Men's Team Breakdowns - Tulsa World (3-3-2007)

[ORUTerry]

Men's Team Breakdowns

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

3/3/2007

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ORU Golden Eagles

Site:

Tulsa

Enrollment:

5,152

Coach:

Scott Sutton (eighth year, 141-81).

Record:

20-10, Mid-Con 12-2

First-round opponent:

No. 8 Centenary, 6 p.m. Saturday (2-0 vs. the Gents in regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

1-1 vs. Oakland; 1-1 vs. Valpo; 2-0 vs. IUPUI; 2-0 vs. SUU; 2-0 vs. UMKC; 2-0 vs. WIU

NCAA appearances:

3 (2-3 overall, Elite Eight in 1974, last appearance in 2006)

Season highlight(s):

won at Kansas 78-71 on Nov. 15; won third straight Mid-Con regular-season title

Season lowlight:

shooting season-low 32.2 percent in 75-57 loss at Tulsa on Nov. 28

Top players:

forward Caleb Green (20.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg), guard Ken Tutt (16.2 ppg, 76 treys, 33 steals), center Shawn King (6.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 65 blocks), guard Adam Liberty (6.9 ppg, 86 assists)

What to expect:

Anything less than another championship will be a big disappointment.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Site:

Rochester, Mich.

Enrollment:

17,737

Coach:

Greg Kampe (23rd year, 377-286)

Record:

17-13, Mid-Con 10-4

First-round opponent:

No. 7 Western Illinois, 8:30 p.m. Saturday (1-1 vs. the Leathernecks in regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

1-1 vs. ORU; 2-0 vs. Valpo; 2-0 vs. IUPUI; 1-1 vs. SUU; 1-1 vs. UMKC; 2-0 vs. Centenary

NCAA appearances:

1 (1-1 in 2005)

Season highlight(s):

best conference start (5-0) in school history; first-ever win at Valpo

Season lowlight:

three narrow losses sabotaged conference title hopes

Top players:

forward Vova Severovas (14.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg), center Shawn Hopes (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg), guard Jonathon Jones (9.6 ppg, 108 assists, 32 steals), forward Derick Nelson (10.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg), forward Erik Kangas (12.5 ppg, 96 treys)

What to expect:

Grizzlies hoping to ruin ORU's run for second time in three years.

Valparaiso Crusaders

Site:

Valparaiso, Ind.

Enrollment:

4,000

Coach:

Homer Drew (18th year, 302-239)

Record:

16-14, Mid-Con 9-5

First-round opponent:

No. 6 Missouri-Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. Sunday (2-0 vs. the Kangaroos in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

1-1 vs. ORU; 0-2 vs. Oakland; 1-1 vs. IUPUI; 1-1 vs. SUU; 2-0 vs. WIU; 2-0 vs. Centenary

NCAA appearances:

7 (2-7 overall, Sweet Sixteen in 1998, last appearance in 2004)

Season highlight(s):

beat ORU 70-67 in overtime on Feb. 1; went 10-4 down the stretch

Season lowlight:

eight-game nonconference losing streak

Top players:

guard Brandon McPherson (11.3 ppg, 99 assists), forward Shawn Huff (11.3 ppg), forward Urule Igbavboa (11.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg), forward Samuel Haanpaa (11.7 ppg)

What to expect:

Crusaders would love to steal the title in their last Mid-Con season.

IUPUI Jaguars

Site:

Indianapolis, Ind.

Enrollment:

28,139

Coach:

Ron Hunter (13th year, 206-172)

Record:

14-14, Mid-Con 7-7

First-round opponent:

No. 5 Southern Utah, 6 p.m. Sunday (1-1 vs. the Thunderbirds in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

0-2 vs. ORU; 0-2 vs. Oakland; 1-1 vs. Valpo; 1-1 vs. UMKC; 2-0 vs. WIU; 2-0 vs. Centenary

NCAA appearances:

1 (0-1 in 2003)

Season highlight:

went 5-3 in February

Season lowlight:

lost all-conference guard George Hill to broken foot

Top players:

guard David Barlow (12.8 ppg, 102 assists, 51 steals), guard Austin Montgomery (13.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg), guard Gary Patterson (11.5 ppg, 54 treys), forward Angelo Smith (8.5 ppg, 35 blocks)

