Tulsa Golden Hurricane – Page 7

Tulsa’s Lilly Thomas locks up LNGA Amateur title with two big birdies

Lilly Thomas bounced back from two close calls in her past two tournaments to win the LNGA Amateur in a playoff.

Keeping her focus down the closing stretch has been a hurdle recently for Lilly Thomas. That was decidedly not the case, however, at Country Club of St. Albans in St. Louis this week.

Thomas, who is entering her junior year at Tulsa, played the 18th hole four times over the course of three days at the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur. She birdied it twice in regulation and, maybe most importantly, a third time in sudden death.

The final birdie in regulation was key in getting Thomas into a playoff with Michigan senior Ashley Lau, who took an early lead at St. Albans with an opening 67. Thomas drained a 35-footer – downhill, over a ridge – on the first playoff hole to put it away.

“I had just seen the putt,” she said. “My playing partner, when we played 18 just before – got a little read on her.”

Scores: LNGA Amateur

Thomas, a native of Bentonville, Arkansas, has been on the road the past three weeks. She had close calls at both the North & South Women’s Amateur and the Women’s Western Amateur, two match-play events that draw stout fields.

“This is my third week in a row of pretty high-level golf,” she said. “I missed the cut at the North & South by one stroke and I missed the cut at the Western by one stroke. I think I had some work to do, I was a little frustrated on the inside with my play in the last two weeks.”

Thomas identified the lapse as coming toward the end of rounds. At Pinehurst No. 2 for the North & South, she was 2 under entering the final two holes and finished with a pair of bogeys.

“The main difference was having confidence through the least three holes and ramping up my focus,” she said of her play at St. Albans.

A call to swing coach Ted Tryba helped her arrive at that realization, and Thomas finished with gusto at the LNGA Am. She assured herself a final spot in the final group with a second-round 66 that included seven birdies. A final-round 74 left her at 6 under, tied with Lau.

The LNGA win was made it sweeter because of the support system around her there to see it. After seeing her land on the bubble in two previous events, Thomas felt some validation in her family seeing her get it done this time.

Thomas ranks it as a top-3 golf moment.

“It can’t trump winning conference with my team,” she noted. Tulsa’s American Athletic Conference title in the spring sent the Hurricanes to the NCAA Women’s Championship for the first time since 2012.

The LNGA title will be a nice memory to take back to school with her in two weeks. Head coach Annie Young encourages summer competition but doesn’t mandate it. It’s nice, Thomas noted, to be tuned up for team qualifying, and this week will have accomplished that.

“Qualifying is one of the more stressful parts of college golf,” she said.

Something says Thomas will start it – and finish it – strong.

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Could the AAC be a landing spot for remaining 8 Big 12 schools?

As the landscape of college football shifts and the Big 12 looks to be on the brink of collapse, can the AAC add members of the Big 12?

Undoubtedly, the pending move of the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns to the Southeastern Conference has sent shock waves throughout college football.

The remnants of the Big 12 are in turmoil and look ripe for the picking from the rest of the Power Five. And while a Power Five destination would be the most preferred for the remaining Big 12 schools, there’s no guarantee the remaining eight will find a new home among college football’s elite.

Instead, some schools may find themselves a part of an expanded American Athletic Conference. Per a report from Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic (subscription), the AAC appears ready to pick off the weaker members of the Big 12 herd in their own conference expansion plans.

Multiple sources believe (Michael) Aresco, the AAC commissioner, is committed to trying such a tactic. And it makes total sense from the AAC standpoint. This is a league that has been pushing for respect and a seat at the table alongside the Power Five conferences. Being an aggressor and potentially adding members would also better position the AAC to gain autonomy in the NCAA legislative process, as the Power Five leagues have. Back in May, prior to news of a potential 12-team College Football Playoff that would include access for all 10 FBS leagues, the AAC’s board of directors sent an eight-page letter to the Autonomy Five (the official name of the Power Five) conferences to request the AAC be included as an autonomy conference, a designation it felt it was “unreasonably” excluded from. This has been the case since 2014, when Division I voted to allow the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC the ability to adopt legislation for their own membership only in specific areas. – Auerbach

Schools such as Baylor and TCU don’t have natural landing spots in conference realignment. However, AAC members SMU and Tulsa provide a template for where the Bears and the Horned Frogs could fit the best. If the Big 10, Pacific Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, or the SEC choose not to add any of the remaining eight from the Big 12, the AAC would be a solid home to the conferences’ lesser-valued programs.

