Otherwise, other than UTEP having the homecourt advantage, the numbers for these two Conference USA teams are nearly identical.
Tulsa is 12-7 and 2-2 in the conference.
UTEP is 11-7 and 2-2.
Both lost close road games Wednesday. Tulsa lost at Tulane in overtime, and UTEP lost a miserably played game at UAB. In it, UTEP had 21 turnovers, 20 of them by and larged uncontested.
Tulsa people are saying it's time their huge center, Jerome Jordan, starts showing he's the best big man in the conference. He's touted by most as a first-round NBA pick when he leaves school.
If Tulsa pounds the middle against UTEP's weak middle, but UTEP's Randy Culpepper and Stefon Jackson are hot shooting, AND the raving half-court UTEP defense forces Tulsa turnovers (before it gets the ball inside) ...
Then it's a pick-em game.
If Tulsa gets the ball inside, turning UTEP's defense impotent, then its a pick-UTEP-off-the-floor game.
This game gives UTEP a chance to change the thinking that the Miners just don't have enough lunch-pail grit to finish with a good won-lost record. I'm still sticking with 17-13 going into the conference tournament.
Enough with the calls for lunch-pail grit. That is not the Calipari/Barbee style.
They run the dribble drive that is very guard oriented. The guards penetrate and have layups or kickouts to other guards or three point shooting big men. Why do you think he picked up Moultrie, Cooper, and the waiting recruits? They all shoot well from the perimeter.
Memphis had Joey Dorsey and he barely averaged 7 points a game. He was a rebounder and shot blocker and didn't have many plays run for him to score.
We are going to have to bank on Jackson and Culpepper to shoulder the scoring load and hope that our big guys improve their inside presense through their rebounding and garbage baskets. Don't count on a change of styles.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | January 23, 2009 at 05:56 PM
Well, this team likes to play with my heart. So I've decided to stay home and watch the Margarito-Mosley fight on Saturday.
Posted by: King David | January 23, 2009 at 09:14 PM
Joe said it, pretty even match up. I'll take the home team.
Posted by: Maven | January 23, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Ditto on the previous comment. Stickin with the home team.
WEAR WHITE TOMORROW...HUMOR COACH BARBEE A BIT HUH?
Posted by: Ryan G | January 24, 2009 at 02:18 AM
Going to have to go with the boys from Tulsa. It will be 5 on 2 and no contest.
Posted by: Wildwildwest | January 24, 2009 at 05:46 PM
CBI! CBI! CBI!
Posted by: Jace | January 24, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Come on man - you can't even defend your home court against Tulsa. Barbee still there? You're not even going to compete in this conference with him as the coach.
Posted by: George in H Town | January 26, 2009 at 07:15 AM
Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!
Posted by: Betting System | February 28, 2009 at 12:47 AM