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!!!

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.

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.

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!!

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!

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."

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.

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!

I dredged up this post from 2022 regarding the "Expect a Miracle" on the Mabee Center court, as I gained some new information over the past month that others might be interested in. Apparently, Paul Mills was the one who made the request to remove "Expect a Miracle" during the latest court renovation, but the move was vetoed by the Executive Team (likely Dr. Wilson). So, with Coach Mills now in Wichita, he got his wish to coach on a court without the words "Expect a Miracle", and it is likely that future Mabee Center redesigns will not face similar opposition. For me, I've always appreciated keeping the phrase to honor Oral and the school's history. While some believe it shouldn't be on the basketball court (especially when a team has a losing record), I've never thought of the phrase in regard to Expecting a Miracle for the game's outcome. I like it there because the Mabee Center court is the most public location on campus. I hope and pray that seeing Expect a Miracle will give a glimmer of hope to someone in the stands (or on TV) that needs a miracle in their life's circumstances, and that they will seek and find the Miracle Worker that Oral so often spoke of.

Me and the wife are en route from Huntsville, Alabama (it’s weird going without @ORob1)! We left at 5:35 a.m., should get there between 4-5. We’re excited for some basketball and (maybe more so) some baseball this weekend! See y’all at the Mabee tonight

THIS ^^^* is EXACTLY what I was trying to articulate @ORUTerry when we spoke Saturday night. THIS is what should be shared with recruits, and their families, and their relatives, and their coaches, before ANY discussion of NIL, or summer jobs, or playing time, or practice facilities, or majors offered, etc. THIS is where ORU has something to offer that VERY FEW schools do: “Young man, are you interested in joining us for the JOURNEY OF YOUR LIFE?” #followme

A little bit about a lot following HCRS's best win so far in his rookie campaign: Loved the uptick in substitutions. Loved the aggressive rebounding. Loved involving the post men in the offense. Loved seeing Ashton Smith get in the game. He looked rusty. Wonder why? Loved the jump rope troop at halftime. SDSU features a number of skills that are apparently coached year-in and year-out that are very hard to deal with: they quickly (and successfully) jab you in the gut and ribs when you have the ball, they use multiple spin-&-duck-&-up-&-under moves in the post without walking, and they dig their shoulders into your body to get space on the drive. They will always be a tough out with this coaching staff. That being said, this particular edition of the Jacks is not as good as usual in a couple of categories: they make sloppy turnovers, and they foul more than usual. One area that has never been a strength in Brookings reared its ugly head again tonight: they are not a good defensive team, particularly on the perimeter. They're all gonna have nightmares tonight of a 900-foot DJ Weaver raining threes down on their heads. I didn't recognize Luke Appel tonight. Gone is the StayPuft Marshmallow Man that wreaked havoc on the Golden Eagle interior two years ago, replaced by a sleek-looking forward/wing who has apparently lost all of the post skills that his previous girth provided. Go figure: less is not more in his case. Zeke Mayo should be a household name. At least, in mid-major households. Can't put my finger on why he's not a semi-superstar; he has all the tools. We all saw a glimpse tonight of just how good DJ Weaver could have been his entire career if not for... (mentally fill in the blank ________________________________________________________). I'll admit it: Josh Jones is slowly but surely getting better. Still quite a project, though. I thought the refs tonight were terrible: inconsistent, often overwhelmed, and generally bad both ways. But when I looked them up on KenPom, they are arguably the highest-ranked refs we've ever seen in the Mabee Center for a "Summit Saturday Night", which typically features the bottom of the officiating barrel. Each of tonight's zebras is listed in the top 150 of KenPom's referee ranking (typical Summit Saturday refs are in the 200-300 range). The problem may have been that these three never work together, and never work the Summit: they were from the Horizon, MAC and Sunbelt, respectively. It appears the Summit League went out of their way to round up some supposedly "better" refs for such a big match-up, but failed to get their money's worth in the process. HCRS was understandably apoplectic when ORU got that steal late and McBride, rather than pulling up with the ball on the breakaway and running valuable clock before getting intentionally fouled, instead chose to drive to the basket on not one but TWO Jacks defenders, missing the shot and then fouling the rebounder. I'm envisioning an upcoming order of silicone bracelets for the guards with WHAT WOULD MAX DO? embossed on them. I can give them a great price if they're interested. Have you ever heard a PA announcer refer to an OPPOSING PLAYER by his first name while shooting a free throw? As in, "...and Zeke will be shooting two." Asking for a friend...

Trey's whole game is played with more control than in the past. He used to always be looking to take the next shot if the ball came to him. Now, he is much more of a team player, looking for an open man, and, frankly, passing up shot opportunities in favor of passing the ball to teammates. I'm impressed with how much he has matured as a player over the past couple of years. Adam said Conley Phipps was at the game, and I'm sure it did his dad's heart proud to see Trey hit such a clutch shot in the closing minutes of the second half that kept the Eagles close and really set them up for the win. I think we most all agree that if any single shot made that win possible last night, that one was it.

