Leaderboard

TheEagleman would also like to say this about Coach Folmar....and I don't know him and have never met the man....but my 17 yr old grandson is a HS baseball player/pitcher as some of you know....and after watching ORU win the Stillwater Regional this weekend and also the clip that Old Titan posted of our coach choking up at the presser yesterday Nolan has decided that he is going to apply to ORU for the 24-25 year and try to walk on to the baseball team if accepted....he still has other college options and is a top student and student council president so it's not cut in stone yet....but my point is that he was motivated by how our guys portrayed themselves on the field and how Coach Folmar showed his true emotions about his team in a public setting...bottom line is that this kind of stuff brings ORU into a positive light and makes kids want to come to 7777 So. Lewis....my grandson told me that he loved what he was seeing and wants to be a part of something like that.....now, I know that there are a lot better reasons than baseball to come to ORU but heck, the kid is 17 and not spiritually mature by a long shot....but if coming to ORU is part of Gods' plan to help Nolan grow then TheEagleman would love to see that....he may never see the field at ORU but he can learn a lot of other things about life and the Lord in Tulsa....we shall see how things play out over the next year but i will keep praying for him that he follows God and His Plan in all he does.....and not sure my daughter would support his decision to go to ORU...but God works in mysterious ways.....Expect a Miracle!!!

Well, after lots of questions and conjecture, they did it. ORU ran the table to go 18-0 in Summit League play. A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Coach Mills and the rest of the coaching staff, as well as to ALL the players for the great team effort this season. Looking forward to the conference tourney and keeping the streak alive! And congrats to everyone on the message board for your contributions.

Here is my highlight. I introduced myself to Max’s dad and while we were talking Max showed up.

I have to admit that the last few weeks have been very challenging for me as an ORU fan. Golden Eagle Nation was very spoiled in 2023 with two incredible stories that carried our MBB team to an undefeated conference season and a NCAA tourney berth, followed by a remarkable CWS run by ORUBASE. The positive momentum during 2023 was palpable, and with the opening of the Mike Carter Athletic Center and the prospect of even more talented recruits, I was very excited headed into 2024. Yes, Coach Mills and three starters were gone, but the hiring of HCRS brought Issac, DJ and Kareem back into the fold. And, Coach Folmar amazingly recommitted to stay as ORUBASE Coach at a time when his market value was at an all-time high. Surely, this was FINALLY the time when ORU Athletics would rise above its place in the lowly Summit and become a mid-major power in both of its two high-profile sports. And, of course, all of those dreams have been dashed and the positive momentum has “left the station” after a losing MBB season and one of the worst starts to an ORUBASE season in the past decade. One thing that I have learned through all of this is to just “enjoy the moment”. Instead of looking to build a foundation for the future (and therefore becoming disappointed), I hope that I can remember the 2023 athletic year for all of the joy and excitement that it brought me, and the incredible year I enjoyed with the diehard ORU fans who surrounded me on that journey. And, while I am hopeful that ORU will have similar experiences sometime in the near future, I realize that it is not likely for ORU to remain at the mountain top for an extended period of time in this era of collegiate sports. I don’t know if any other members of this board have felt the same way recently, but I have to admit that I feel a little bit better after preparing this post. Message board = good therapy

You can now add my freshman son Seth Kruse to that Roster as a new walk on. Don't feel old enough to have a college kid. Seems like yesterday I was playing on the Mabee Center floor at ORU.

Congratulations on a tournament championship. Thanks for the hospitality here on your forum. I enjoy the discourse and learning obout our opponents when given the opportunity. Good luck in the dance.

No better time than right now to let everyone know how great it's been interacting with you all on orusports.com this past year, in what I believe ORUTerry told me is the TWENTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this forum (is that possible??) It's been a fun year on "the ol' message board" in 2022, and it looks like we're headed into 2023 with fantastic momentum both on the court and here on the site. Wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! "WAR EAGLES!!"

