Tulsa Hoops Preview: Tulsa vs. Arkansas

CUSA-fans.com has a new staff of team correspondents this season to help bring you, the fan, more detailed Conference USA sports coverage. Today, our new Tulsa Correspondent Taylor Burke previews the basketball game between Tulsa and Arkansas.

On January 2, 2007, the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-2) will visit the Bud Walton Arena at the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas and hope to extend the New Year’s hangover for the Razorbacks (10-3).

Tulsa will likely face its toughest test in terms of an inside presence on the season. Arkansas has 6’10 Darian Townes (7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg), 6’8 Charles Thomas (12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6’6 Sonny Weems (11.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), and 7’0 Steven Hill (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg). Freshman guard Patrick Beverly leads Arkansas in scoring with 14.2 ppg.

Beverly will have an interesting matchup with Tulsa freshman guard Ben Uzoh, who is averaging around 10 ppg. Tulsa recently switched its starting lineup for the Eastern Michigan game, going with freshman forward Jamel McLean and sophomore forward Sam Mitchell. The Tulsa offense struggled to start that game, but eventually Tulsa rolled to an easy victory. Tulsa is lead in scoring by junior guard Rod Earls (12.2 ppg).

Other Tulsa basketball notes:

• Arkansas has struggled with teams that run zones, but Tulsa has not run a zone since the exhibition season, preferring Wojcik’s rigid man defense. Don’t expect Tulsa to change its system.

• Stan Heath and Doug Wojcik are both from the Tom Izzo coaching tree, which may also have something to do with why this series was renewed.

• It is a little known fact that Tom Izzo is also a member of the Tulsa coaching tree – sort of. Izzo was briefly an assistant in the 1980’s under JD Barnett before moving onto Michigan State.

• Tulsa lost its last meeting with Arkansas in 2004. The only two players remaining off that Tulsa team are senior forward Charles Randle and redshirt junior guard Brett McDade.

• Tulsa last defeated Arkansas in 2002, 60-61. Antonio Reed hit a couple of key free throws to seal the game.

• Both teams have defeated Oral Roberts University and have no other common opponents.

• Tulsa signed 6’10 Arkansas forward Steven Idlet this fall. Arkansas showed mild interest in Idlet as well. Idlet is the brother of Tulsa women’s player Dana Idlet.