2008 Woodie Awards
Men's hoop dreams denied by Oral Roberts
Courtney Essett
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
With a 26-7 record, the IUPUI men's basketball team had more than a fighting chance to capture the Summit League Championship and the automatic NCAA bid. They had junior guard George Hill who was Summit League player of the year and ranked 17th in the nation (the nation!) in scoring at 21.5 points. They were ranked second in the conference after Oral Roberts who they would split their season 1-1 with. So what exactly happened in Tulsa?
In game one, the men cruised to a victory in what started off as nail-biter against UMKC. UMKC played tough defense all night. In this game, George Hill would do what he did best all season and put up 16 points and 7 boards. Senior Austin Montgomery would also earn his 1000th career point with a 3-point jumper that ignited the few Jaguar fans in attendance. He would end the night with 17 points. The Jags would eventually take control of the game and win it 69-64, with two free throws by Hill to seal the deal.
Game two pitted the Jaguars against Oakland who had previously claimed that IUPUI didn't play a physical ball game. George Hill would make a believer out of Oakland after he handled the ball all night, snatching 13 boards and scoring 32 points. Jon Avery would come off the bench in another clutch performance and add 14 points. They won 80-65 and moved on to the finals.
The championship game, in which the Jags faced ORU, turned out to be a complete travesty. The men expected a hostile crowd but knew they could beat this team. However, only the hostile crowd part was true. The men could have, in fact, beat this team. But Oral Roberts had the Midas touch that night. Almost every shot they took would fall.
They shot 56 percent in the second half versus 36 by IUPUI. They won the rebounding game all night, which would prove to be detrimental to IUPUI. They did not win because they were the better team. They won because IUPUI failed to bank on open opportunities. They didn't chase down rebounds. They weren't making shots and they allowed ORU too many open looks at long shots (which they made). In the end, they fell 71-64 and lost their automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
So now the men's team will sit jaded, alongside the rest of us, watching the tournament at home. They've been snubbed in all three post-season tournaments, despite a 26-7 record. Everyone returns (except for three seniors) to try again next season. If 26 wins and a national recognition at the hands of the coach isn't enough, what's left? Congratulations men on a great season. Clearly, the committee doesn't know everything.
In game one, the men cruised to a victory in what started off as nail-biter against UMKC. UMKC played tough defense all night. In this game, George Hill would do what he did best all season and put up 16 points and 7 boards. Senior Austin Montgomery would also earn his 1000th career point with a 3-point jumper that ignited the few Jaguar fans in attendance. He would end the night with 17 points. The Jags would eventually take control of the game and win it 69-64, with two free throws by Hill to seal the deal.
Game two pitted the Jaguars against Oakland who had previously claimed that IUPUI didn't play a physical ball game. George Hill would make a believer out of Oakland after he handled the ball all night, snatching 13 boards and scoring 32 points. Jon Avery would come off the bench in another clutch performance and add 14 points. They won 80-65 and moved on to the finals.
The championship game, in which the Jags faced ORU, turned out to be a complete travesty. The men expected a hostile crowd but knew they could beat this team. However, only the hostile crowd part was true. The men could have, in fact, beat this team. But Oral Roberts had the Midas touch that night. Almost every shot they took would fall.
They shot 56 percent in the second half versus 36 by IUPUI. They won the rebounding game all night, which would prove to be detrimental to IUPUI. They did not win because they were the better team. They won because IUPUI failed to bank on open opportunities. They didn't chase down rebounds. They weren't making shots and they allowed ORU too many open looks at long shots (which they made). In the end, they fell 71-64 and lost their automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
So now the men's team will sit jaded, alongside the rest of us, watching the tournament at home. They've been snubbed in all three post-season tournaments, despite a 26-7 record. Everyone returns (except for three seniors) to try again next season. If 26 wins and a national recognition at the hands of the coach isn't enough, what's left? Congratulations men on a great season. Clearly, the committee doesn't know everything.
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