Sutton Seeks Hard Road Now (Tulsa World 8/7/08)

[vcboy2000]

Lord knows they will need him for that game.

I wonder what anyone else thinks about this NC team being the best that ORU has ever played? Just wondering what everyone thinks?

My knowledge of ORU Hoops history isn't as extensive as some on this board, but I do know that this will be probably the most heralded team that ORU has played since I've been following them, which has been only been for 9 years. UNC will be the pre-season #1. They only lost 2 players from last years final four team: Quentin Thomas and Deon Thompson. Quentin was only playing significant back up minutes behind Ty Lawson because Bobby Fraiser was injured at the beginning of the year. Thompson was a significant presence in the post off the bench. Either way you look at it we will have our hands full. But like Adam Liberty's dad told me right before the Kansas game 2 years ago, "they put there shorts on the same way we put ours on". Lets go get some!

[Old Titan]

Here is an image from the 73-74 Basketball Guide. Not sure what game this is from.

That's from the NIT in Madison Square Garden the year before - Greg McDougald is the shooter, future ABA pick/flameout David Vaughn is the 7-footer in the background, with Richard Fuqua (#24) trailing the play. 

ORU lost that game 82-65, and is 0-3 all-time vs. the Tar Heels.  Their last meeting was an 87-65 pasting in Chapel Hill in December, 1984 - a return game after UNC and Jenks native Steve Hale played two games in the 1983 Oil Capital Classic in the Mabee Center (the infamous weekend where TU beat North Carolina, then ORU, followed by Ken Hayes dismissal that night).

When was the last time ORU played the consensus #1 team in the land, and how many times has it happened?

[tmh8286]

I wouldn't have gotten the location of that picture, OT, at least not until I got home tonight and checked my 1973/74 media guide ! 

I know it wasn't consensus, but Kansas was selected by SI as the #1 team in the country, in the issue that came out the very day we played them and beat them: November 15, 2006.

[Old Titan]

I wouldn't have gotten the location of that picture, OT, at least not until I got home tonight and checked my 1973/74 media guide ! 

I know it wasn't consensus, but Kansas was selected by SI as the #1 team in the country, in the issue that came out the very day we played them and beat them: November 15, 2006.

I'm pretty sure they were #3 in the Associated Press Poll the night we beat them.

Some candidates for highly-ranked teams the night we played them:  Arkansas and TU a couple of times each under Nolan Richardson, Depaul with Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings, the Oklahoma/ UCLA/Louisville/Kansas debacles under Ken Trickey in the early '90's, OU a couple of other times under Tubbs and Sampson, Memphis in the Dallas Regional in '06, Georgetown a couple of decades ago, Missouri with Stepanovich, Indiana's '81 championship team (we lost to them by 9 in December of that season), Syracuse, Louisville and Kansas in the '74 NCAA run, San Francisco in the '70's with Bill Cartwright and Winfred Boynes - what others?

[ORUTerry]

The Kansas win in Lawrence assures  that we will not be able to 'sneak up' on the Tar Heels. At least for Coach Williams and his staff.... who knows about the players?

[tmh8286]

I'm pretty sure they were #3 in the Associated Press Poll the night we beat them.

I think you're right. Only Sports Illustrated was choosing them #1 - and them, only until that night!

[theeagleman5]

I remember that UNC game in the NIT very well....we should have been very competitive in the game but we came out flat....UNC was a Top 10 team that year who got upset in the ACC tourney when only one team per conference could be in the NCAAs....watched the game in the old cafeteria on TV with hundreds of students....George Karl was the point guard on the Tar Heel team.....

[theeagleman5]

From the looks of that projected schedule....if we are anywhere near .500 on 1/1/09....we should get down on our knees and thank the Lord!!!..... ........brutal!!!

[ORU_Ed]

From the looks of that projected schedule....if we are anywhere near .500 on 1/1/09....we should get down on our knees and thank the Lord!!!..... ........brutal!!!

SOOOOO true e-man.  IF we somehow went 3-3 against TU, Creighton, USC, UNC, NM, and Missouri I'd be totally thrilled.  Then again going 6-0 against bubba gump U, sissies of the poor, and Directional Okie schools is worse for your RPI come tourney time and we all know that a mediocre non-conf record against tough comp. tends to be treated with more respect than an incredible record against chum.

As SS says, we play those to be ready/toughened for the conf. season to make the push needed to get ready for March

[Cletus]

I like Sutton's mindset.

Let's play the toughest teams!

Make you a better person and team in the end.

I'm sure there will be a few victories along the way.