During my 40+ years as a fan of ORU Athletics, I've always considered ORU's "Best Season Ever" as a toss-up between the 73/74 Elite Eight team and the 1978 CWS baseball team, with maybe a slight edge to the basketball team, primarily due to the national exposure. Certainly, the 30-3 Elite Eight 1995 Volleyball team, the 1981 Men's Golf National Runner-ups, and the 2021 Sweet Sixteen were all huge accomplishments, and should not be far behind the two top dogs. But now, as I try to assess the 2023 baseball season in ORU's history, IMHO it definitely belongs on the top tier with the 73/74 basketball team and the 1978 CWS team - and it may even supersede both as the new "Best ORU Season Ever". Here's my rationale: The 2023 and 1978 CWS teams both finished with the same result, winning the opening game in Omaha before losing two straight. But, the 2023 team had a much more challenging road to the CWS. In 1978, only 34 teams advanced to the NCAA tournament, and were assigned to eight regionals (seven with four teams, one with six teams), with the regional winners advancing to Omaha. With a brand-new JL Johnson Stadium, ORU hosted the regional with Oklahoma State (of course), Southern Illinois, and Michigan State. The Titans beat Oklahoma State in game one, then Southern Illinois twice, to earn the CWS bid. In 2023, with 64 teams in the tournament, ORU swept the Stillwater Regional and then won the best-of-three game super-regional series at Oregon in a very hostile environment. Winning the regional and the super-regional on the road, in addition to posting a 23-1 record in the Summit, and winning 21 games in a row tips the scales in favor of the 2023 CWS team vs. 1978. And, while it is nearly impossible to compare baseball vs. basketball, it should also be noted that the 73/74 Elite Eight team also benefited from a favorable schedule, as the regional semi-final (against Louisville) and final (vs. Kansas) were both played in front of a friendly crowd in the "magnificent" Mabee Center. Please understand that I am not discounting the accomplishments of the 1973/74 Elite Eight or 1978 CWS teams due to a favorable schedule, but simply trying to acknowledge the outstanding performance by the 2023 baseball team. In my mind, their season is definitely in the ballpark with the iconic seasons of 73/74 Elite Eight and 1978 CWS as ORU's Best Season Ever - and it's not a stretch to say that it may eventually be considered as the best of all.

@titansforever, please don't take any of this as personal as I know you don't have much authority in this area, but there is much more that can be done with Homecoming with the number of alums in the Tulsa area. Yes, it takes a lot of effort "herding cats" and finding those that enjoy the event planning and execution, but that is what relationship building is all about. Homecoming can (and should) be bigger than the Development and Alumni staff. We and another couple offered to work on the 40th for our reunion and it was met with crickets. There was no interest in doing any more for Homecoming that year than what was required or done the year before. It may also be that the Homecoming Dinner is not intended to be overshadowed (which I get, even if I wouldn't agree). Most nonprofits, K-12 schools, and other like-minded organizations rely on volunteers heavily to do the heavy lifting and look to the staff to participate, but also lead. As for the February 2011, once-every-ten-to-twelve-year snowstorm? There was a reason for that....it was winter time and it happens sometimes. If sports is not a focal point of Homecoming (which I believe it is) then we can have Homecoming any time we want. September, October, March are just as good a time to do homecoming as any time during the basketball/baseball seasons - that is if sports isn't a factor. Tulsa alums can come to a sporting event any time, but the out-of-towners are the ones that benefit greatly from the excitement of being at the Mabee/JLJ. If the survey was skewed to the Tulsa crowd, that may be why sporting events are not such a big deal. If you want the Tulsa alums to come out to Homecoming, work with athletics to make it a meaningful game that they will circle on their calendar - even if you have to share in the cost to buy the game; otherwise, the Tulsa alums will wait for a meaningful game (because they can) and see the same people that they want to see anyway. Building community with all alums - not just the local ones that stuck around - is important (IMHO). This isn't meant to be harsh as I know we are all busy. Let's make Homecoming a priority for our alums to have the chance to reconnect and make a community of lifelong relationships. I hope that the Mrs. will allow me to post again after this.

Nolan is VERY good but pitches on a mediocre HS team in So. Jersey.....he's also an A student and head of the Honor Society.....I think he is inclined to go to Atlantic County Comm College for a year or two if he wants to keep playing baseball because he gets free tuition....or he may just take an academic scholarship somewhere and try to walk on to the baseball team....a trip to ORU and Tulsa in the fall is a possiblity......if we do that we will try to set up a meeting with the ORU coaching staff......I think Nolan would thrive at a place like ORU and he does follow the program..... oh...notice the ORU hat and windbreaker....TheEagleman always wearing the brand......