As this continues to unfold, it’s looking more and more likely that the Big 12 is headed toward its final days as a conference. There have been few reports about potential expansion by the Power Five conference. And any expansion would feel underwhelming relative to the loss of Oklahoma and Texas.

Penn State’s all-time record against every American Athletic Conference member

Penn State has a lopsided history in games played against current AAC members, but Navy has hung tight historically.

Penn State does not have a tremendous amount of history against most members of the American Athletic Conference. But Penn State has a lopsided history in their favor against one member, the Temple Owls, and a slightly favorable all-time record against another, the Navy Midshipmen.

Games against other current members of the AAC have been limited to small numbers, with a handful of bowl matchups in the record books. The most recent meeting with the AAC came at the end of the 2019 season when Penn State topped Memphis in the highest-scoring Cotton Bowl to date.

All data referenced is credited to College Football Reference. Rankings referenced are AP Top 25 where available.

If you want more, check out Penn State’s all-time records against current members of the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.

Note: Penn State has never faced Tulsa.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

College Football News Preview 2020: Tulsa Golden Hurricane

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, looking ahead to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Tulsa Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in AAC
Head Coach: Philip Montgomery, 6th year, 25-37
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 78
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 86
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 120

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Tulsa Golden Hurricane Offense 3 Things To Know

– The offense improved a bit over a rough 2018, but it still wasn’t always enough – the defense let the team down far too often. Still, the Golden Hurricane averaged 420 yards per game with a decent enough passing game to get by.

Starting quarterback Zach Smith – after transferring over from Baylor – is back after throwing for close to 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns with just nine picks. No. 2 man Seth Boomer also returns – neither one will run much, but either one can handle the passing attack and push for close to 300 yards.

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– Keenan Johnson is gone after making 46 grabs. All of the other top receivers are expected back, starting with the dangerous Keylon Stokes – who led the team with 62 catches for 1,049 yards and six touchdowns – along with junior Sam Crawford, who caught 59 passes for 777 yards and five scores. This is a deep group – helped by the addition of Oklahoma State TE transfer Grayson Boomer – that should be even more explosive.

– The 1-2 rushing punch of Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor are back. Brooks is the 5-9, 190-pound scooter, and the 215-pound Taylor handles more of the thump. 229-pound sophomore TK Wilkerson also returns after running for six scores.

They’re all working behind a line that’s shuffling things around a bit. Four starters are back, but there are some moving parts for a group that struggle for the running game and allowed a way-too-many 3.25 sacks per game.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Tulsa Golden Hurricane Defense 3 Things To Know

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Meet Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa’s gem of a CB prospect

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Tulsa cornerback prospect Reggie Robinson II

If your favorite NFL team is looking for the best value at cornerback in the 2020 NFL draft class, Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II just might be their man.

A big, physical cover man with impressive speed and athleticism, Robinson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his career playing for the Golden Hurricane, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.

JM: As you continue to prepare for the next level, how do you look back on your time at Tulsa?

RRII: I learned so much in my five years there, both about life and football. I grew from a boy to a man at Tulsa. Five years is a long time. I’m so grateful for my time there. I received the best coaching of my life at Tulsa. I look back at it as a great experience.

JM: You posted 34 career pass break-ups at Tulsa. What is it about your game that allowed you to be around the ball so often?

RRII: I feel like my length and my speed have played the biggest factors in those numbers. Those are the things that allowed me to be around the ball so often. I can keep up with everybody and use my length to get my hands on the ball. It’s all about disrupting the catch point really. I use my long, athletic body to stay around the ball.

JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?

RRII: It was a great experience. I enjoyed playing a role in an event that gets all of us great collegiate athletes from around the nation in one building. It’s such a special event. It gave me a great chance to show off my skills. The whole process is really great.

