Home > Tulsa Basketball > Tulsa Downs Texas 98-88 in Unexpectedly Close Contest

Tulsa Downs Texas 98-88 in Unexpectedly Close Contest


A befuddled Rick Barnes looks on during his Longhorn's 98-88 loss to Tulsa on Sunday.

Tulsa, OK- Justin Hurtt had a below average 64 points in Tulsa’s victory over the Texas Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 Sunday, but after the game stressed the importance of just advancing.

“Sure, I would have liked to scored in triple figures like I usually do, but it’s a long tournament and coach had a plan to get us some rest, so I trust him on that.”

Tulsa had raced out to a 98-20 lead before coach Doug Wojcik ordered his players to take a nap with sixteen minutes remaining in the contest.  Spectators on hand at the BOK Center laughed at the stunt at first, but became increasingly agitated as the nap proceeded to last half an hour, a span which included three television timeouts and 68 Longhorn points.  Doug Wojcik’s “plan” came under fire from opposing coach Rick Barnes.

“We all know he’s shaving points.  I saw the spread come down from 100 to 12 over the last 48 hours, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what has become the worst kept secret in town.”

Barnes was later suspended for the first ten games of the 2011-2012 season by NCAA President Mark Emmert, who said that discussing gambling trends has no place in collegiate athletics.

“What Rick Barnes did today was completely unacceptable.  I needed to send a clear message that the NCAA will not tolerate gambling discussions of any kind, especially those made to the media.”

When asked whether the suspension had anything to do with his relationship with Wojcik and a mysterious trip to Las Vegas the two took together in December of 2010, Emmert curtly replied “For the last time, I don’t know what a Tokyo Sandblaster is, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give a coach any special treatment for giving me one.”

When it was brought to Emmert’s attention that nobody had mentioned the Tokyo Sandblaster, he declined further comment.

Critics of the decision to suspend Barnes pointed to Wojcik’s newly created Twitter account, on which the coach appeared to admit to planning on profiting from having his team shaving points earlier this morning.

“About to make hella cash today. Keep shavin’ shavin’ shavin’, come on! #IBetOnCollegeSports“  -Tweet from Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik made today prior to the Golden Hurricane’s contest with Texas.

When asked for comment on Wojcik’s controversial tweet, Tulsa Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham offered a bit of rare criticism for his coach.

“I know a lot of people out there are offended by coach Wojcik’s tweet this morning, and I want to let the Tulsa community know that I am too.  Rest assured that Doug will be reprimanded for referencing a Limp Bizkit song in his Twitter account.  I want to reiterate that Limp Bizkit’s unimaginative, derivative music in no way represents the values of this University.  I have also asked President Upham to formally make the Tulsa campus a Bizkit-free zone.”

Tulsa will move on to face the Duke University Blue Devils in a sweet sixteen match-up Thursday in Anaheim, California.  Duke, the top seed in the West region, defeated 8th seeded Michigan Wolverines earlier today.  Tune back in to Corndog Country this week for more exclusive coverage of Tulsa’s run through the NCAA tournament.

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  1. ryan balsiger
    March 20, 2011 at 8:02 pm | #1

    somehow Kurtz or Coley has to show up during this incredible run

  2. Todd Graham
    March 21, 2011 at 7:36 am | #2

    This is classic stuff!

  1. April 4, 2011 at 7:46 pm | #1

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