Old Titan Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Here's a little preseason pop quiz for ya. ORU could: A. Be better than last year B. Win the Summit League regular season title C. Win 20+ games D. Start the season 0-11 E. All of the above Believe it or not, the answer might be "E". Just look at these first 11 games of the year: Nov. 15 Tulsa - defending C-USA tournament champion, 21-13 last year, all five starters back. Nov. 19 at Missouri - the Tigers may be rebuilding under a new coach, but it's still an SEC-caliber team playing at home. Nov. 21 at Oregon State - With a new head coach and depleted roster, Oregon State may be the biggest question mark on ORU's non-conference schedule. But playing in Corvallis with PAC-12 refs 48 hours after the Missouri game in Columbia? Nov. 24 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in Las Vegas - Ragin' Cajuns went 23-12 last year while winning the Sun Belt, and are picked to repeat this year. 6'9" Shawn Long may be an NBA first-rounder (think Kenneth Faried). Nov. 25 vs. Milwaukee in Las Vegas - Defending Horizon League tournament champion with most of their roster back. Ineligible for postseason play due to APR issues. Game will be played less than 24 hours after the UL-L game. Dec. 1 at Weber State - Defending Big Sky regular season and tournament champion, preseason pick to repeat. ORU's fifth straight road game, at altitude. Dec. 7 Missouri State - If ORU doesn't have a win to this point, this might be their best chance. Still, the Bears won't be a pushover: they finished strong last year at 20-13, earning a CIT bid. Dec. 13 New Mexico State - Defending WAC champion with a 26-10 record last year, preseason pick to repeat. Huge front line. Dec. 16th at Oklahoma - The Sooners are a preseason Top 25 team and a dark horse pick to unseat Kansas as Big XII champions this year Dec. 20th at Memphis - While not as predictably strong as past years, the Tigers have a wealth of young NBA-caliber talent. Dec. 22 at Missouri State - No matter what happens in the Dec. 7 game with the Bears, you have to like the home team in a rematch just two weeks later. Holy cow - what an opening six weeks! Seven of those ten teams played in the NCAA tournament last year. In Vegas terms, ORU may be an underdog in every single game listed. What do YOU think the ORU record will be after these 11 games? (Personally, I think it will be 3-8, plus or minus one. And that's not an indictment of this team; it's just a brutal stretch of games.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGold Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 4-7 Wins over TU, Missouri State twice and NM State. Would have us 5-6 if we were playing OU at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Very tough schedule but TheEagleman agrees with BlueGold that ORU finds a way to win at least four of the first 11 games maybe even five.....no way we go 0-11....not if Emegano and Billbury remain healthy.....and I will be very disappointed if we lose to TU at home in front of a big homecoming crowd....I understand it's only game one but that contest is almost a must win..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Upon further review.....this is a really tough opening 11 games....you could make a case for us losing them all or winning them all (except TheEagleman doesn't think we can win at Missouri, OU and Memphis).....but ORU can surely win the other 8 games....will we?....uh, no.....I guess we would have to be happy if we can get half of them which would put us at 4-7....under the circumstances not a bad start but it doesn't look pretty in the paper.....Obi and Billbury are gonna have to step up and the team will need to remain healthy....we will need lots of contributions from our "big men" Owens and Henderson......TheEagleman has no idea which way this season will turn early...but as I stated above, it will all start with a big effort required in the TU game in the season opener on Homecoming weekend....that will set the tone......Expect a Miracle!...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenj Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 it will be interesting start to the season for sure. Of course on the TU board they are saying they will beat ORU easily this year. One of their fans has stated that Bilsbury is too big to play SG and too small to play PF but mostly plays PF. That right there tells you all you need to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Yeah, when the TU message board talks about Billbury playing power forward, what can you say to them? And, that is just one example...of many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Its just one month until the opener....Early Prediction from TheEagleman...........ORU 85 TU 55...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Its just one month until the opener....Early Prediction from TheEagleman...........ORU 85 TU 55...... And we're making fun of some of the wild statements on the TU board?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 TheEagleman just trying to stir them up even more at 11th and Harvard......that prediction should get them going....but I do think ORU will whip them on opening night.....if Obi and Korey are healthy and bring their A game....with a big homecoming crowd in attendence....ORU wins......going away.....but I admit it's still early.....official prediction to follow after our two pre-season games.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I thought we'd lose by 15 points at their place last year and we see how that turned out. Historically, especially at Mabee Center, this game has been VERY close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I am sure the game will be VERY competitive and exciting...especially with the large crowd which surely will include a lot of TU fans.....but this is a game that we have to win...it's important that ORU get off to a good start with the tough Nov/Dec schedule..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Agreed. This would be a big win, on many levels...(fan interest, student support, team confidence, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Yes....if we lose the TU game and are sitting at 2-9 or 3-8 or worse around Christmas time....there won't be much student interest once the Summit League games start in 2015.....lots of empty gold seats at Mabee Center....so the opener is really a must win for ORU the way I see it.....a victory would give the guys a lot of confidence and energize the fans.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 That first game places potentially a lot of pressure on the team. For some reason, historically Scott Sutton teams have started out a little sluggish and then eventually kicked it in. That was what made last year's win against TU that much sweeter. ORU didn't play great in that game, but they played better than previous season openers on the road and did enough to get the win. I thoroughly enjoyed that game last year. I expect that TU will play better in this game this year, but the challenge of a new coaching staff and all the adjustments that players normally have to make to a new system, etc., may work in our favor, because TU may not have everything fully figured out in mid-November. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 TU-ORU games are typically intense and ragged, with a ton of fouls called (and just as many not). The team that rebounds, plays defense and hits their free throws usually wins. Same as the first games of the year, no matter who the opponent is. Combine the two scenarios, and those "keys to success" are amplified exponentially. As talented as TU is, I still think ORU will be the better defensive, rebounding, and free throw shooting team of the two, barring injury/foul trouble to key players. Should be interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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