JM: It’s a longer, more difficult process than a lot of people realize, isn’t it?

RRII: Yeah, most people just see the end product (laughs). The first couple of days leading up to the testing can be pretty taxing. There’s a lot of poking and prying that goes on. They do some very thorough medical checks. I get it though, they have to make sure everything is good with our bodies. They check for pretty much everything. It’s a long process before we even hit the field. We haven’t even discussed the team interviews and everything else that happens. I was just so thankful to be there. It gave me a terrific opportunity.

JM: You ran an excellent time of 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. It’s even more impressive when you factor in your size (6-1, 205 pounds), right?

RRII: That was a big question mark surrounding me. Every interview I had, every team asked me about my speed. They were all anxious to see what I was gonna run in the 40. I guess my film doesn’t showcase my speed? I don’t know what to say (laughs). My long speed kept coming up in conversation. I finally put those concerns to bed at the combine.

JM: Do you feel like you surprised a lot of people with your testing results?

RRII: Yeah, I definitely think I turned some heads and surprised some people. I didn’t surprise anybody in my hometown or back at Tulsa. They all knew what I was gonna do. They know what I’m capable of. They already knew that I’m an athletic guy. I’m quick and strong. I definitely surprised some people on a national level though. The scouts were definitely surprised with what I did at the combine.

JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal interviews at the combine?

RRII: I took care of a lot of my formals at the Senior Bowl. At the combine, it was more of the informal variety for me. I had basically met everyone at the Senior Bowl already.

JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the cornerback position?

RRII: I love the competition aspect of it. The one-on-one aspect is my favorite part. It’s me against you. We played a ton of press coverage at Tulsa. I had to survive in man coverage. It prepared me for what’s next. I love being in somebody’s face.

JM: Do you approach a smaller, shiftier receiver differently than you do a bigger, more physical one?

RRII: I think you have to play every receiver differently. Playing cornerback, I love getting my hands on a receiver. With those smaller and shiftier types, you have to give yourself a little bit more room to work with. That allows you to react a little bit better to what they’re doing.

JM: Were you able to get in any private visits or workouts before COVID-19 shut everything down?

RRII: Unfortunately, I was not. Everything was scheduled to go down after my pro day. Everything started to get canceled about one or two days before pro day. We had to rush our pro day actually. The meetings that were supposed to happen a day before pro day got canceled. Everyone was getting pulled back home due to the virus. My pro day happened on a Thursday. Everybody scattered once it ended. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet anybody in person.

JM: Who are some of the teams that you were supposed to meet with?

RRII: I was supposed to meet with about two or three different teams. The New York Giants were one of them. I had the Houston Texans as well.

JM: Have you moved your meetings to the phones since then?

RRII: Yeah, I’ve had a few discussions. We’ve done some things via FaceTime. I’ve had a few informal phone calls. I’ve spoken with the Los Angeles Rams and the Giants as well.

JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?

RRII: Honestly, I didn’t get any strange questions. Most of my questions were pretty generic. They were just asking me about my skill set as a cornerback really. I didn’t get anything strange. I’ve always heard stories about those weird questions though. I was fully ready for one of them (laughs). It never came though.

JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer to play in at the next level? What did Tulsa primarily run?

RRII: I’m ready to play in any scheme. We ran a 3-3-5 at Tulsa. We played a bunch of man coverage. We played a lot of Cover-2 as well. I’m well prepared for whatever comes my way.

JM: Earlier, you said that you love playing man coverage and getting in somebody’s face. What’s your favorite way to demoralize the receiver across from you?

RRII: I love hitting them with that first stick (laughs). I love getting in his face. When I first line up, I might give him the illusion that I’m playing off coverage. Before the snap, I come down and get right in his face. I try to switch it up and get in his head before the ball is snapped. I throw my hands at him and jam him up.

JM: What kind of guy is Reggie Robinson II going to be at the next level?

RRII: They’re getting a versatile athlete. Whatever they want me to play, I’m gonna be back there playing it. I’m gonna give it my all.