What a thrill it was to be in Omaha for the first weekend of the CWS. In addition to meeting several board members, I was able to reconnect with alums I haven't seen in 30+ years. I chatted with a few of the players' parents and made new friends among the fanbase behind our dugout. In fact, at the Florida game I had an ORU recruit and his family sitting behind me. ORU was well represented in the crowd. I went to 2 other games so I got to sample fan representation from several other schools and I would say that ORU crowds were equal to most and more than some. What a great turnout of fans and alums from our small school. It was so awesome to walk in and around the stadium and see so much ORU gear! It was also very cool to see the ORU logo everywhere. All of us would have loved for the miracle run to have gone on a little longer but I am so grateful to the players and coaching staff for taking us on this magical ride. Let's do it again soon!

Hard to believe but TheEagleman is at a loss for words....Just sooooo proud of this bunch of guys and our coaching staff....Coach Folmar did a fantastic job....not bad for a "mediocre coach".....but yeah, that was almost four hours of gut wrenching torture until the final inning when we put the game away thanks to the Oregon bullpen...gutsy effort by the Ducks but they ran out of pitching and the ORU staff pretty much shut down the Ducks after the first inning.....Fowler was really good....Patton did a fantistic job finishing up and just guessing that Denton just had a empty tank today....but we never needed Cade thankfully.....what a night for ORU!!!....the next week we can bask in the glow until TCU on Friday.....Thankyou, ORU BASEBALL!!!...This old Alum is very proud!!!

We were sitting right behind Justin Quinn’s mom, dad, and sister. His game winning hit was magical, and set off quite the celebration in the stands. As we told some Oregon fans after the game, whatever happens tomorrow this has been an amazing series. Easy. It’s a must-win game and he’s our best pitcher. Don’t want to leave him on the bench. Deal with tomorrow tomorrow, and maybe you don’t need him then. Gutsy call, and the right one.

Great win boys!!

As a DU fan, I have witnessed the UND aggression many times. As outlier schools in a conference that caters to the Dakotas schools, Sanford Health and MIDCO Sports, it is a double-edged sword. Yes, they all are central to the current success of the conference as well as stability but it makes it very difficult for other schools to want to remain in the conference. Even UMKC and Omaha jumped at the chance to interview with the Missouri Valley Conference. Why? Because, frankly, it is a conference of convenience for non-Dakotas schools. While the rest of us come and go, the Dakotas schools remain central to the survival of the Summit League. BTW, this is a fantastic discussion board. I go here many times to learn about what is happening in the Summit League. I love the passion and interest in ORU sports. Keep it up!

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

Sounds like Parker has half the schools in D-1 after him.....kid must be amazing.....in fact, he has more teams wanting him than ORUFanbase has posts in the past 24 hours.......

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

After looking through the recruits we have coming in, and the ladies that are coming back from this year, it will be us and SDSU competing for the title next year - hands down. And it is possible that both of us could get bids to the Big Dance in March if we play to our potential. You heard it here first!

Well, color me shocked - and glad of it. Congrats to the guys for a gutsy, timely performance. Every one of them played better than they have in weeks. Highlights of the evening for me: The times (and there were many) when ORU would miss a shot, and rather than the other team grab the ball, instead gathered the carom for themselves and continued with the offensive possession. I'm told that particular move is called an "offensive rebound" and boy, they sure did come in handy! Seriously, +7 in the rebounding category was huge. I've said this since November: if ORU can just break even on rebounds, and get to the free throw line a decent amount of the time, they should be in any game. The inbounds play when the game was tied 42-all (and USD was on what looked like a serious run) was epic. With only 3 seconds on the shot clock near the end of a seemingly wasted possession, Kareem curled off a Jones pick and splashed a contested 3 from the corner off the inbound pass for a lead ORU would never relinquish. And Josh didn't foul on the screen! (actually, he did kind of chuck the defender in the chest, but there was no call). And my favorite: Trey Phipps splashing a three late in the second half to put the lead into double-digits and forcing a Coyote timeout. He was grinning ear-to-ear as he back-pedaled down the floor, and when the whistle blew for the timeout, he carried that same grin all the way into the huddle to his exuberant teammates. THAT'S the kind of joy and spirit we've been looking for ALL YEAR from this team, and coupled wth Kareem's inbounds three, it seemed to really relax everybody as they closed the game out with big time threes from Bedford and McBride and some solid free throw shooting. A win vs. SDSU would be incredible, but frankly THIS was the game that I thought they just had to win, or at least look more like they cared, and they did (and then some). Whatever happens Saturday is gravy in my book. It's just a shame none of the team ever post on this forum, so they could come on here in all their victorious glory to say "HA!! UP YOURS, EAGLEMAN!! BITE ME, OLD TITAN!!" but as they obviously showed once again in their postgame interviews, they are WAY too classy to stoop to that level (but if they care to, maybe they can just let me know face-to-face at a baseball game down the road).

