Streaking Jaguars set to battle Golden Eagles - TW (1-14-06)

[ORUTerry]

Streaking Jaguars set to battle Golden Eagles

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

1/14/2006

At 4-0, IUPUI is off to its best-ever start in Mid-Con Conference.

Ron Hunter said he's trying to raise his school's image. He's already made it into one of the top Mid-Continent Conference basketball programs.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The name hardly rolls off the tongue.

IUPUI. That's better. It's what school officials prefer.

Hunter just doesn't like the school's traditional, if somewhat unflattering nickname, "oooey-pooey."

He lectured Tulsa World reporters about using the nickname last March, while the Jaguars were playing in the conference tournament at Union High School.

"People don't understand. We're still in the process of building this program," Hunter explained earlier this week. "It's not established, like Valparaiso or Oral Roberts University. We're very young in our name recognition and we've had to fight and battle."

The school wasn't created until 1969 and is only in its ninth year at the NCAA Division I level.

But IUPUI's 12th-year head coach has won more than his share. The Jaguars went to the final of three straight conference tournaments (2002-04) and have averaged 19 wins over the past three years.

The Jaguars (9-6, 4-0) are off to their best-ever Mid-Con start as they visit ORU at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

The Golden Eagles (8-8, 3-1) trail IUPUI by a game after Monday's loss at Valparaiso and don't want to fall another game off the pace.

IUPUI stayed unbeaten in league play with Thursday's 68-62 win at Missouri-Kansas City as sophomore forward George Hill scored 21 points.

"They've won six of their last seven games and they're coming here with a ton of confidence," said ORU coach Scott Sutton. "It will be a tough game."

The Eagles will play their second game without injured guard Ken Tutt, and hope to generate more outside offense to support junior forward Caleb Green, who is averaging 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds over the past nine games.

Known as a running team, IUPUI has struggled with shooting this season, but the Jaguars lead the league in scoring defense, allowing 66.7 points per game.

The Jaguars are also know for having the Mid-Con's most animated coach. Hunter runs here and there on the sideline, windmilling his arms, badgering officials, coaching his players. He never sits still.

His sideline show may be as entertaining as the show on the court, but it isn't an act.

"There's not a premeditated thing to it. It's all me. My mother told me I'm high-strung and I guess it's a term that will always be applied to me," he said.

"You should see me in practice. I'm everywhere. I don't even think about it. I'm usually calmer in games. I've watched tape of myself and sometimes thought how embarrassing it was. I can't believe that's who I am.

"I've tried to sit down and do things a different way, but it lasts about five minutes and I'm up again. Our guys feed off of the way I am, and that's who I'm going to be."