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Badger moments: The comeback against Tulsa in 2003

Wisconsin pulls off a minor miracle

The NCAA Tournament comebacks we remember the most are the ones which led to Final Fours or national championships. The NCAA Tournament comeback I think of the most — the one which comes most readily to mind when the subject is brought up — is Illinois’ comeback against Arizona in the 2005 Elite Eight.

Illinois was down by 15 points with four minutes left, and eight with one minute left. It somehow rallied to beat Arizona and go to the Final Four for the first time in 16 years. Illinois reached the national championship game and narrowly lost to North Carolina in a thriller.

The 2003 Wisconsin Badgers pulled off an all-time college basketball comeback in the NCAA Tournament. It didn’t lead to a Final Four, though, so on a national level, this doesn’t contain the resonance of Illinois in 2005 or other particularly transformative comebacks which dramatically rewrote the college basketball history books.

Nevertheless, any Wisconsin fan who is at least 30 years old almost certainly remembers where he or she was when the Badgers pulled a rabbit out of the hat and stunned the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the second round of the 2003 Big Dance.

Tulsa, the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region, had already dispatched No. 4 seed Dayton. It was headed toward a second big upset and a Sweet 16 berth as a double-digit seed.

The Badgers — true to their identity throughout this century of great basketball — did not quit.

They scored the next 11 points to pull within two, at 58-56. Alando Tucker scored four of Wisconsin’s 11 points in that run, but he also was part of a disruptive defense which held Tulsa to two points in the final four minutes.

Down 60-56 in the last minute of regulation, Wisconsin stayed the course. Devin Harris scored a layup with 48 seconds left. Wisconsin forced a Tulsa turnover and earned its one chance to tie or take the lead.

The Badgers made the most of that chance.

Harris drew multiple Tulsa defenders and found Freddie Owens open in the left corner for a 3-pointer. Owens nailed the shot with one second left.

Comeback complete. Wisconsin was headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time under Bo Ryan, and for the first time since the 2000 team under Dick Bennett made the Final Four.

Speaking about the final play, Harris said, “I looked over and there was Freddie, sitting there, eyes wide as I don’t know what.”

Owens had plenty to say as well:

“They rotated so hard there was nothing on the ball side. For Devin, that’s a decision point,” Owens said. “There were five blue jerseys in the paint, so the opposite corner was open. Devin knew that. This is one you tell your kids and grandkids about in the future.”

Isn’t that the truth.

2020 American Athletic Conference College Basketball Tournament odds and betting futures

Analyzing the 2020 American Athletic Conference Tournament odds and futures, with sports betting picks, tips and best bets.

The 2020 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament kicks off Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tex. There are a few teams from the AAC which should be shoe-ins for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, should they come up short for a championship bid. A few others are on the bubble, and need impressive showings, and help in other tourneys, to catch the eye of the selection committee. Below, we look at the futures odds to win the AAC tournament.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednsday, March 11 at 11 a.m. ET.

2020 AAC odds: Houston Cougars (+200)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 13-5 AAC)

The Cougars will have a lot less pressure than some of the teams below them, as they’re a lock for a bid to the dance. They’re simply playing for seeding at this point and could use a couple of wins to bump them up. They could be on the 8-line right now, which would give them a coin-flip game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Get some action on this event or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Houston scratched out a win and non-cover against a solid Memphis side over the weekend in the regular-season finale. The Cougars have the defense to make at least an Elite Eight run if they’re on top of their game. They ranked 12th in the nation in points allowed (62.1 points per game), and they ranked seventh in defensive field-goal percentage (38.3). While Houston isn’t the best scoring team, posting just 72.3 PPG on offense, checking in a middling 135th, it creates plenty of second chances, ranking second in the country in offensive rebounding.

The FAVORITE IS WORTH A BET AT +200, as the Cougars are the class of the AAC.

