Tulsa Basketball 2015-16 Season Preview

Despite winning over 20 games in 2014-15, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane were left out of the NCAA tournament and made it to just the second game of the NIT. Tulsa finished one game behind the SMU Mustangs in the American Athletic Conference regular season title race, but fell out of the conference tournament to the Connecticut Huskies which sealed their fate when it came to NCAA tournament selection.

Heading into 2015-16, Frank Haith’s squad will be hungrier than ever to make it to the 2016 NCAA tournament because Tulsa boats the talent, experience and now the motivation to be one of the marquee giant-killers of the upcoming college basketball season.

This team brings back almost everyone from last season’s roster. Every player who played more than 20 minutes per game is returning for their senior season, including James Woodard, Shaquille Harrison, Rashad Smith, Rashad Ray, Marquel Curtis and D’Andre Wright. There might not be a more experienced team in the entire country heading into next season.

Although not what the Selection Committee will want to see, the Golden Hurricane will be helped by a fairly easy non-conference slate in terms of overall record. The Wichita State Shockers are the best team that Tulsa plays, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Oregon State Beavers are the next two teams remotely close to that level. Tulsa could easily come into conference play on just one loss.

In AAC play, Tulsa will likely be one of the favorites. The Memphis Tigers and UConn always pose a threat, but with SMU undergoing NCAA sanctions, the Cincinnati Bearcats should be the team to beat. If Tulsa can get the win against Cincinnati on the road in their second game of conference play, I am not sure any team in the AAC will be able to slow them down.

Honestly, I expect this team to be ranked early into the season if they are not ranked in the preseason poll. Few college teams ever boast the senior-laden roster that Tulsa will have this season, and Haith is a capable coach who should be able to turn this squad’s talent into results. Watch for Tulsa to fight with the Bearcats at the top of the AAC and quickly become a team that no one wants to play heading into the 2016 NCAA tournament.

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.