What to expect:

Jags are one injured all-conference guard from possibly winning it all.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Site:

Cedar City, Utah

Enrollment:

7,029

Coach:

Bill Evans (15th year, 209-222)

Record:

16-13, Mid-Con 6-8

First-round opponent:

No. 4 IUPUI (1-1 vs. the Jaguars in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

0-2 vs. ORU; 1-1 vs. Oakland; 1-1 vs. Valpo; 1-1 vs. UMKC; 1-1 vs. WIU; 1-1 vs. Centenary;

NCAA appearances:

1 (0-1 in 2001)

Season highlight:

won at Utah 76-73 on Nov. 10

Season lowlight:

lost five of last six games

Top players:

guard Steve Barnes (13.3 ppg, 167 assists), guard Justin Allen (10.7 ppg, 35 steals), forward Nurudeen Adepoju (9.5 ppg), forward Orlando Griego (7.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg)

What to expect:

T-Birds' outside shooting faltered over the last month. They can't survive without it.

UMKC Kangaroos

Site:

Kansas City, Mo.

Enrollment:

14,256

Coach:

Rich Zvosec (6th year, 83-90)

Record:

11-19, Mid-Con 6-8

First-round opponent:

No. 3 Valparaiso (0-2 vs. the Crusaders in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

0-2 vs. ORU; 1-1 vs. Oakland; 1-1 vs. IUPUI; 1-1 vs. SUU; 2-0 vs. WIU; 1-1 vs. Centenary

NCAA appearances:

none

Season highlight:

rallied from 14-point deficit to beat Oakland 80-76 in overtime on Feb. 15

Season lowlight:

1-7 stretch in conference play

Top players:

guard Quinton Day (16.9 ppg, 119 assists, 53 steals), forward Dee Ayuba forward (11.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Brent Stephens (9.6 ppg), guard Dane Brumagin (9.3 ppg), guard Dominique Johnson (7.5 ppg, 81 assists, 31 steals), center Alex Pledger (4.9 rpg, 31 blocks)

What to expect:

Explosive Kangaroos have been too inconsistent to predict a three-game run.

W. Illinois Leathernecks

Site:

Macomb, Ill.

Enrollment:

13,550

Coach:

Derek Thomas (fourth year, 28-85)

Record:

7-22, Mid-Con 3-11

First-round opponent:

No. 2 Oakland (1-1 vs. the Grizzlies in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

0-2 vs. ORU; 0-2 vs. Valpo; 0-2 vs. IUPUI; 1-1 vs. SUU; 0-2 vs. UMKC; 1-1 vs. Centenary

NCAA appearances:

none

Season highlight:

won at Oakland 64-63 on Feb. 8

Season lowlight:

12-game losing streak

Top players:

guard David Jackson (12.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg), guard Sammy Hunter (11.1 ppg), guard Troy Okeson (6.5 ppg, 48 treys), forward Jerryck Owens-Murrey (9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

What to expect:

Leathernecks haven't won a tournament game in seven years.

Centenary Gents

Site:

Shreveport, La.

Enrollment:

1,014

Coach:

Rob Flaska (second year, 14-43)

Record:

10-20, Mid-Con 3-11

First-round opponent:

No. 1 ORU (0-2 vs. the Eagles in the regular season)

Record vs. rest of Mid-Con:

0-2 vs. Oakland; 0-2 vs. Valpo; 0-2 vs. IUPUI; 1-1 vs. SUU; 1-1 vs. UMKC; 1-1 vs. WIU

NCAA appearances:

none

Season highlight(s):

won at Louisiana Tech 82-73 on Dec. 21; first back-to-back conference wins in three years

Season lowlight:

seven-game conference losing streak

Top players:

guard Tyrone Hamilton (15.8 ppg, 65 treys, 99 assists), forward Alexander Starr (14.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 42 steals), forward Larry Logan (10.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), guard Chase Adams (5.6 ppg, 87 assists, 50 steals), guard Nick Stallings (8.6 ppg, 40 steals)

What to expect:

Hamilton and Starr are terrific, but no eighth seed has won a tournament game.