2020 AAC odds: Cincinnati Bearcats (+350)

Regular-season record: (20-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Bearcats stumbled down the stretch, going just 5-3 straight up and 1-7 against the spread across their final eight games. File that away if you bet their games individually going forward. As far as winning the AAC Tournament, the Bearcats are a talented team, especially defensively. While not as tenacious as Houston, Cincy did rank 31st in the country in defensive FG% (39.8). G Jarron Cumberland (15.5 points, 4.9 assists) is a talented scorer, and 7-foot-1 C Chris Vogt had 1.6 blocked shots per outing with F Tre Scott cleaning the glass to the tune of 10.5 rebounds per game with 1.5 steals per outing. CINCINNATI IS WORTH A SMALL-UNIT BET AT +350, but don’t get ridiculous.

2020 AAC odds: Wichita State Shockers (+400)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 11-7 AAC)

The Shockers certainly made plenty of waves, rising from mid-major power in the Missouri Valley Conference to an invitation to the AAC. After a brief adjustment period, the Shockers are doing what we’ve come to expect from them – win a lot of games. While they lost two road games to Cincinnati and Memphis down the stretch, a 22-point win in the final over a good Tulsa team snapped them back on track. WICHITA STATE IS A GOOD VALUE BET AT +400.

2020 AAC odds: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Golden Hurricane were humbled by 22 points at Wichita in the finale. Tulsa beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and were hammered by the good teams. A 33-point loss in Houston Feb. 19 was also alarming. They’ll be a good NIT team, and a loss Friday in their first game, potentially against Memphis, wouldn’t be surprising. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Memphis Tigers (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 10-8 AAC)

The Tigers had a chance to get off the bubble with a win in Houston in the finale. While they covered, they faltered, and covers do not impress the committee. Memphis likely needs at least two wins, perhaps three, to feel comfortable on selection Saturday. If the Tigers still had James Weisman in the middle, their chances of winning here would be better. They’re a good defensive team, but offensively they’re rather bland. A SMALL-UNIT PLAY TO WIN THE AAC AT +600 is OK, as their defense is good enough, but they’re a better bet in individual games against the spread and on Under plays.

2020 AAC odds: UConn Huskies (+1500)

Regular-season record: (19-12, 10-8 AAC)

UConn is on the bubble, and likely needs at least a run to the final to have a chance at an NCAA bid. The Huskies are matched up with Tulane in the 5-12 matchup, a team they scraped by 80-76 in the regular-season finale. They won both meetings with Tulane, but went 0-2 ATS. The good news is UConn enters this tournament on a five-game winning streak. Still, the Huskies are a mediocre team, and their odds are rather inflated based upon that. Not a good value, so AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: SMU Mustangs (+2500)

Regular-season record: (19-11, 9-9 AAC)

The Mustangs looked like a certain NCAA team, but they ended the regular season on a 1-5 SU/ATS slide, including shocking road losses to Tulane, UCF and South Florida. There’s a reason UConn is a 19-win team and just +600, and SMU has a better record but are long shots. What have you done for me lately? AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Temple Owls (+5000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 6-12 AAC)

The Owls could spring a mild upset over a skidding SMU in the first round, but that’s as far as they go. They enter on their own five-game slide. It seems like regular-season wins over USC, Texas A&M and Wichita State were in another century. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: UCF Knights (+5000)

Regular-season record: (16-14, 7-11 AAC)

The Knights won their final two regular-season games, and they won at Cincinnati Feb. 19. They split with first-round opponent South Florida, so they could win one game, but they’re not going far. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: South Florida Bulls (+8000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 7-11 AAC)

The Bulls won’t be on parade. They did top SMU in the regular-season finale and won in Memphis Feb. 8, but their opening game vs. UCF is a toss-up. If they win that one, they go no further. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: East Carolina Pirates (+10000)

Regular-season record: (11-20, 5-13 AAC)

The Pirates lost their final three games of the regular season, and are the only 20-loss team in the AAC. They beat SMU Jan. 11 but also lost by 20 to the Mustangs. That’s a microcosm of their season, and how inconsistent, and awful, they can be. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Tulane Green Wave (+10000)

Regular-season record: (12-18, 4-14 AAC)

The Green Wave opened 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS, and looked like they were in line for a big season, including a win in Utah. They also beat Cincinnati and SMU at home, but this game isn’t in New Orleans, and they dropped five of their last six away from their home floor. The Green Wave will crash early in this tourney. AVOID.

Want some action on this tournament? Place a bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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