Here are some of my observations of the game experience in Logan, that you may not have noticed from the live-stream. Arena: The Utah State arena was constructed in 1970, and is shaped very similar to the Mabee Center, except there is no upper bowl, and the seats are much closer to the court. As such, the crowd noise is very loud on the court. Overall, Mabee Center is a much nicer venue, even BEFORE the recent remodel. Crowd: The Utah State student section was loud, boisterous, and very engaged in the game, but their approach to the game was a complete reversal of what I had experienced two weeks earlier in our season opener. Whereas the St. Mary’s crowd was very positive in supporting their team and very classy to the opposition, the USU fans were focused on berating their opponent and the officials and attempting to get “in their heads”, with very little cheering FOR the home team (not judging whether the approach was "right or wrong", just noting the difference). While most of their chants are not worth repeating, I must admit that I did chuckle at their “Daddy Long Legs” taunt when Connor was shooting free throws. And, one student held a clever sign that showed a big picture of a toothbrush, with the comment “Oral B > Oral Roberts”. I’m sure she did that just for tmh8286. Utah State is also cursed with one of the worst school spirit songs known to mankind. The lyrics are (and no, I’m not making this up): “Show me a Scotsman who doesn’t love the thistle, show me an Englishman who doesn’t love the rose. Show me a true-blooded Aggie from Utah, who doesn’t love the spot where the sagebrush grows.” Seriously??? If the lyrics aren’t bad enough, the melody of the song is akin to the Beer Barrel Polka, which is not a good combination. But, I have to hand it to Aggieland, as they have mastered the art of putting "lipstick on a pig" by embracing this song, adding wildly animated hand motions similar to a Sunday School rendition of “Father Abraham”, and the entire arena sings it with gusto. Which they did - not once, not twice, but FIVE times during the game. I can only compare it to being from Stillwater and hearing “Boomer Sooner” over and over and over again – or experiencing the calling of the Hogs in Fayetteville. I still have the tune living in my head… Former Golden Eagle Emir Ahmedic attended the game and was greeted warmly by his former teammates. I love it when someone that has left our program (for any variety of reasons) comes back to support the team. This game was played at a high intensity – similar to a late season road game at a Summit League contender – or even a conference tourney semi-final. Coach Mills was as animated and focused as I have ever seen him. He was very vocal with the team – both in his encouragement and his admonishment. I sensed that he REALLY wanted this game, as it is the last Top 50 team we will play this regular season. Having watched or attended all six games this season, I believe that this was our best overall performance so far – certainly much better than we played at St. Mary’s. Overall, I thought the officiating was decent. It did seem to me that some calls in the last few minutes of the game went against us, but they didn’t determine the outcome of the game - only increased the final margin of victory. I am NOT a fan of the new “immediate flop technical” rule. Players can slip, get bumped while off-balance, etc. and fall, with no intent to “flop” – and it’s a challenge for the ref to make a snap judgment. It also destroys the flow of the game to halt the game for the free throw – which happened three times last night. I much prefer the former “flop warning”, which would’ve at least reduced last night’s stoppages to one. ORU is a MUCH better team – both offensively and defensively – with Connor Vanover on the court. He looks so lanky and thin, but he is very effective defending the paint and his height and wingspan not only lead to blocked shots (national leader), but forces opponents to redirect their normal shot direction and angle. And he hasn’t shown a propensity to foul, which is pretty remarkable. He definitely frustrated the Aggie interior offense. I think he will be a strong candidate for All-Summit League honors by the end of the season. Speaking of All-League, Max is not being Max, at least not yet. I don’t know what the challenge is, but we are fortunate to have enough talent around him to cover for him while he’s in this “slump”. I do think he will come around, but I’m certainly no expert in physiology or sports psychology, so I’m just hoping that I'm right. Last night, when the team was taking the floor for the opening tip, Coach Mills fist-bumped Max, looked in his eyes and told him to “go off”. Talk about having a green light from the Coach! If I had received that vote of confidence from my coach before a game, I would’ve pulled up for a three-point shot as soon as I crossed the half-court line for the first time! But, as we all know, it didn’t happen. Max finished with a “quiet” 17 points, and never really showed what we know he is capable of. Hmmm. Late in the game, I heard a “de-fense, de-fense, de-fense” chant rising up, while Utah State had the ball. This surprised me, because there were only ten ORU fans in the arena, of which I was the most vocal. I then realized that the cheer was coming from the ORU players on the bench, who were encouraging their teammates on the court. So, I joined in! I was pretty impressed to see the positive team chemistry amongst all the players. My wife later told me that the instigator of the cheer was Freshman Cam Amboree, who then influenced the other players on the team to join him. Although he hasn’t had much court time, I really like what I have seen from the young Amboree. The kid has LEADER and STAR written all over him. To that end, I also heard last night that there is no plan for Cam to red-shirt this season – he is on the roster to play as needed and to learn. That said, if he has played sparingly throughout the season (and would still qualify for a red-shirt), I would imagine that the coaching staff would make sure to not exceed the limit late in the year in order to preserve an additional year for him. Bad beats: For the life of me, I don’t understand why ORU fouled the inbound pass with 4.5 seconds left, down by eight. But, it sure turned some heads in Vegas, where the two ensuing free throws shifted those wagering on ORU +9.5 from the winner’s circle to a washout. Ouch... There will be a lot of debate as to whether Utah State’s 61% three point shooting was a result of their offense or our defense. Of course, there’s always a little of both. From my viewpoint, most of their 31 three point attempts were at least partially contested, if not well contested. And, the majority of shots that were uncontested were created by some excellent passing by the Aggies. I tip my hat to the USU offense. Let’s face it - having two players shooting 6-of-8 and 8-of-9 from beyond the arc would be pretty impressive even if they were standing there in shooting drills with no defense on the floor. I actually left the arena more encouraged than when I arrived. ORU went toe-to-toe with a Top 50 team on their home court, on a night where the opponent “shot the lights out” and on a night when our pre-season All-American had an “average” performance, and still fought back to tie the game with under three minutes left. We also played with the intensity of a late-season match-up – and forced 19 turnovers! I’m quite confident that ORU won’t have another opponent this season that makes 19 threes at a 61% shooting percentage. ORU is now 3-3 with no bad losses, only three road losses to top 50 teams. There is a great opportunity to start a nice winning streak with the next eight games within ten miles of campus – and the games in early to mid-December will tell us much more about the floor and ceiling of this team. Although we may not like it. ORU will continue to live or die by the three point shot, and the current eight-man rotation includes eight three-point shooting threats, which helps offset a player in a slump. And, we will soon see if/how Sir Issac Herron’s return may impact the rotation and playing time. I originally (pre-season) predicted a 21-9 regular season and a loss in the conference tourney title game. Now, after six games, I will take the OVER on 21 wins, and will also predict ORU to WIN the tourney in Sioux Falls, after two impressive performances (albeit losses) on the road against top 50 teams. We will see...

