The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles men's basketball team is the basketball team representing Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team is a member of Summit League.
Oral Roberts has made appearances in seven NCAA Tournaments, the most recent appearance in 2023. The team has also appeared in eight National Invitation Tournaments, one College Basketball Invitational, and two CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments. The Golden Eagles have won seven regular season conference championships and six tournament championships. The team has been members of the Southland Conference and the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
In the opening round of the 2021 tournament, the Golden Eagles recorded just the ninth 15 vs. 2 upset in tournament history, defeating Ohio State 75–72 in overtime, in the process winning their first tournament game since 1974. Two days later, they became just the second 15 seed (after the 2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles) to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, after defeating #7 Florida 81–78.
On April 10, 2017, the school fired all-time winningest coach Scott Sutton after 18 years. He finished with an overall record of 328–247. The school named Paul Mills as the new head coach on April 28.
Prior to the 1993–94 season, ORU was known as the Titans. The Golden Eagles and Tulsa Golden Hurricane exchange a traveling trophy, the Mayor's Cup, in the two teams' crosstown rivalry.
Postseason play
NCAA tournament results
The Golden Eagles have appeared in seven NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 4–7.
1974 First RoundSweet SixteenElite Eight SyracuseLouisvilleKansas W 86–82W 96–93L 90–93 1984 11 First Round (6) Memphis State L 83–92 2006 16 First Round (1) Memphis L 78–94 2007 14 First Round (3) Washington State L 54–70 2008 13 First Round (4) Pittsburgh L 63–82 2021 15 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen (2) Ohio State(7) Florida(3) Arkansas W 75–72 W 81–78 L 70–72 2023 12 First Round (5) Duke L 51–74
1974 NCAA Tournament
ORU, in just its eighth season of varsity competition, made the big show and almost stole the show, coming within three points of advancing to the Final Four. The Titans finished the regular season 21–5 before receiving the NCAA bid and then proceeded to knock off Syracuse 86–82 in overtime in the sub-Regional in Denton, Texas in the first round and Louisville 96–93 at the Mabee Center to move on to the Elite Eight. ORU's dream season came to an end on its home floor, however, as Kansas overcame a nine-point deficit in the game's final minutes to send it to overtime, where the Jayhawks won 93–90. ORU, at 23–6, won 20-plus games for the fifth straight season, closing out Ken Trickey's five-year coaching stay with an incredible 118–23 record. ORU averaged 94.6 points, the fifth straight season over the 90-point mark under Trickey, whose running style helped revolutionize offensive basketball from then on. Junior guard Sam McCants paced the Titans with a 24.0 scoring average, while senior forward Eddie Woods completed a standout four-year career by leading the team with a 12.1 rebounding average. The Titans finished 18th in the final Associated Press ranking, the second time in three years placing in the Top Twenty.
1984 NCAA Tournament
Visions of the final-eight Titans of ten years earlier danced in the heads of the 1983–84 Titans as ORU advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Midwestern Collegiate Conference postseason party with a 68–66 decision over Xavier. The Titans had won the regular season conference title with an 11–3 record and then took all three games in the MCC tourney to gain the right to play Memphis State in Memphis, Tenn., in first-round NCAA play. ORU, behind junior center Mark Acres' 28 points, gave Memphis State all it could handle but eventually bowed in defeat 92–83 to the homestanding Tigers. Acres, the MCC Player of the Year, was on his way to his third straight All-American season in which he would finish with team leading averages of 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. He was not alone during ORU's march to the NCAA Tournament, receiving support from junior teammates Sam Potter (18.1 ppg) and Jeff Acres (15.0), his older brother who bounced back from a redshirt season to play a key role in the Titans' resurgence. ORU, which opened the season with a 4–5 start, turned things around the rest of the way, posting a 17–4 record on its way to the MCC crown.
2006 NCAA Tournament
One year after coming so close to reaching their first NCAA Tournament in over 20 years, the Golden Eagles finally advanced to the Big Dance. Plagued by injuries to key players throughout the season, the Golden Eagles rallied down the regular-season's home stretch, tying IUPUI for the Mid-Continent Conference regular season title on the final day. ORU again earned the No. 1 seed for the Mid-Con Tournament and this time, there was no miracle, last-second shot in the title game. ORU romped by Chicago State, 85–72, in the title game in Tulsa, earning the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 22 years. Junior guard Ken Tutt, who earlier missed 10 conference games with a broken foot, earned Tournament MVP honors. Despite being a 16 seed for the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles were much-ballyhooed in the days leading up to their meeting with No. 1 seed Memphis, with some so-called "experts" labeling the Golden Eagles as the best No. 16 seed ever. ORU gave the Tigers a good tussle, but eventually came up short in Dallas. Junior forward Caleb Green once again enjoyed a tremendous season, claiming his second straight Mid-Con Player of the Year honor, and once again earning honorable mention All-America honors from the AP. The Golden Eagles enjoyed significant nationwide exposure, playing on national television three different times, including a 68–48 win over Southern Cal on ESPN2 while at the Great Alaska Shootout. The Golden Eagles kept the Mayor's Cup at the Mabee Center for the third straight season with a 62–48 defeat of Tulsa.
