ORUTerry Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 TU-ORU Notebook By LYNN JACOBSEN, World sports writer 11/16/2008 Last Modified: 11/16/2008 3:15 AM (excerpt) Differing views: Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton would like to reinstitute a home-and-home series in the crosstown rivalry with Tulsa, or possibly a home and neutral site, using Tulsa's BOK Center. Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik likes the series just the way it is — one game, alternating site each year. "A home and home? I don't think so," Wojcik said. "It takes away from the rivalry. This is a great opening game. I haven't had 6,500 at an opener since I've been here. I can't get a team with better recognition for a home opener than what we had today..... Link to Tulsa World Sports Extra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 Pretty obvious that our suspicions have been confirmed: Wojcik and Sutton don't see eye-to-eye on when to play this game. May not matter in a year or two if one or both leave their respective schools, but it was encouraging to read that both might be agreeable to playing the game in late December or early January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTex Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 It sounds to me like Wojcik, knowing we were going to be extremely young and inexperienced, worked out the schedule to play us first. Now he justifies it as a great opening game. I suspect it won't be a problem to schedule it later in the year next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 It sounds to me like Wojcik, knowing we were going to be extremely young and inexperienced, worked out the schedule to play us first. Now he justifies it as a great opening game. I suspect it won't be a problem to schedule it later in the year next year. Had ORU won... "This game was played too early this season," said Wojcik. "But we had a difficult time finding a date, so we just didn't have many options." I hope Wojcik understands that playing the game as the season opener was not good for either program. Yes, TU won the game. But everyone left the arena thinking that both teams are either bad or have a lot to work on. Both teams looked like they needed a couple more weeks of practice. However, I would say that ORU has much more upside and potential for a successful year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 Both teams looked like they needed a couple more weeks of practice. However, I would say that ORU has much more upside and potential for a successful year. TU has plenty of room for improvement, also. Jordan and Reese were hurt and will be major players for them, neither Andrews nor Hurtt played up the level they are capable, and the bench - other than Idlet - was not much of a factor. TU will get better, too, and will likely win 20 games and finish somewhere between 2nd and 4th in C-USA. We need them to win to help our RPI, just as they need us to win for the same reason. All that being said, with their injuries and the way they're playing right now, wouldn't be at all surprised to see them get worked pretty good by OSU on Thursday and OU in a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Wojcik = Idiot......this game should be a home and home every year especially when colleges are trying to save money on travel costs...one game early in the season and the 2nd in February......it just makes sense.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Wojcik = Idiot......this game should be a home and home every year especially when colleges are trying to save money on travel costs...one game early in the season and the 2nd in February......it just makes sense.... Exactly... it can be the home opener and the season finale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Two ORU-TU games a year never worked very well when it was tried before: the second game of the two created very little buzz for fans or media, because everyone felt like they already knew what would happen the second time around. And they were usually right: I can't remember many - if any - season splits during the 2-games-a-year era. Typically, the better team won on both courts each year. Plus, this game is not like playing conference opponents, where it's important for league standings to play home-and-homes for a fair shot at a split for the year. This game is just for bragging rights, and has had very little effect - good or bad - on postseason goals for either team the past decade. One game a year between ORU and TU is plenty - it just needs to be later in the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 A second ORU-TU game would outdraw just about any other non-conference game that TU and ORU has on the home schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Wojcik = Idiot...... Mmmmm-kay . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenj Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Not sure i like the idea of playing Tulsa twice a year either. I don't think the TU coach is an idiot either. He just doesn't see the logic in playing ORU twice. They will struggle if they have to play Uzoh at point the whole year as will ORU if Jarvis has to play the point the rest of the year. Creighton had 16,000 at the NM game last Sat. that is incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Not sure i like the idea of playing Tulsa twice a year either. I don't think the TU coach is an idiot either. He just doesn't see the logic in playing ORU twice. They will struggle if they have to play Uzoh at point the whole year as will ORU if Jarvis has to play the point the rest of the year. Creighton had 16,000 at the NM game last Sat. that is incredible! Creighton has had 16,000 on hand for their home openers ever since they opened their new arena, haven't they? How is this year any different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenj Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hadn't really looked at the past years for Creighton as far as attendance figures go. Just thought that is a great number of fans at the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 I think they are typically in the top 5 or 10 schools in basketball attendance since they opened their arena. Pretty remarkable given their size. It shows how they have been embraced by the Omaha community - and the fact that the University of Nebraska is terrible in basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 They were ranked 15th last year (2007-08) with an average attendance of 15,333. Not too shabby.... We were #98 Link to NCAA atendance figures for 2007-08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 It seems odd to me that the 3 teams ahead of us are St. Johns, Gonzaga, and Butler. That's not bad company.... I wonder if the Mabee Center is much bigger than their venues.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 It seems odd to me that the 3 teams ahead of us are St. Johns, Gonzaga, and Butler. That's not bad company.... I wonder if the Mabee Center is much bigger than their venues.... Gonzaga - After 39 years competing in the powerful atmosphere of the Kennel in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre, Gonzaga Basketball shot over to the newly built, $25 million, 148,000 ft2 McCarthey Athletic Center. Completed in November 2004, the McCarthey Athletic Center became the new "Kennel". The McCarthey Athletic Center has a seating capacity of 6,000 for basketball games. Butler - The Butler men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball teams plays their home matches in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, which is located on Butler's campus, northeast of the residence halls and main portion of campus. Less than a mile's walk from anywhere on campus, Hinkle is accessible to all students and plays host to exciting athletic competition each year . . . When the Fieldhouse was originally constructed, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction for more than 20 years. Recent renovation has reduced the seating capacity from 15,000 to around 10,000, but the aura that made Hinkle Fieldhouse one of the nation's first great basketball arenas remains today. St. Johns - The on-campus competition venue of the Red Storm men's and women's basketball, volleyball and men's and women's fencing teams, what was then referred to as Alumni Hall opened its doors on December 4, 1961, as St. John's defeated George Washington, 79-65 . . . With a seating capacity of 6,008, Carnesecca Arena ranks as the fourth-largest indoor arena in the Metropolitan area, behind the Meadowlands, Madison Square Garden and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In 1961, the year the facility was opened, the building was rated second only to Madison Square Garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 (insert Golden Boy rant on the accuracy of our attendance figures here: ______________________________________________) P.S. I love Hinkle Fieldhouse - it's the arena where, in true life and in Hoosiers, the Indiana High School Basketball Championship was (is still?) held. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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