoner.

"We were practicing against Dante Swanson and Antonio Reed every day in practice, and those guys played hard," Heard said. "A lot of the guys who didn't get a lot of minutes or glory, they pushed the starters very hard because they wanted more minutes and more glory. We had to work hard to keep those spots as starters."

In 1999-2000 — TU's first full season at the 8,355-seat Reynolds Center — the Hurricane's attendance average was 8,184. There were 11 sellouts.

"The newness of the arena, boy, it made a decided difference in the program and the excitement about TU basketball," said Billy Gillispie, who was a Self assistant at TU and Illinois before serving as head coach at UTEP, Texas A&M and Kentucky. "The thing I remember the most about that TU team was that it had an unbelievable spirit. Great confidence. Not cockiness. There weren't just two or three good players. Every single one of them was a good player. It's not that common that every single guy on a roster can really play.

"Time goes by so fast. It doesn't seem possible that it's been 10 years. A lot of things have happened since then — for all us."

While Self had expressed great confidence during the 1999-2000 preseason, even he did not expect such a smashing road victory in the opener. At Rhode Island, TU raced to a 15-0 lead, built a 36-point cushion and won 91-66. A month later, in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, the Hurricane beat Boston College 80-66, Charlotte 76-60 and 11th-ranked Tennessee 88-68.

"Seeing how the pieces were starting to fit — I was so excited about that team," Self said recently. "To have a team that might have a chance to make a run at the Final Four — the first time I thought that was when we were in Puerto Rico."

Johnson remembers the Rhode Island and Puerto Rican conquests as having been "eye-opening" for Hurricane players.

"Honestly, during the preseason, I don't remember thinking that we could be great," Johnson says. "I just remember coach Self was killing us with conditioning. We were by far the best-conditioned team I've ever played on, and we were fighters. Physically, we were the toughest team I've ever been with.

"We felt good about the Rhode Island game, and then after the Puerto Rico trip, we were like, 'wow.' It showed that we could play with anybody in the country."

Said Shelton: "By the time we got back from Puerto Rico, I knew what kind of team we had."

The single biggest shot of the 1999-2000 season was launched by Heard in the regular-season finale at SMU. He swished an off-balance, right-corner 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and TU eventually won 83-78 in double overtime. The Hurricane had clinched the WAC title.

After falling 75-72 in the WAC Tournament championship at arch-rival Fresno State, TU began its memorable run in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. For Self, the 1999-2000 season was his third and final season at TU. In June 2000, he was hired by Illinois.

"Our practices that season were as good as any I've been around," Gillispie said. "That TU team had such a great work ethic to go with great talent. It was a fun season and a great season.

"No disrespect to North Carolina, but we definitely expected to win that game. I think we would have represented TU very well in the Final Four."

TU’s 2000 NCAA Tournament run

  • First round (Nashville, Tenn.): Seeded seventh in the South Region, TU defeated UNLV 89-62.

  • Second round (Nashville, Tenn.): During a 69-61, triumph over Cincinnati, TU’s Eric Coley totaled 16 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and four steals.

  • Sweet Sixteen (Austin, Texas): In an 80-71 triumph over Miami (Fla.), all five TU starters scored in double figures.

  • Elite Eight (Austin, Texas): TU was matched with North Carolina. The Hurricane had a one-point halftime lead, but TU’s David Shelton and Eric Coley were dogged by foul problems. The Tar Heels won 59-55 and advanced to the Final Four.

1999-2000 facts and figures

  • With a 32-5 record, TU set the school record for single-season victories.


  • TU recorded 25 victories by at least 10 points and captured the WAC regular- season championship.


  • TU climbed to as high as 12th in the AP Top 25.


  • Through 20 games, TU was 19-1. The Hurricane was the first team in the nation to reach both the 20- and 25-win marks.


  • Of the 15 games played at TU’s Reynolds Center, 11 were sellouts.


  • Against Top 25 opponents, TU was 3-0 with victories over seventh-ranked Cincinnati, 11th-ranked Tennessee and 23rd-ranked Miami (Fla.).


  • TU finished second nationally in scoring margin (plus-17.5 points per game) and third in winning percentage (.865).


1969-2010: TU’s top five

Tulsa World Sports Writer Barry Lewis has regularly attended University of Tulsa basketball games since 1969. Below are his rankings of TU’s top teams during the past 41 years:

1

2000 (32-5): Bill Self’s final Hurricane team fell just short of the Final Four with a 59-55 loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight after rolling past UNLV, Cincinnati and Miami (Fla.) in the NCAA Tournament.