Although it is expected and sad that Isaac is leaving, we should all be proud of how he represented himself, our Lord, and the University in his time here. AND...he walks away with a diploma! Isaac coming to ORU was a divine move in his life. He was meant to be here at this stage in his life and he will go and do great things - overseas and in his ultimate profession. We all should be grateful for what he did for our University as he should be grateful for what the University has done for him, too. God speed, Mackey! You'll always have a place here at ORU.

I am asking our message board community to join me in prayer for one of our longest (and most prolific/wittiest/knowledgeable) members - Rhett Brooks (aka Old Titan). Rhett is scheduled to undergo open heart surgery Thursday morning. We all share a love for ORU basketball, but as Believers we also recognize and have realized God’s intervention in our lives through the discipline of prayer. Please take some time over the next few days to pray for Rhett - that the Lord would guide the surgeon’s hands and allow for a quick recovery.

KO has signed an exhibit 10 contract, not a 1 year deal for the league minimum, it allows him to attend training camp (a player cannot attend camp without a contract of some kind- either a regular contract, a 2 way deal or exhibit 10 contract) it also gives the team his G league rights and he can get up to a $50k bonus if he stays with their G league team for 60 days. It' basically the minimum deal teams use for undrafted free agents, but he'll be in camp and have a chance to show what he can do! If he plays great in camp, preseason and makes the roster it would convert to a 2 way or regular contract. It's a long shot, but good luck Kevin! Hope you play great and show them what you got! All the best!!

Selfie with dear friend Michael Hairston at today's presser; got photobombed by some dude on the basketball team.

When I approached Mills on Sunday to have him sign a game ball I brought back from Sioux Falls (I bought it off a fan who won it as a prize in a Plinko game. After winning a game ball on his first attempt, he opted to try again and it landed in the same spot.) I was a bit nervous to bother him, but his face lit up and he smiled at me like I was a dear friend. I told him how proud I was of the season, and in typical Mills fashion he responded "Hey, we've got a long way to go, and a lot more to get done!" Understanding the opportunities that will be out there for him, I can't help but thinking it would be difficult to walk away now. How gratifying must it be, seeing your vision coming to fruition like it has? Is it the perfect time to cash in on his recent success, or are we still riding the elevator to the penthouse? All I can say is God bless PAUL MILLS. We love you coach!

My cardiologist advised against that much stress!

My question is how many Tulsa “fans” converted to ORU fans after experiencing: 1) an electric atmosphere 2) a winning team 3) a parking lot with lights 4) a fun family environment 5) affordability My hunch is there will be an uptick in ORU attendance from neutral basketball-loving fans who live in the 918.

Not an ORU grad, just an ORU fan living in the Land of Lincoln. I have completed some courses through the ORU Online Bible Institute for what that's worth. As a believer it was the man Oral Roberts that I was always fascinated by growing up as a kid and when I learned more about him and the university he started, I began following the Titans back in the mid 80's and have just kind of stuck with them over the years. I've managed to pick up a few basketball media guides off eBay to learn more about the history of the program and really just believe in what the ORU mission is all about! One of these years I hope to make it out in February to catch a basketball and baseball game over a weekend. Go Titans and Golden Eagles!

I named this little fella Teddy Lasso. And like all of you, he's been a source of strength and encouragement during some rough times the last few days. Thanks for everything - I love you guys.

Congrats to the home fans (and condolences to any of you who rely on that stream to follow your team all year). I was right about Weaver, less so about the final score. Some legitimate questions starting to arise about Konkol, but the reality was that ORU was once again the better team.

The Road To Omaha!

From trolling that kid that transferred from somewhere in the Dakotas to Creighton it would appear that you can pay an NCAA athlete to record a birthday greeting or even make video greeting. I may try to pay Issac McBride to record my voice mail greeting. "Hi this is Isaac McBride from the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles. Otis can't take your call right now. He's too busy tilting at windmills at orusports.com. Leave a message and he'll call you back as soon as the Eagleman puts him in his place again. Thanks for calling."

Makes perfect sense. He has the potential of making a lot of money in Europe and hope he does well in the pros. Grateful to have had him at ORU for these past few years. He has definitely made his impact on the MBB program. Good luck, Los!

Just 2 days ago all of us ORU fans were riding a wave of euphoria and excitement expecting/ hoping our beloved Eagles would make a run in the tournament. I feel an emotional let down today much like saying goodbye to your best friend knowing you will not see them for a whole year. So now we have to remember the good things that have happened over the past 3 seasons. We made the tournament 2 out of the last 3 years including a sweet 16 run. We finished 30-5 this season. Very likely our recruiting will get even better and there will be more NCAA appearances in the foreseeable future. Most colleges don’t get the chance to get let down because their team rarely if ever makes the tournament. Just think we could be in the shoes of our friends at 11th and Harvard! Many positives to look at during this time and knowing the administration and Athletic Department are wanting our teams to improve on the national stage is a blessing! Not perfect but on the rise! Go Eagles and a huge thanks to the coaching staff and players who have gotten us to this level. Rome was not built overnight and neither will ORU. Our foundation is strong and can be greatly built upon.