2007 NCAA Tournament
With seniors Green and Tutt leading the way, the Golden Eagles made history by becoming the first ORU team to reach consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Green, who became the Mid-Continent Conference's all-time leader in points and rebounds, earned conference player of the year for the third time and captured Mid-Con Tournament MVP honors. But it was Tutt's clutch shooting which carried the Golden Eagles to the tournament title. Tutt banked in a running jumper with 31 seconds remaining to give ORU a come-from behind victory over Oakland and a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. The basket not only gave ORU a title, but also put Tutt at 2,000 career points, making him and Green just the seventh duo in NCAA history to reach 2,000 together. But it was not just post-season success which the Golden Eagles enjoyed. On November 15, ORU enjoyed the biggest regular-season victory in school history with a shocking 78–71 win at No. 3 Kansas. , who later won Mid-Con Sixth Man of the Year honors, scored a career-high 22 points off the bench, hitting seven consecutive three-pointers during the game.
2008 NCAA Tournament
With the loss of 2,000-point scorers Caleb Green and Ken Tutt, it seemed unlikely for the Golden Eagles to repeat as Summit League champions for the fourth consecutive year. However, a foursome of unheralded seniors and a high-scoring newcomer helped propel ORU to the unlikeliest of championship seasons. Seniors Moses Ehambe, Shawn King, Adam Liberty and Yemi Ogunoye guided ORU to a 24–9 overall record and a 16–2 conference record, which included a record 13–0 start. The best defense in school history propelled the Golden Eagles to regular season wins over Tulsa and Oklahoma State. Head coach Scott Sutton was named Summit League Coach of the Year. Junior guard Robert Jarvis sparked ORU's offense off the bench, leading the nation's reserves in scoring at 16.1 points per game on his way to Summit League Sixth Man of the Year. Ogunoye, a defensive stalwart for five seasons, earned Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, and Ehambe, on the strength of a record eight three-pointers in the opening round and 25 points in the championship game, earned Summit League tournament MVP honors.
2021 NCAA Tournament
Seeded fourth in the Summit League tournament, the Golden Eagles topped North Dakota before nabbing upset wins over top-seeded South Dakota State and North Dakota State in the respective semifinal and championship rounds. A crucial block and steal by Francis Lācis with two seconds remaining in the latter game allowed the Golden Eagles to escape with a 75–72 victory and reach their first NCAA men's basketball tournament in 13 years. Placed in a No. 15 seed in the South region, ORU went on to pull off a shocking upset of the No. 2 seed and Big Ten runner-up Ohio State Buckeyes in a 75–72 overtime triumph. Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas combined for 59 points in the victory. The Golden Eagles beat the Florida Gators 81–78 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, becoming just the second No. 15 seed to advance to the regional semifinal round (and first since Florida Gulf Coast in 2013). But against the Arkansas Razorbacks, they fell by a 72–70 final which caused their run to end.
NAIA results Oral Roberts competed in one NAIA tournament. They finished with a record of 2–1. 1990 3 First roundSecond roundElite Eight The King's (NY)(11) W 93–79W 106–86L 78–80 NIT results
The Golden Eagles have appeared in eight National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 2–8.
1972 First roundQuarterfinals St. John's W 94–74L 78–94 1973 First round North Carolina L 65–82 1975 First roundQuarterfinals W 97–95L 59–68 1977 First round L 89–90 1982 First round L 73–81 1997 First round L 58–74 2005 First round L 72–85 2012 First round Nevada L 59–68
1972 NIT
ORU's first postseason team ever, the 1971–72 edition of the 'run-and-gun' Titans featured: guard Richard Fuqua, who would finish second in the nation among small-college players in scoring with a 35.9 average; forward Eddie Woods, who averaged 14.5 rebounds per game, still an ORU single-season high; forward Sam McCamey, ORU's first draftee when he was selected in the eighth round of the 1972 draft by Boston; and guard Eldon Lawyer, Fuqua's running mate. The team won four straight games to open the season before losing at Murray State 94–87 on Dec. 18. ORU then reeled off a school record 22 wins in a row, the last being a 94–74 drubbing of Memphis State at Madison Square Garden in the opening round of the NIT. ORU's season and win streak came to an end three nights later when the Titans lost to St. John's 94–78. The 1971–72 team, which topped the century mark in scoring 20 times in 28 games, led the nation offensively with a 105.1 points per game average and in rebounding at 60.2 boards per game. ORU finished 16th in the final Associated Press ranking.
1973 NIT