2

1994 (23-8): Stunned UCLA and Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament for the Hurricane’s first Sweet Sixteen trip. Took national champion Arkansas to overtime in the regular season and lost to the Razorbacks in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. TU’s Gary Collier led the NCAA Tournament in scoring average (31.3).

3

1984 (27-4): Opened season 15-0 and won Missouri Valley Tournament on Ricky Ross’ last-second basket.

After receiving a first-round bye, lost on a last-second shot to Louisville in the NCAA’s second round.

4

1995 (24-8): Tubby Smith’s second Sweet Sixteen team was led by leading scorer Shea Seals and Alvin Williamson, who was nearly flawless at point guard.

Defeated Illinois and Old Dominion in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Massachusetts.

5

1981 (26-7): In his first season as coach, Nolan Richardson led an amazing turnaround after TU had gone 8-19 the previous year. No one could stop Paul Pressey, Mike Anderson and Greg Stewart from lifting the Hurricane to the NIT title with an overtime victory over Syracuse. Most of the key players returned to lead TU to the NCAA’s second round and a Valley tournament title in 1982.

1999-2000 Golden Hurricane roster

Coach: Bill Self

Assistants: Billy Gillispie, Norm Roberts, John Phillips

Points Reb.
F David Shelton (Jr.) 13.5 4.5
F Eric Coley (Sr.) 11.3 6.8
C Brandon Kurtz (Sr.) 11.2 7.0
G Marcus Hill (Jr.) 11.2 4.2
G Greg Harrington (So.) 10.8 2.7
G Tony Heard (Sr.) 9.7 2.3
F Dante Swanson (Fr.) 5.5 1.2
F Charlie Davis (Fr.) 2.5 2.5
F Kevin Johnson (Fr.) 2.4 1.5
F DeAngelo McDaniel (So.) 1.8 1.5
G Antonio Reed (Fr.) 1.8 1.1
G Demario Hooper (Fr.) 1.2 0.7


Assists per game: Coley 3.4, Heard 3.4.

Steals per game: Coley 3.3 (season total of 123 was a school record).

Total blocks: Kurtz 47, Coley 46.

Starters: guards Greg Harrington, Tony Heard, and Marcus Hill, along with forward Eric Coley and center Brandon Kurtz.

Leading scorer: Reserve forward David Shelton, who averaged 13.5 points and 22 minutes.

Attendance: In 15 dates at the 8,355-seat Reynolds Center, TU’s attendance average was 8,184. There were 11 sellouts.

Bill Self’s departure

When the University of Tulsa drove to the brink of the 2000 Final Four, Bill Self was named by the Sporting News as the national coach of the year.

Self, then 37, had become a hot commodity.

Nebraska stepped forward with a big-money offer, but it was Illinois of the Big Ten that captured Self’s attention. TU officials were committed to a pay increase for Self (a raise from $350,000 to $550,000), but they couldn’t compete with the Illinois offer of about $1 million a year.

Eleven weeks after he had coached TU to the NCAA Elite Eight, Self was hired by Illinois.

“I remember that meeting with coach Self, when he said, ‘I’m leaving,’ “ recalls David Shelton, who was a junior forward for the 1999-2000 Golden Hurricane.

“Until then, I always thought, ‘He’s not going anywhere. Why would he leave this situation, with all of these great players?’ But he did leave, and it hurt us.

Driven by players who were recruited by Self, TU made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. The Hurricane hasn’t been in the NCAA field since.

At TU, Illinois and Kansas, Self-coached teams have made 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His 2008 Kansas squad captured the national championship.

The 1999-2000 coaching staff

Bill Self: After taking TU to two NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons, Self coached for three seasons at Illinois.

Since 2003, he has been the head coach at Kansas.

Billy Gillispie: After serving as a Self assistant at TU and Illinois, Gillispie was the head coach at UTEP (2002-04), Texas A&M (2004-07) and Kentucky (2007-09).

Norm Roberts: A Self assistant at Oral Roberts, TU and Illinois, Roberts was the St. John’s head coach for six seasons. He was dismissed from the job last week.

John Phillips: After Self departed for Illinois, Phillips stayed at TU as an assistant to Buzz Peterson.

When Peterson left for Tennessee after one season, Phillips was promoted to TU’s head-coaching position. Phillips resigned in December 2004.

David Shelton’s role

At Western Hills High School in Cincinnati, David Shelton scored 27 points per game and was an All-State selection.