The three-week SL/NCAA tournament was much sweeter because it was totally unexpected. We hoped we could win the tournament, but once we got to the Big Dance, we were happy to be competing against a team like OSU. As the game was coming to the close, we had the hope we could actually pull it out - and we did. Then we watched the second round game and were down by eleven towards the end of the game and thought, this has been a good run. But the team wasn't finished and, with DJ's big three-point basket, came through on the winning end and we were talked about for another week. The Arkansas game was memorable. ORU was leading a lot (most) of the game and started losing it towards the end. Max was two inches away from taking us to an Elite Eight game with Baylor. That run was magical. In 2022-23, we were expected to win. We didn't have to have a perfect season to win our League. We could have lost four games and still won our League. However, the ability to go undefeated put a level of angst and tension on the team that they were able to withstand. Each game needed to be executed well and we had to keep from any injuries - a miracle in itself. Any magical year comes with no injuries and we have experienced that. Thank you, Jesus! Now it is on to the post-season. We need to continue to execute, minimize any injuries, and continue our unbeaten streak just to get to the Big Dance. One hiccup and we are relegated to the NIT. We need to pray fervently for our team to bring glory to Him and for Jesus to be exalted. We have our part to play and the team has their part to play. Let's get it on!

I ran into an alumnus on the concourse who drove from Colorado with his wife and three kids for that very reason. Special!

Coach reducing his rotation to 7 is the best decision/adjustment he has made during his tenure at ORU!! The defensive energy, effort and toughness is night and day better with Patrick playing more minutes and getting Carlos and Kareem playing additional minutes is a huge defensive plus. The offense is also much improved, we still get plenty of 3's but with Patrick, Carlos and Kareem attacking the basket off the dribble, moving, cutting, backing smaller guys down and just attacking gives us a great alternative to just 5 guys outside the 3-point line that puts so much pressure on the defense it makes us very difficult to stop. Not only does it make our offense multi-dimensional, it makes our 3 looks much cleaner for Max, McBride and everyone else. The biggest improvement is in the overall toughness!! we play much more physical D and our offense is attacking we are much stronger on the boards and are actually getting offensive rebounds and loose balls, this type of effort, energy and toughness is fun to watch and will win a lot of games!!!

It was my great pleasure to attend the game in Moraga last night. I've captured some of my observations below. Keenan commented that "It seemed like St. Mary's was bigger and stronger at every position on the floor tonight. Their team was built like a tank." Spot on - and this was even more evident in person. In the first half, every bounce appeared to go the way of the Gaels. Some of this was pure luck, but many times a contested ball in the air was “caught” by an ORU player and then tipped away or stripped by his opponent. The Gaels advantage in physicality was a key element in the outcome of the game. I thought the officiating crew was solid, and didn’t impact the outcome, which is EXACTLY what a good crew will do. When the refs took the court, my buddy (a former ORU SID and long-time Bay Area basketball nut) immediately recognized their faces and said “oh, we have a good crew tonight”. He was exactly right. On two occasions, an official made a call against ORU that I thought was incorrect, and in each case the crew got together and overturned the call. I was impressed that they had the humility to admit their error, and to not be swayed by the vocal home crowd, which soundly booed both reversals. Should ORU have called timeout in the middle of the first half, to help quell the Gaels momentum? In hindsight, absolutely... Would it have made a difference? Maybe... It definitely couldn't have made things worse. The team showed a lot of grit to fight back in the second half. The chemistry on the bench makes me think that this team really likes each other - there was no hanging of heads and everyone was consistent in encouraging each other. There was no doubt in their minds that they would come back in the second half and make it a game - and they did. I can tell you that the SMC crowd went into the second half expecting a cakewalk, and were stunned to see ORU take control over the first 10-12 minutes. There was definitely a nervousness amongst the Gael faithful, and ORU gained a lot of their respect by the end of the night. Max was simply not himself. I kept waiting for Max to “take over” the game (like we all know he can) and it never happened. Much credit for this goes to the Gael defenders. I was glad to see that the coaches had Max take a breather around the ten minute mark of each half. I hope that this approach continues through the season. As much as I appreciate his “Ironman” mentality/desire to play all 40 minutes, I think this strategy will pay off in the long run. Sir Isaac was in street clothes, and could have played a significant role in the game if he had been available. I was also surprised that Clover didn’t see the court, as his size and girth could have been helpful. I can only assume that the coaching staff didn’t think that he was “ready” for the moment. If this is the case, the question remains… if not now, then when??? Coaches went with an eight-man rotation. It will be interesting to see if/how this changes when Herron returns from injury and Williams shakes off the rust of a redshirt year. One funny moment that you probably didn’t see on camera… During the first shot of a Gael 1&1 FT attempt, the players were fighting for a potential rebound of a shot that bounced around, but eventually fell through the cylinder. The 6-11 Gael winced in pain and complained to the ref that he had been hit in the eye, and motioned that Connor had raised his elbows to intentionally strike him. Connor looked at him sheepishly, as if to say “dude, I didn’t raise my elbow, your eye just happened to be where my elbow IS”. I was impressed by the SMC crowd. I have attended multiple ORU road games over the past 25 years, and heard many derogatory statements and chants, usually invoking some perverse derivative of “oral” to the delight of the student section. I heard NOTHING negative from the Gael crowd. In fact, all the cheers were FOR their team rather than against the opponent, with the one exception being the benign “you can’t do that” chant from the students after an ORU turnover. They are a program that is used to winning (except against Gonzaga), and know how to win the right way. Respect to SMC. From a box score perspective, the outcome of the game (IMHO) was decided by three factors: turnovers (12-5), rebounds (36-31), and two missed front ends of 1&1 FT opportunities. Giving the Gaels extra possessions, and missing four “free” points from the charity stripe were a dagger to any chance at an upset win. I’m generally a glass half-full guy (a counter-balance to my good friend Old Titan), but my biggest concern for this team is our three-point shooting defense. A freshman guard coming off the bench to score 25 won’t happen every night, but much of this was self-inflicted, as several of his shots were uncontested. As the Summit League is a three-point emphasis conference, we MUST improve this area of the game by mid-December, or we will create many opportunities for dead-eye shooters to find their groove for a career night against us. Once again, like it or not, ORU will live or die from beyond the three-point line this year. In fact, I think that the emphasis on the 3-pointer will actually INCREASE over previous years, since we have little post-up presence. I know that some will complain that “we have a 7-5 guy, and we aren’t using him to our advantage”. I have resigned myself to the thought that Connor came to ORU because he wanted to play HIS style, which is to be a three-point threat on offense and a rim defender on defense. He is a legitimate three-point shooter, and will score almost all of his points from beyond the arc or on dunks. He is not (in any sense of the word) a power rebounder, especially on the offensive end. But, he was definitely a presence on the defensive end, with SIX blocked shots and forcing the Gaels to change their normal trajectory on every interior shot. This is who he is - and we shouldn’t expect any more (or less) from him. Eagleman5, I was thinking of you when Connor went to center court for the opening tip. Ringing in my head was your pre-season quote of: "If Vanover starts any game in November then TheEagleman is prepared to spend the Holidays drinking nothing but Iced Tea and Cherry Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar...also nary a wager will be placed....and if Vanover becomes a regular staple in the starting lineup then i will continue all of that for the entire season...as Vito Corleone said in The Godfather...I promise on the souls of my grandchildren". You will need to post your address, so all of us can send you crates of Arizona Iced Tea and Cherry Dr. Pepper to stock your fridge for the upcoming season. Stay thirsty, my friend. All in all, I left the arena feeling disappointed, but generally optimistic for the season ahead. ORU took a shot to the mouth in the first half, but showed its mettle by counter-punching in the second half. An eight point loss to a top 50 team on the road is not devastating. Was it a missed opportunity for a statement win early in the season? Absolutely. Do we have the potential for a “special” season? Definitely. Do we have significant gaps that need to be filled to be successful? Without a doubt. So excited that the season has FINALLY begun!