[ORUIsbig]

I love it, any team, any where is what it takes.  Too bad were going to get stomped, but it will be great for our team.  When they play agianst the best, it shows them what the need to succeed.  Plus the exposure is so great for the program.

[oruvoice]

SOOOOO true e-man.  IF we somehow went 3-3 against TU, Creighton, USC, UNC, NM, and Missouri I'd be totally thrilled.  Then again going 6-0 against bubba gump U, sissies of the poor, and Directional Okie schools is worse for your RPI come tourney time and we all know that a mediocre non-conf record against tough comp. tends to be treated with more respect than an incredible record against chum.

As SS says, we play those to be ready/toughened for the conf. season to make the push needed to get ready for March

3-3 vs. those 6 on the road??? Are you serious? We are going to be double digit underdogs in most, if not all of those games.

Plus, we have soooooo many guys who have little or no experience playing D-1 ball. If we won 2 of those 6 games, that would be UNREAL! 1-5 or 0-6 is REALISTIC.

The first half of this season, we ALL (coaches, players, & fans), need to focus on things other than W's & L's. This year, more than ever, will be about 'peaking' in February & early March, to focus on winning 3 games in South Dakota.

[tmh8286]

The first half of this season, we ALL (coaches, players, & fans), need to focus on things other than W's & L's. This year, more than ever, will be about 'peaking' in February & early March, to focus on winning 3 games in South Dakota.

Well said, voice.

[ORU_Ed]

3-3 vs. those 6 on the road??? Are you serious? We are going to be double digit underdogs in most, if not all of those games.

Voice, that's WHY I said I'd be thrilled silly boy.  I totally agree with the 1-5 or so probability.  We're saying the same thing. 

[Old Titan]

One of the benefits of being in the Summit League is having so many conference games - 18 again this season.

That means we'll only play 12 or so non-conference games this year, and we'll have a decent shot at a win in more than half of them.

Surprisingly, the worst non-conference record Scott Sutton has endured the last 7 years at the helm was the '05-'06 season, when ORU went 5-8 with a four-game losing streak.

But they then went 13-3 in league play and won the conference tournament for the school's first NCAA berth in over 20 years! 

[oruvoice]

That means we'll only play 12 or so non-conference games this year, and we'll have a decent shot at a win in more than half of them.

If we have exactly 12 non conference games, with 6 of those being the 6 road games mentioned previously, we DO NOT have a 'decent shot' at winning 'more than half'. We have little to no shot at going 6-6 or better in the non-conference.

As a matter of fact, 5-7 would be AMAZING, OUTSTANDING, & TERRIFIC!

Let's not forget folks....we lost Liberty, King, Ehambe, Ogunye, Vealy, etc. from last year's team and are replacing those seniors with mostly guys that have NEVER played a D-1 game or played together!!!

The future is BRIGHT for ORU hoops. But, this year (especially early season) is going to be TOUGH.

[ORUTerry]

I totally agree Voice..... our non-conference schedule is challenging to say the least and on top of that we have a bench full of new players.

Consider this: we will be starting(!) a point guard who has never played a game in D-1. Reggie Guyton will have to get his 'sea legs' quick - and make sure that he stays in the game.

Here is my projected starting lineup:

Guyton (pg)

Jarvis (sg)

Sango (wing)

Hardy (small foward)

Lewis (power forward)

Kevin Ford will be in the mix when he becomes eleigible in December. Also look for Stokes, Morrison, Farrington and Morton to provide quality minutes. And who knows about the others....

And that is just the point.... we don't know know a lot about this team. And neither does the coaching staff. There is a lot to learn.

The main thing is for the team not to become frustrated if (when?) we struggle in the non-conference season. That will be Sutton's main hurdle... keep the team focused on progress and and not on the schedule results.

[tmh8286]

I totally agree Voice..... our non-conference schedule is challenging to say the least and on top of that we have a bench full of new players.

Consider this: we will be starting(!) a point guard who has never played a game in D-1. Reggie Guyton will have to get his 'sea legs' quick - and make sure that he stays in the game.

Here is my projected starting lineup:

Guyton (pg)

Jarvis (sg)

Sango (wing)

Hardy (small foward)

Lewis (power forward)

Kevin Ford will be in the mix when he becomes eleigible in December. Also look for Stokes, Morrison and Farrington to provide quality minutes. And who knows about the others....

And that is just the point.... we don't know know a lot about this team. And neither does the coaching staff. There is a lot to learn.

The main thing is for the team not to become frustrated if (when?) we struggle in the non-conference season. That will be Sutton's main hurdle... keep the team focused on progress and and not on the schedule results.

Great post, Big T.