At Independence (Kan.) Community College, he averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds.

“I had always been the best player on my teams,” Shelton says now.

But when he arrived at TU in 1999, as a junior-college transfer, Shelton was asked to be a role player — the Golden Hurricane’s sixth man. Instead of pouting about it, he accepted the assignment. As a junior forward for a Hurricane team that recorded 32 victories, he averaged 22 minutes and a team-leading 13.5 points per game.

“Coach Self pulled me into his office and said, ‘You can be a starter and be a great player on an OK team, or we can have you come off the bench, give you the same amount of minutes, and you can be a good player on a great team,’ “ Shelton recalls. “At first, it didn’t make sense to me. I could have made a fuss about it, but that wasn’t in my character. So, I trusted him and did my role. As it turned out, he knew what he was talking about.

In TU’s NCAA second-round triumph over his hometown Cincinnati Bearcats, Shelton totaled 14 points and seven rebounds.

“When David would come in off the bench, he was always scorching,” said Tony Heard, Shelton’s former TU teammate.

“That was his role — to score. It took people a while to realize what a great shooter he was.

After playing professional basketball in Europe, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and after having sampled various American minor leagues, Shelton sustained a careerending leg injury two years ago. Today, he is a self-described “9-to-5 guy” who works in the Cincinnati entertainment industry, both in promotions and event security.

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com

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COMMENTS 


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If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the Tulsa World web staff to review the comment and either let it remain or delete it. Comments that will be removed include those that try to bypass our profanity word filter, personal attacks or any other inappropriate comments. Thank you, Web Editor Jason Collington Report Comment

Some reader comments for this page were copied from "Coming Friday: 10 years ago, TU nearly advanced to the Final Four," which was published on 3/25/2010.

GoldenDriller1, Out of Town (5 months ago)
Oh those were the days of TU glory. Not seen since and most likely not to be seen under the present coaching staff.
How do we get back to where we were? I guess do the things we used to do. What were the ingredients that made us a respected and feared mid-major? There are programs at small private schools that are good year after year. Why aren't we? Anyway it was good to relive the past for a few minutes. Those were good and fun times that I hope we can enjoy again soon.
Those were fun times in Tulsa. It seems like the basketball program has support from the administration. Everyone involved with that athletic department wants to see success in hoops. That leads me to believe it boils down to coaching and execution. Both seem to be lacking, unfortunately.
BLA, Tulsa (5 months ago)
I remember every game like it happened yesterday. I hate Courtney Alexander! That team had amazing chemistry and to think of the players who came off the bench for that team (Swanson, Reed, Shelton, KJ, and Charlie Davis).

How to get back...find those under appreciated players with upside like KJ and Swanson. Scour Beggs for another great point guard with the toughness of Pooh Williamson and Rod Thompson. KJ was home-schooled and didn't play for a big program in Houston, yet Bill Self (or more likely Billy Gillespie) found him. Then keep the players you get. Watching Xavier last night reminded me that Jamel McLean played every game his freshman year. Can you imagine what could have happened with him and Jerome patrolling the front court?
TheFoundOgle, Mid-town (5 months ago)
Exactly BLA, exactly.

Thanks for the great trip down memory lane Mr. Haisten. That was an excellet run. I was a Junior at the time, and was one of the lucky ones who got tickets to Austin via the ticket lottery. I will never forget that experience.
Carrie, Tulsa (5 months ago)
TU should join the Missouri Valley Conference again.
KYCane, Crestwood (5 months ago)
TU will always be elite for this TU grad.
BLA I agree, recruiting is the place to start. Regardless of Billy Gillespie's problems he was a great recruiter. Same with Norm Roberts who just lost his job at St. John's. They and other TU coaches could find and see talent where other programs didn't. Some were highly rated and sought after, but many were not. So to me the major difference between then and now is that those teams were TEAMS. Give me a TEAM of 5 good players anytime over a group of MCD all americans who aren't a TEAM.
Rocketman, Tulsa (5 months ago)
I used to look forward to going to TU games, now I really dread going to them and probably only made it to half the games this year and I have six season tickets, lower level mid court. I am not sure how much longer I will keep them, I can't even give them away when I know I am not going.
Guillermo, (5 months ago)
TU fans are frustrated, rightfully so.

Let's see what transpires regarding next year.

The lack of talent has hurt, TU continues to battle lesser name schools for talent and it shows.

We need a recruiter that knows talent, that would be half the battle.
Golden Hurricane, Tulsa (5 months ago)
Those were great, great times! We used to simply block out the month of March because we wanted to go wherever TU went in the NCAA's.