Random observations: * Always nice to win this game. It was a back-and-forth contest with each team making runs. Glad ORU made shots/stops at the end. * TU has nice size and they are physical. Most of the time they were bigger than we were at every position. * For a poor shooting team, they really shot the ball well. The Mabee Center strike again. They reverted to form at the end of the game. * Several questionable calls by a particular referee. One where he was 30 feet away from the play. I thought one of his associates ‘corrected’ one his foul calls by immediately making a borderline turnover call to give the ball back to ORU. The blocking call against McBride when the TU player knocked him in the head with his elbow looked egregious. * McBride (for the most part) did not force things. He went a long time in the first half before attempting a shot. I thought that he and Thompson did a bit too much dribbling (creating turnovers) and should pass/move the ball around more. Nice to have their experience on the floor though. * Weaver’s shooting in the first half kept us in the game. Great to see him be assertive and a difference. * TU played good, physical defense. They were all over McBride and I thought we handled their trapping well. I’m a bit surprised they didn’t post up more. We will not see a more overall athletic/physical team in the Summit League. * Bedford played well, but got in foul trouble trying to play tough defense. I like how aggressive he plays and contends for rebounds. Bedford is also really good at driving/attacking the basket. * Something I never thought I would say: Phipps was a big part of our win. When he came in for Herron (!) in the first half, I thought - wow, we are really going small. But Phipps held his own and did a good job helping out. He caused a couple of turnovers/steals by putting his hand on the ball/tips. And his three pointer late in the game to push the score out to 8 was big

I just saw a 9-6 post from Diane on Facebook. You all probably saw it too: Our prayers have definitely been answered! Rhett got released from the hospital and is resting at home! He still has his picc line in and he is doing the intervenous antibiotics all on his own!  He sees his heart doctor tomorrow, and his infectious disease doctor in two weeks. We are expecting good reports from both of them. Rhett and I want to thank everybody, once again, for their faithful prayers! We serve an awesome God! 

So last night TheEagleman had to attend a funeral service for my sister in law's father....he was a very well known local sports coach and player who passed at 87.....anyway, the deceased's son was the best friend in HS of former Villanova Basketball Coach and HOFer Jay Wright.....Jay and his wife were at the wake and going around the room....my wife was a HS classmate of his and when he got to us he graciously remenised the old days with her....he shook my hand and i mentioned that i was a huge College Roundball fan and attended ORU...he complimented our program and said that he is a close friend of our former coach Bill Self.....we chatted a few moments about Bill and I mentioned that he left ORU for our crosstown rival TU which didn't make him very popular at 7777 So. Lewis....Wright laughed and said that stuff is gonna happen in college sports and I said...well, Jay....you wouldn't have left Villanova for St. Joseph's would you?....he frowned and said No Way.....well, that's about what Billy did......and he agreed probably not the best idea but most coaches are gonna take the money.....then i talked about how Paul Mills just left us for Wichita St. and he asked me how much more money he got....i said probably 3 or 4 times more and Jay just laughed and said...there ya go!!....plus he said the AAC is more prominent than the Summit and most coaches are gonna want to move up......Jay said he has never met Paul Mills but he was familiar with Russell Springmann from his Texas days as part of that Rick Barnes staff because Nova and the Longhorns played a couple times back then.......he even recalled what Russ looked like....good memory.......anyway, Jay Wright seemed like a genuine guy and it was nice that he spent 3-4 minutes chatting with TheEagleman......

It goes to show you that you can make up a lack of "elite players" with strong team play. We had some extraordinary players. Some, if all, may never make it to the majors. However, these players stood in the gap for each other and came through when others were struggling. Throughout the regionals and CWS, a different player shined in their own particular way. McMurray with his defense, Brothers with his GW home run in Game #1 of the CWS, Quinny with his single down the LF line to win Game #2 in the Eugene Super Regional, Hogie on his homer in the Eugene Super Regional and doubling up the runner at first, Jonah with his straight away HR in Eugene after the ball popped out of his glove the previous inning, and on-and-on. ORU does need some stellar players, but they don't need the first round draft choices to make a run in the post-season tournaments. They need teammates that believe in each other and picks each other up. THAT was the most amazing thing about the 2023 season, in my humble opinion.

in that moment, on that stage, how do you blow a call that badly?

This town is already hopping! My flight this morning had another ORU fan, numerous TCU fans and a couple supporting Virginia. There was a TCU fan right across the aisle from me. When another TCU fan passed they exchanged pleasantries and then he noticed my ORU shirt. He made some comment about how they would win and I said "People like you have been telling me that for a month."

Really fun to see everyone at the ribbon cutting - and the facility is absolutely stunning! Here are a few pix I grabbed.