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Fun to see how far we've come!


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Found this video of our game against Oakland from Paul Mill's first season. I feel appreciative for the current state of our basketball program and how much growth has happened in a short amount of time. A couple of fun things you'll notice...

- Paul Mills wearing a suit, still no tie though..(sorry OT) and using Baylor green notecards.

- We started 3 bigs E-man, Albert Owens, and Javan White.

- All of our Big men were traditional back to the basket scorers then, we don't have any of that now.

- Outside of Sam Kearns and Austin Ruder, we had almost no 3 point shooting threats.

-Speaking of Sam, he wasn't brought in to play the PG spot but Papi Conley the JUCO transfer quit very early in the season and RJ Fuqua went down with an injury leaving Sam as the only PG.

-The Mabee center is empty and quiet.

- We ran that "amoeba zone"

- Spencer Sutton was on the team Mill's first year, was surprised he didn't transfer out.

-Chris Miller and Lufile would have had a lot of fun battling in practice if they played together, such huge guys! I remeber Miller couldn't ever stay out of foul trouble.

- Austin Ruder was a great pickup that year, Mills has done well with the Portal even from year 1. I believe he hit a falling out of bounce game winner during the conference season, over a dakota school maybe? I think it was a home game.

-Tieing off of the above point, I was surprising how many of the Sutton recruits stayed and continued to play for Mills. Eman could have probably transfered nearly anywhere but chose to stay, I always liked him. 

-Sometimes it is nice to go back and see how bleak things were just a few short years ago. Our future is bright!

 

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LOL - Steve Bontrager and “Big Al” Jerkins on the call!

An ORU fan who has known Oakland coach Greg Kampe since back in our Mid-Con tournament hosting days said afterward that the Oakland coach was not very complimentary at all of the state of the ORU program after the Grizzlies won going away. 

Wonder what Coach Kampe would think of if he played ORU now??

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I spoke with Greg Kampe before or after (can’t remember which) the game and was taken aback at how contemptuous he was of ORU. He was still upset that ORU had fired Sutton. He remarked about the sparse crowd and ORU’s lack of talent. (I remember thinking “how do you think we got this way?”). Mills was hired in May and had no chance to really recruit. Kearns was the first player (I think) he signed. 

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Kampe and Oakland probably wouldn't want to schedule ORU now.....besides they are only 9-12 this season....what's happened to Grizzly basketball, Coach??? image.jpeg.a4afc9c1a16274d1ea4796ebf039876d.jpeg

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I always liked Big Al.  Owens was a very soft spoken guy, one could say a gentle giant.  He finished top 5 all time in blocked shots and had some nice post moves around the basket.  Big Al had to endure some very long losing seasons with the Eagles.

Ruder was a solid transfer, which brings up a point.  What is ORU's all time transfer team?  How about: McBride, ORU 40, Shawn Glover, Connor Vanover, and who else?  Could not think of a 5th man.

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10 minutes ago, Keenan Henderson said:

I always liked Big Al.  Owens was a very soft spoken guy, one could say a gentle giant.  He finished top 5 all time in blocked shots and had some nice post moves around the basket.  Big Al had to endure some very long losing seasons with the Eagles.

Ruder was a solid transfer, which brings up a point.  What is ORU's all time transfer team?  How about: McBride, ORU 40, Shawn Glover, Connor Vanover, and who else?  Could not think of a 5th man.

I think Albert Owen’s was only on 1 ORU team that had a winning record. Obi Emegano would be my vote for the other transfer starter. He began his career at western illinois of all places. Was it his western illinois team that knocked out that ORU team in 2011-2012?

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21 minutes ago, Keenan Henderson said:

I always liked Big Al.  Owens was a very soft spoken guy, one could say a gentle giant.  He finished top 5 all time in blocked shots and had some nice post moves around the basket.  Big Al had to endure some very long losing seasons with the Eagles.

Ruder was a solid transfer, which brings up a point.  What is ORU's all time transfer team?  How about: McBride, ORU 40, Shawn Glover, Connor Vanover, and who else?  Could not think of a 5th man.

Oh my gosh, with all due respect not sure those guys would make the starting five.

Just off the top of my head:

  • Obi Emegano (Western Illinois)
  • Ray Thompson (Iowa)
  • Greg Sutton (Langston)
  • Haywoode Workman (Winston-Salem State)
  • Calvin Garrett (Austin Peay)
  • Sebastian Neal (Georgia)
  • Adam Liberty (Wichita State)
  • Rod Pearson (SE Missouri State)
  • Marcus Lewis (Portland)

I'll probably think of some others...ORU has been a great place for a second chance for a number of players over the years.

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4 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

 

I'll probably think of some others...ORU has been a great place for a second chance for a number of players over the years.

Because our God is the God of second chances 

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6 minutes ago, Otis 83 said:

Because our God is the God of second chances 

As Sean Sutton can attest…

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Yes Obi’s 2011-2012 Leatherneck team knocked us out of the tournament.  That was a bummer indeed.

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3 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Oh my gosh, with all due respect not sure those guys would make the starting five.

Just off the top of my head:

  • Obi Emegano (Western Illinois)
  • Ray Thompson (Iowa)
  • Greg Sutton (Langston)
  • Haywoode Workman (Winston-Salem State)
  • Calvin Garrett (Austin Peay)
  • Sebastian Neal (Georgia)
  • Adam Liberty (Wichita State)
  • Rod Pearson (SE Missouri State)
  • Marcus Lewis (Portland)

I'll probably think of some others...ORU has been a great place for a second chance for a number of players over the years.

A few more:

Sam McCants(Fla St)? 

Sam Potter (Cal Berkeley)

Charles Dorsey(LMU)

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3 hours ago, jmg1984 said:

A few more:

Sam McCants(Fla St)? 

Sam Potter (Cal Berkeley)

Charles Dorsey(LMU)

jmg1984, I love your list and not just for the obvious reason, those 3(apologies for going third person) were all key parts in leading ORU to the NCAA tourney in their first year with the Titans!   

Charles Dorsey may be ORU's most underrated player, look him up kids!  really, really good player... tough, smart and a winner and an absolute fantastic guy!! Your post brought a huge smile to my face for my old roommate and fellow Californian, and now Pastor Charles Dorsey!! I love Charles, just a wonderful person!!   

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TheEagleman knew Sam McCants... and I can guarantee he's not a Pastor....will just leave it at that....😜

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TheEagleman apologizes for taking a cheap shot at Sudden Sam who let's just say was a fine basketball player but not exactly an example of the ORU whole man in 1973-74...its surely possible that the Lord got ahold of his heart during his one year at 7777 So. Lewis or sometime later....he was a character for sure and the ladies loved him....not sure what happened to Sam after the Elite 8 loss to Kansas....😎

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