No such problem now; spring break plans are wide open these days.
Golden Hurricane, Tulsa (5 months ago)
Oh, I forgot to thank John Phillips for ending the fun for everyone. Phillips wrecked such a great program with so much ease it's beyond belief. Sad. And all done in the name of wanting a coach that would never leave. Oh well, maybe we'll be back someday.
Ignatz, after 50 years in OK, a nice town in Texas (5 months ago)
GH, I blame the people (Search Committee and AD) who hired Phillips more than Phillips himself. After all, was there a single knowledgable b-ball fan who really thought John could bring "it?" Back to the BIG YEAR, I could sense (after having seen all but eight games that year) that Greg Harrington was having customary late game "brain farcs" and still believe that had Dante Swanson replaced him with 4 minutes to go TU would have beaten NC.Oh well. Great memories. I remember Self telling me at a"Fight Night" deal the year before that "You watch our team next year, we'll be great." No false modesty for that guy.
Rocketman, Tulsa (5 months ago)
Let's list the benefits of having a mediocre team.

1. Wont' lose coach.
2. Spring Break can be planned months in advance.
3. Easy parking.
4. Short lines at concession areas.
5. Watch half time entertainment and still go to the restroom with time to spare.
Rocketman, Tulsa (5 months ago)
6. The roar of the crowd will not hurt your ears.
7. You can put your coat in the seat next to you.
Former gcane, Raleigh (5 months ago)
don't forget
8. You can easily get free tickets
Former gcane, Raleigh (5 months ago)
What magazine had the article on TU basketball? It talked about how dominant the program was and how we were either the winningest or second winningest program over a certain time period. I would really like to look that article up.
'50s man, (5 months ago)
ESPN had a report that TU coach Wojcik was on the consideration list of St. Johns to replace the fired Norm Roberts. Why doesn't TU just make a deal with St. Johns to swap Roberts for Wojcik?

Or, better yet, give a call to Billy Gillispie?
Kilgore.Trout, Tulsa (5 months ago)
Boy, I thought that team was ranked much higher than 12th at one point in time.

That team could spread a defense and had guys who could take the ball & penetrate where they would score or get to the line. Greg Harrington and Heard were two good guards. Swanson played great against NC. NC had too much height with Coley & Shelton in foul trouble. Marcus Hill was underrated, though I believe he made the all-tournament team from the Puerto Rican tournament. David Shelton was a beast when he got the ball in the blocks & a nightmare for other teams to defend.

Always loved the story on how we got Brandon Kurtz to come to TU after his bizarre recruiting trip to Fresno State via Tarkanian.
zephyr, Tulsa (5 months ago)
As this TU alumnus has stated to Dr. Upham, he has lost my financial support until Wojcik is gone. Bubba should be promoting Wojcik for Iowa and any other job that comes along so that Billy Gillespie can be hired ASAP. The mediocrity of the past 4 years and Wojcik's crappy attitude should not be tolerated by the AD or the administration.
Rocketman, Tulsa (5 months ago)
Crappy attitude? That is being generous!
jamesm, Tulsa (5 months ago)
@zephyr and others,

TU has lost your support? What do you mean? If you mean support in a general or emotional sense, you should always "support" your school. If you mean financial sense, how about giving to some academic program? There's more to TU than basketball or sports. It is a university, after all.

Incidentally, hasn't anyone here noticed that TU academic reputation has gone up tremendously since 2001? TU is the only school in Oklahoma ranked in the top 100 academically. We can all be proud of that.
zephyr, Tulsa (5 months ago)
I give financially to TU academics and will continue to do so. People are obviously voting their disapproval of Wojoball by attendance and season ticket sales declining. We can't afford him alienating fans and players any longer.
jamesm, Tulsa (5 months ago)
zephyr,

Thanks for the clarification. I am glad to hear that you ARE still giving to TU. They're doing some great things academically over there, and I hope that all of Tulsa will help them out.

(And yes, I give to TU, too.)
tulsa_wac, (5 months ago)
My oh my....has it been ten years.....I see lots of positive and negative comment in this here article....It has been awhile since TU was successful. I still remember the days when we were in Austin and my jaw practically drop to the floor while I was on the bench. I saw the shirt was ready for us if we were to take that game. I still remember Eric always calling me "Old Men," Although I was just the team manager, I felt everything from A-Z with this team I would go down with them again even at my age. For those in Tulsa World that made this article and those that have commented....Thanks for the memory....It means alot....
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