In contrast, read between the lines of this tweet today from ORU reserve Braeden Moore:

I am more and more impressed with Isaac McBride. With many opportunities to score last night, he deferred to and preferred his teammates. He paid no attention to maintaining his national stature in scoring. What a tremendous leader!

I'm going to try and spin this in a positive direction... Coach Springman has technically already brought in his first class and I think it was pretty strong, especially from a high school rating standpoint. I don't know how many of these guys were people ORU was watching while Mill's was still in charge but I'm just going to assume it was all Springmann Jailen Bedford- Came from a juco, I don't recall seeing that we offered him prior to him announcing on twitter. He's looked really good in the first few games and could be the 2nd leading scorer on the team by seasons end. His defense looks good too! Ashton Smith- If he doesn't play this year, I'm guessing he could still have 3 years of eligibility. We know next to nothing besides some very athletic looking plays from his high school days. Was a 3 star prospect and was ranked as high as the #10 player in the state of Texas in 2021. Signed by Texas A&M and also heavily consider Syracuse. Braedon Moore- Had something like 30 division 1 offers coming out of high school and many of them were blue blood programs. We've only seen him play a few minutes but I'm guessing he will be a solid stretch 4. Was a 3 star prospect out of high school. Jalen Miller- Play sparingly two years at Rutgers. Was a 3 star prospect and a top 5 player in the state of Maryland in 2021. Two years of eligibility left and looks like a solid player and strong defender. He was starting to put things together when he got injured. Pablo Navarro- He's been injured, we don't know much. Great Size! Miller, Moore, and Smith all had offers from ORU prior to signing with the school they chose out of high school. It's not over until it's over. To summarize, in essence, we signed three 3 star players, two of whom are virtually freshman with a lot of eligibility left, 1 juco who looks like a great find, and a euro who may develop into something. If all of these players were signed as freshman, we would be over the moon just on ratings alone. It's a strong class with a lot of potential. It's also worth noting that Springmann also retained nearly the entire roster which is a feat. It's not uncommon for 10+ players to leave when a coaching change occurs. Lastly, My prediction is that we will not see a lot of November signings for the next few years at ORU. The Dakota schools will still sign High school players early as they are not generally strong destination for transfers but ORU seems to be. Like I said in a previous post, I think there is a strong chance that several players we pursued in high school that didn't sign with us will come back through the portal and stay for 3 or 4 years. I'll make a list below and we can look next summer and see if any of them come home, lol. Connor Dow- Freshman at OSU- He is getting some playing time as a freshman but if Boynton gets canned then coming back to the Tulsa area may not be out of the question. Joy Ighovodja- Freshman at Wichita. Also getting some playing time but with a full season under his belt I'm betting Mills will re-tool that roster and ORU might be a familiar place to land if he doesn't get much playing time. Dayton Forsythe- Will not a freshman at OU until next year. Small school star in Oklahoma Ma' Shy Hill- Freshman at Abilene Christian, A top 25 player in Texas and is only playing mop up minutes at ACU. I don't know if he's injured or just not ready but with Coach Bostic now on the bench at ORU... you just never know. Matt Reed- Freshman at Tulsa. I believe we were in his final 4. Someone on this board knows his family, I remember seeing the thread from a year or so back. He is starting for them currently. Parker Freidrichsen- Freshman at Wake Forest, originally from Bixby. He's getting some playing time at WF. Finley Bizjack- Freshman at Butler. We were in his final few schools. He's playing a little bit at Butler. Has one of the best names in college basketball. Also, in regards to freshman signee's. Check out the link below, 247 sports rates ORU's highest ranked recruits. Caleb Green is 13th... I don't know how they calculate those ratings but Larry Owens is #5 and is the only STAR level player in the top 10. I'll let you guys check it out for yourselves and see who #1 and #2 are.... Scroll to the very bottom of that link. https://247sports.com/college/oral-roberts/Season/2024-Basketball/Commits/

