AU HOOPS: Tigers ready for quick turnaround

Jeff Lebo didn’t have a lot of time to learn everything about Tulsa.

Having only one day to prepare for a team isn’t nearly long enough to build a comprehensive scouting report. But what Lebo does know about Tulsa basketball, he likes. A lot.

Why? Because of the man running the program.

Lebo will face one of his closest friends tonight, as Auburn hosts the Golden Hurricane in the second round of the National Invitational
Tournament at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Lebo and Tulsa head coach Doug Wojcik met each other around 2000 when Lebo was the head coach at Tennessee Tech and Wojcik was an assistant at Lebo’s alma mater, North Carolina, under Matt Doherty.

“We just stayed in close contact ever since ...” Lebo said.

Lebo followed Wojcik’s career as his friend left Chapel Hill, N.C., for Michigan State as an assistant on Tom Izzo’s staff. Lebo couldn’t have been happier a few years later when Wojcik was named the head coach at Tulsa — a tradition-rich program that has seen the likes of Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith and Bill Self walk the sidelines.

“He’s done a terrific job at Tulsa,” Lebo said of his friend. “They’ve got a lot of interest in basketball there, and they’re used to winning.”

And this year’s no different, as Wojcik led the Golden Hurricane to a 25-10 record and a runner-up finish to Memphis in Conference USA.

Now the two friends will meet in the NIT for the chance to move on to the third round and one game closer to New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Final Four.

“It’s really odd having to play against your friend,” Lebo said. “It’s really hard, actually. We can’t really look at each other during the game.”

But they’ll talk after, which will for sure be a lot more in-depth than the conversation they had Thursday.

“It was generic,” Lebo said. “It was one of the most generic conversations we had all year.”

And that’s saying something, considering Lebo estimates the two talk at least twice a week during basketball season.

There’s also no doubt many of the coaches’ conversations have been about Tulsa’s 7-foot center Jerome Jordan, who is averaging a team-leading 14.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds.

“Jordan a very terrific inside player,” Lebo said. “He’s good. He can really gobble up space in the post. He can score against double teams. He’s a good offensive rebounder.

“Everything that they do kind of runs through him.”

Defending Jordan, as well as getting past him on offense, will be Priority No. 1 for the Tigers tonight. Senior “big man” Korvotney Barber will have to be on his game, says Lebo, as well as reserve post player Brendon Knox.

But that’s just part of the gameplan. Auburn’s perimeter game will have to continue to excel — like it did in Wednesday’s first-round win over UT Martin, where the Tigers shot 48 percent from behind the 3-point arc.

“It’s going to be hard getting good shots,” Lebo said. “They’re good defensively from the beginning of the possession until the end of the possession. But we’ll do what we do. In one day, you can’t really change a whole heck of a lot of what we do, in a quick turnaround like this.

“We’ll have to use our quickness. Getting a high-percentage shot — they contest everything — is really going to be difficult. We’re going to have to really tighten up our execution.”

Tickets for tonight’s game are still available online (http://www.auburntigers.com) and at the AU ticket office from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Reserved seats are $15, general admission is $10 and student tickets are $5.

mszvetitz@oanow.com | 737-2513

Tulsa (22-10) at Auburn (23-11) 2nd Round NIT
Where: Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum

When: 7 p.m.

TV/Radio: None/WKKR (97.7 FM)

This and that: Auburn defeated Tulsa 92-74 on Dec. 20, 1975, in the Sun Carnival Classic in El Paso, Texas. It's the only time the two schools have played each other. ... Auburn and Tulsa both played against Tulane and Missouri State this season, with the Tigers going 2-0 against the two teams, while Tulsa went 1-1, losing to Tulane in overtime, 76-75.

Projected starters Auburn: F Korvotney Barber (13.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg), G DeWayne Reed (13.2 ppg, 3.8 apg), G Rasheem Barrett (9.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Quantez Robertson (6.0 ppg, 3.1 apg), G Tay Waller (12.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Projected starters Tulsa: F Bishop Wheatley (4.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg), F Ray Reese (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg), C Jerome Jordan (14.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg), G Ben Uzoh (14.0 ppg, 3.6 apg), Justin Hurtt (9.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg)