Your broadcaster source for RSU men's and women's basketball. Play-by-play voice Shawn Tiemann hits the blogwaves to tell you what's shakin' on "College Hill" in Claremore, Oklahoma. RSU basketball originated in 2007. Tune in the Hillcat Network at rsuhillcats.com/live or RSU Radio 91.3 FM
RSU senior guard J.C. Hartzler became just the fourth men's player to reach the 1,000 career point plateau. He is as fine a young man and college student as you will find across the country at any level of college basketball. It was his night, he earned it. Congrats J.C.!
Now that the exhibition schedule has concluded with the RSU men losing at Tulsa 66-56 Tuesday night, there are two countdowns remaining for the Hillcat men's and women's basketball programs. Both tip off the new season just two days out from this post. The men play at a two-day classic against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams in Fort Smith, Arkansas Friday and Saturday, while the women play at a similar two-day event in Wichita Falls, Texas against Lone Star Conference squads. The men face preseason #18 Metro State of Denver at 5 o'clock Friday with the women's season opener at 8 o'clock Friday night against host school Midwestern State. The start of this particular regular season means we also punch the clock on the basketball teams final season of not being able to compete for championships. The transition to NCAA Division 2 will be complete after the 2015-2016 school year ends in May. In some ways, it seems like yesterday that the process started. In others, it's flown by at a rapid pace. I absolutely cannot wait for it to be over and see the Hillcats playing Heartland Conference postseason hoops at the UMAC right here in Tulsa in future years. In case you hadn't heard the news, the Heartland is shifting to eight-team fields for its conference tournaments at the end of the season starting this spring. That is very welcome news!
The broadcast crew was extremely fortunate to be able to bring you all three men's preseason games at ORU, New Mexico, and Tulsa. If the Hillcats showing in those games against D1 foes is any indication, I have a feeling they'll finish higher than their league preseason prediction of fifth. Below is a collection of pictures from the exhibition games, mostly from the roadie to WisePies Arena AKA The Pit in Albuquerque. So cool to see the 'Cats in action at such a historic basketball venue. Cross that one off my basketball bucket list. Below are some pics I shot from the walk of fame around the upper concourse at UNM. The photos include former Bulls center and first Australian NBA player Luc Longley, and Oklahoma native J.R. Giddens. Check out the box score photo from when UNM beat #1 Arizona back in 1988. As a value-added bonus for visiting the blog, you can watch the music video of the hit song that falls right in line with the title of this post. Nothing like the band Europe to boost your spirits for the start of a new college hoops season. Enjoy!
In case you missed it, the RSU hoops season has come to an end. The D2 national tournaments are about to commence. The Hillcats have just one more season as provisional members before they're eligible for postseason play. With that said, here are a few items to ponder as we all ready ourselves for some madness over the next several weeks.
1) Congratulations to Frederico Santos for capturing the first-ever conference player of the year award in Hillcat history. Freddy averaged a double-double for the season, and set single-season records for rebounds and double-doubles. He was a joy to watch. He embodies what Coach Justin Barkley wants a Hillcat to be...gritty, smart, demanding of himself. I said it on the air a few times late in the season but it's worth repeating. Santos was the best teammate in the 8-year history of men's basketball. He was very deserving of the POY honor.The RSU men would not have finished in 2nd place outright without Freddy. It's a shame we only had him for one season on College Hill. Santos plans to continue pursuing his degree at RSU, and has a TV internship awaiting him this summer in Brazil. He has such a good head on his shoulders. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
2) Congratulations are in order as well to junior guard J.C. Hartzler and women's senior guard Mikaila Newton. Both received all-conference selections as well. J.C. was named 2nd team all-Heartland and Mikaila was named honorable mention. Both had exceptional seasons.
3) It was also announced that men's coach Justin Barkley was tabbed as the OklahomaSports.net Division 2 men's coach of the year in the state of Oklahoma. I thought he should've landed the Heartland's coach of the year honor as well but St. Mary's won the league so the Rattlers Jim Zelznak took home that award. In 5 seasons at the helm, Barkley has molded this program into his own likeness. He surpassed 100 career victories this season as well. He has all the qualities you want in a leader of young men.
Finally, another in case you missed it...the university recently released a bold vision for the future of not only Hillcat Athletics (see pic above) but also the school as a whole. You can read about it HERE. Scroll down to page 29 for a rendering of the future Hillcat Arena, a.k.a. the Multipurpose Arena and Convocation Center. The plan already calls for new tennis courts to be constructed near the Diamond Sports Complex (Hillcat baseball and softball) as tennis will be added in the very near future. As long as fundraising goes well, it'll be really cool to have a basketball arena basically on campus. The Claremore Expo Center has been a fine home court but it wasn't necessarily meant for basketball. This is a long-term plan for the future. Let's hope it becomes reality sooner rather than later. If you have extra money sitting around under the mattress and you want to donate to the cause, contact RSU athletic director Ryan Erwin. I'll leave you with a highlight from the senior night victory over rival Arkansas-Fort Smith. The 'Cats swept the season series with the defending league champs. Boy, did that one feel good!