For those of you that are our players that venture onto our site (we know you read this board from time to time), please understand that we are only speculating here. We want to you to play hard, enjoy your teammates, and be prepared for a very tough year ahead - the likes of Texas A&M, Texas Tech and a challenging conference schedule. We have not seen you play so our "predictions" here are only based on what we know of the returning players and the new players that have been recruited to ORU. Please take our comments with a grain of salt by a bunch of old men/women that couldn't hold a candle to your athletic abilities. We are praying that you all excel and compete against each other mightily (without injury), but at the end of the day you are a band of brothers looking to lift each other up. Go have some fun! Now, let the speculating begin......

Great reconnecting with half the starting line-up of the 1978 CWS team Friday morning! (L-to-R) OF Buddy Slemp, 2B Bill Springman, OF Vince Bienek, SS Gary D’Onofrio, P/UTL Bruce Heiser

TheEagleman still enjoying the spoils of victory 12 hours later....but have to agree with those OU softball girls....the joy is fleeting compared to the joy in Christ.....and I also have to apologize to anyone who thinks i might have been dumping on RR in my previous posts....I wish the man no ill will and pray that he has been changed by what he has seen happen at ORU over the past decade in his absence....yeah, we can enjoy a few laughs at RR's expense because of how he was....but praying that this man and his wife have been changed over the years and that the Lord has used ORU to show them what OR had in mind all along...there is a resurgence and revitalization like we have never seen before on campus...and not just talking about sports.....yeah, this basketball and baseball run is incredible but from what TheEagleman has heard from some of you...there is a spirit on campus that just captures what Oral Roberts University is all about and what our founder had envisioned.....yeah, this was a great weekend and will be an amazing week of publicity for ORU...but all the GLORY goes to GOD and what HE is accomplishing at 7777 So. Lewis.......May God continue to bless ORU!!!

I have to weigh in as an old former player; to me the one thing that seems to be missing in the schedule conversation for ORU basketball is Pride. The word gets thrown around a lot; but ORU basketball was built on Pride, in Oral, his mission, the school, the team, our schedule, our results. Show the world what ORU was all about. We came to ORU to be the best, play the best, beat the best. Not try to improve our NET ranking by playing NAIA teams! In the 70's and early 80's when ORU walked into the "Phog", Carmichael at UNC, or Texas, OSU or Arkansas they absolutely knew who we were and knew if they didn't play their best, they would get it handed to them and often did!! We weren't afraid to play anyone, and I don't think anyone was afraid to play us, because the best teams in the country did every year. Antony Roberts, Calvin Garrett and me and my teammates didn't come to ORU to play NAIA teams so we could say look at our fake Strength of Schedule ranking. Have some PRIDE ORU, we're better than this!!

They're all over this board, but for starters: Rotation of the basketball championships on 3-year deals each with any combination of Sioux Falls, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Kansas City and Omaha. A television and streaming contract that puts every single men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball game on an ESPN broadcast station and/or the ESPN+/ESPN3 streaming platform Long-term broadcast and championship sponsorship agreements with national/international brands. In other words: Mercedes-Benz, not just Joe Schmo's Used Cars in Vermillion. Crossover challenges in basketball with leagues that also have national TV deals for exposure, not just hoping to bring 1000 more fans through the turnstile in Pocotello. Baseball stadiums with lights. And tarps. And locker rooms. You know: basic D1 facilities. Arenas without bleachers. Adding members who are willing and able to achieve these goals (such as St. Thomas) and not just because they're in your neighborhood (Augustana College, St. Cloud, Minnesota-Duluth, etc.) Rule of thumb: if your conference office isn't at least trying to achieve modest goals such as this wish list, you're not getting enough out of your conference office.

I feel like things have gradually gotten more negative towards Coach Mill on here over the past couple of days, and I want to say that I tremendously appreciate what he did for our program, the integrity he brought, the quality of players he recruited and developed, and the success he brought to the program. It's the very nature of coaches to be competitive. It's one of the characteristics that draws them to coaching in the first place. It's only reasonable to assume that that extends to other aspects of their lives as well. While a coach is an employee in one sense, they're also a business person, seeking success in the business their involved in. As a business person myself I made decisions that I regret now, but there's no way to go back and correct them at this point. I certainly can't begrudge Coach Mills for trying to take his business model to the next level when the opportunity arises. I think the desire for the next level is part of the deeply engrained competitiveness that helped make him a success at ORU. His stock will likely never be higher than it is at this point at ORU. I can't blame him for weighing the options and deciding to take the next step. I doubt that he ever said anything in interviews or to the public that he considered to be untrue at the time, or would look back on now and feel was not true. As fans we want to interpret those things in a way that is favorable to ourselves. To Coach Mills I say, thanks, Coach, for all you did for us. I appreciate the time you spent at ORU and all you did to move our program forward. I firmly believe that this is part of God's plan - for you as a coach and for the ORU basketball program. You are leaving the program in the best shape it has been in for many years, if ever, primed and ready for even greater success. Thanks so much for your part in preparing the way for the future.

Man! I am so pumped for Springmann. Mills was special and did special things at ORU. But the program is in good hands! I’ve had the chance to go a bit deeper with Springman, and he’s certainly the right man for the job. Knowing his heart, his love for the Lord and the university. He’s walking out his calling! Time to go recruit lol.

OK, now this is AWESOME and worthy of its own post:

Speaking of which, Eagleman is right: Coach Mills could make a FORTUNE doing commercials right now in Sioux Falls. I mean, these spots would write themselves: (INTRO) Paul Mills standing in snowy parking lot, wearing ridiculously puffy parka and hunter's hat with those goofy plaid ear flaps (COPY) "Hi, this is Coach Paul Mills of the Summit League champion ORU Golden Eagles. You know, whenever I just HAVE to come to Sioux Falls on business in the freezing cold of winter, I know I can always count on getting around town in the snow and ice in a trusty auto from Olaf's Used Cars and Rentals at County Line Road and Jorgenson Blvd. Every vehicle is equpped with 4-wheel drive and studded snow tires, plus they offer free towing within a 25-mile radius whenever you run across one of those pesky snow drifts!" -OR- (INTRO) Paul Mills seated at diner counter, wearing ridiculously puffy turtleneck sweater and super-tall knitted cap with fuzzy ball topper (COPY) "Hi, this is Coach Paul Mills of the Summit League champion ORU Golden Eagles. You know, when I'm annually dealing with the bone-chilling cold of March in Sioux Falls , there's nothing like warming up the ol' cockles with a piping hot bowl of lamb stew and fresh cornbread at Aunt Millie's Country Inn on Rural Route 9 near the rendering plant. Start it off with a steaming plate of chislic, then treat yourself to a slice of peach kuchen for dessert, and you've got yourself a meal that says, "Hey, I'm in South Dakota - again!" -OR- (INTRO) Overhead shot looking down at Paul Mills making a snow angel in the snow, wearing ridiculously puffy one-piece snow suit with hood and ski goggles. (COPY) "Hi, this is Coach Paul Mills of the Summit League champion ORU Golden Eagles. You know, the great thing about coming to Sioux Falls this time of year...every year...over and over and over...is the almost limitless number of outdoor activities available to you and your family. Why waste time and money hauling the brood to the beach or the mountains, when the greater Sioux Falls area provides so many fun things to do in early March, many of which rarely result in frost bite! So just remember, when making those Spring Break plans for next year: SIOUX FALLS - IT'S NOT AS COLD AS FARGO." etc., etc., etc...he could be a STAR, I'm telling ya!

True Story....MrsEagleman and I are grocery shopping Saturday Night and of course i am following the UND game on my phone...we get to the check out and i am helping bag groceries for the 17 yr old check out kid who has helped us previously....as my wife is paying the bill the kid says to me....hey...is that an ORAL ROBERTS hat you are wearing? (I have an ORU hat on)....and i am stunned and I say....yes, you have heard of us??....and the young buck goes....oh yeah I am a big basketball fan and I know about your guy Max Abmas and aren't you guys like undefeated the past 20 games?...I was speechless and MrsEagleman says.....Ryan, you just made his day.......lol

Just wanted to pass this along to the rest of you to show my appreciation to Coach Folmar and the kind of guy he is. I am speaking to a group of men next week about worshipping God through trials and pain. We all go through stretches in life that are especially difficult, even though they are not of our own making. Some last for a short while and sometimes they go on for long periods of time. I am going to compare those times when hitters experience a slump. I wanted to get a coache's perspective on how they help their players overcome a slump. So, I called Coach Folmar and left him a message with my request, fully expecting that he is probably crazy busy getting ready for the beginning of the season. Much to my surprise, he called me back. I wasn't in my office, so he left me a message and gave me his personal cell number. I called it and he answered it on the field, IN THE MIDDLE OF PRACTICE. I apologized for interrupting his practice and he assured me it was fine and kindly asked me how he could help. I told him what I needed and he responded very quickly, off the cuff, with four topics he and his coaches address when a player is going through a slump. Here is what he told me they want their players to focus on when going through a tough time in the batter's box, in the field or on the mound. Trust – in their preparation, in their ability, their decision making, their teammates, their coaches. Routine – establish and stay in a regular daily routine (warm-ups, drills, pre-pitch routine at the plate, when they get up, when they go to bed, when and what they eat) Work – do the drills, don’t give up, continue to put in the effort, fundamentals, look at video (especially video that had good results) Control Emotions – don’t allow yourself to get too down, remember lack of success is not always failure, stay engaged, contribute in other ways, encourage others. Not a word about mechanics. Now, I am sure they adjust mechanics as they go along. But these were the first things that came to mind. We talked a little about how easy it is to connect this approach to their spiritual life as well. I continue to be amazed and thankful for the coaches that ORU has guiding our student athletes. Coach Folmar mentioned how blessed they (coaches) are to work at a place like ORU and how unique it is to be able to incorporate their faith into their coaching methods. We always need to remember how special of a place ORU is. May God continue to bless them with success in every sense of the word as they serve Him by serving others.

Why do we find it odd and surprising, even somewhat offensive, when people who may not identify as Christian, call us out for clearly violating our own standards of conduct as followers of Jesus. I realize it is just part of our vernacular these days but, if the students were aware (hopefully they aren't) of the origin of the phrase "you suck," I sincerely hope they would not be chanting it in unison at another team or university during a basketball game. Even if they don't, hurling insults is certainly no way for a Christian student section from a Christian university that is charged to "go into every man's world" (seven miles away no less) to make an impact for Christ should act. Like many of you, I laughed and showed my office co-workers the signs that Duke prepared for Ohio State during their shootaround. In my opinion that is intelligent, fair gamesmanship and having a little fun at the expense of the other team without stooping to the level of hurling immature, unintelligent insults. I don't find it odd at all that students from a non-Christian school would call us out for being non-Christian. This is a good opportunity to remind the students of the advice Paul gave Timothy. "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:12). We all want an active, boisterous, supportive, even a little rowdy student section and fans for the Golden Eagles. But our standard has to be high, or else the world may have to remind us when we aren't measuring up. We need to do better.

Camp started yesterday and the turnout is really good with over 200 attending. It is really how amazing how the players interact with the kids and make it fun for them! Kareem Thompson is a little kid in a man's body! He has a lot of younger brother's and sisters and has told me how much fun he has with them. It is worth going to camp just to watch Kareem interact with the kids. Kareem has a younger brother who is a junior in high school and is a wide receiver and a 4 star recruit. Carlos is at the camp and is also a big kid. He will be playing for his National team in Estonia this July. Carlos told me Connor Vanover is deceptively strong and will be a big help to the team and has a way of altering shots. I met Connor yesterday and he is a giant, head and shoulders above everyone! All the players really like him and Coach Mills speaks very highly of him as well. I told Connor when I shook his hand how happy we all are to have him at ORU and that I will always look up to him! Cam Amboree looks solid and seems like a great young man. Sir Isaac looks a little bigger and is excited about the bigs on the team that will help make him better. You can tell McBride and Vanover are close friends as they are usually together. We are back at camp today with our 3 boys who love being there! There really is no other place like ORU!

This situation has to be exactly the opposite of what Tim Johnson, Billy Wison and financial donors expected when they renovated the MC and built the MCAC. It has to be hard. In my life I have had to learn the difference between REACTING and RESPONDING to difficult situations. Reacting is an emotional response that often shows itself in fear or worry. Responding is thoughtful, and seeks to understand the situation, asks informed questions, and takes positive steps to resolve a problem. I hope and pray that the Golden Eagle leadership is able to respond to the disappointing season and mass migration and regroup. The present situation has to be tough to swallow. But at ORU we believe in what God is doing, even in the middle of the storm. Winning is really important, no doubt. Championships are always our goal. And we love to brag on ORU to our friends and co-workers when they win, for sure. But in the end, this university is more concerned with what God is doing and our response to it than W's and L's. I know this may sound a little corny, but this is an opportunity to find out if we really believe what is written on the baseline of the MC hardwood: "Expect A Miracle." Coach Springmann, you are the man God has placed in the position to lead this program. Respond to this moment you have been called, follow the path the Lord has set before you, continue to be a leader of young men and know you have our prayers and support. Press on!

North Carolina's Caleb Love on Wednesday backed out of his transfer to Michigan and is once again a free agent. Have to wonder if he heard what Dickinson got at Kansas and felt that his NIL prospects with the Wolverines paled in comparison, and now he's once again simply shopping for a better deal. Mr. and Mrs. Bogus are right: it's crazy, AND it's a worst nightmare scenario for cash-strapped low-to-mid-majors. ORU must now - more than ever - market the one thing they have to offer above all others: food for the soul. #WholePersonEducation #BodyMindSpirit

loved Issac trying to convince Kareem to come back for one more year from the stage

The more I think about this draw, the more I LOVE IT! ORU has never played Duke before, and never would unless it was a buy game in Durham; and certainly never on a neutral court since Duke and ORU just don't play in the same tournaments... ...EXCEPT THIS ONE! What an opportunity! To take a seasoned team like this one against an inexperienced Duke roster and coaching staff on a neutral court, in prime time on CBS? THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME!! But, don't take my word for it - take a look at these faces upon hearing the announcement: Do these guys look intimidated? HECK NO - THEY'RE THINKING "WE GOT THIS!!" This is gonna be epic, no matter what the outcome: it's DUKE, for crying out loud - bring it on!

Likewise Old Titan. I am so glad I came upon this message board 1 1/2 years ago. It has been a source of information, entertainment and connection to ORU athletics on a daily basis. I appreciate the acceptance of everyone on the site and the positivity of the members. Even when/if there is a disagreement or issue there is a willingness to resolve it quickly and put it in the rearview member. Thank you to everyone who participates in this forum, and I wish all of you a very blessed and merry Christmas. My wish for all of you in the new year is a scriptural quote that someone we all knew and remember fondly used to say, "may (you) prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 1:2, NASB)