With a win over Lubbock Christian Saturday, Justin Barkley posted the 100th victory of his coaching career. While the 'Cats aren't eligible yet for postseason due to the NCAA transition, this team has a legit shot at winning the Heartland Conference regular season crown. Listen below to Coach Barkley's comments following the win.
The man pictured with me to the right is another one of those special people that I would've never met had it not been for the decision to put on a headset and open my mouth. Broadcasting games is my life's passion, and I am eternally grateful for the relationships that have come as a byproduct.
The folks I've met due to working in sports have changed my life forever. Lorena Rivas snapped this photo. She is my wife and lifelong companion, and sits at the top of that growing list. If I hadn't married her, we might never have ended up in Tulsa. She needed a law school to attend, and wound up at the University of Tulsa after I landed a radio gig at an all-sports station solely because of good friend and current ORU radio voice Geoff Haxton. Haxton worked in Enid at the same time I worked in Woodward (place I met my wife, she's from Mutual-tiny hamlet with a population of not much more than 50). Haxton ended up moving from Enid to Tulsa for a gig with ORU. He then started working at the station that later brought me on board based on his recommendation. Back in 2007, Rogers State was searching for play-by-play announcers because the school was about to launch its new basketball programs. Ironically, Geoff and I both worked RSU games that first season before he added ORU men's duties to his plate. The man chosen to serve as our color commentator for Hillcat hoops was named Steve Bontrager. Steve played at ORU and later served as the Golden Eagles color guy for several seasons. He's made his living teaching the youth of Green Country the great game of basketball. Well, this past Saturday night Steve was inducted into the ORU Athletics Hall of Fame. It was long overdue. His dedication to the sport and the people who want to be involved with it should put him in the national hall of fame.
Steve has graced me with his presence for the last 8 years. He is my broadcast partner in every sense of the word. He has taught me way more about the game than I ever thought was possible. More important, though, he has continued to teach me that my life in sports broadcasting is made that much better because of people like him. His friendship and kindness make each game we work together more fulfilling. It gives me a sense of purpose. It makes me feel like what we do is noble. There was a time early on in my career when I thought I wanted to give up on sportscasting and focus on a profession that might be deemed more suitable for helping the masses. Boy, am I glad that urge was a small one and quickly faded into the background. There are people in my life today that I cannot envision being without. If I had decided I was done with the dreams of my childhood after just a year or two in the industry, influential people like those I just mentioned would never have crossed my path. I am a better person because of them. I hope they feel the same about me.
For the better part of a year or more, there have been rumors of a Division 2 conference merger between the Heartland and the Lone Star. Within the last several months, those rumors have turned into real discussions between the powers that be in both leagues. This was primarily fueled due to the massive Division 1 conference realignment that took place a few years ago and has since settled down a bit. The Lone Star had some of its members poached by the Southland Conference after some schools jumped ship to join the D1 ranks. So, that left the LSC with less than 10 member institutions going forward. All but two of the schools subsidize football (Texas Woman's, Cameron).
The question then becomes whether this merger, if it happens at all, is ultimately good or bad for Rogers State. No one asked my opinion, nor does it really matter. But, I'll offer it in this space anyway. When it comes to enrollment, the Lone Star schools are bigger. When it comes to budgets, the Lone Star schools are bigger. And when it comes to disrupting the current construction of the Heartland in terms of half the league being public and half the league being private, I think it's a bad idea. The Heartland is just settling into having some of its new members gain full D2 status in the next year or two. I think the timing is wrong for this move. I do believe it would benefit the LSC more than it would benefit the HC. The Lone Star NEEDS this more than the Heartland needs it. From a competition standpoint, the Heartland would eventually catch up in sports like basketball. But how long would that take. The budgets of those football-playing Texas schools will always be bigger. To me, that's a major issue. Travel might not necessarily be as big of a problem as you might think if they split the new proposed conference into north and south divisions. It would then create a weighted schedule. I guess it would be a plus to say our school plays in the biggest D2 mega-conference in the entire country (the PSAC currently has 18 members in Pennsylvania). The merger would create a 20-school league. If rumors are right, Eastern New Mexico would break away and join the Rocky Mountain. With Texas Woman's in the fold, that would even out the current scheduling snafu in the Heartland created by Dallas Baptist not sponsoring women's hoops. That's a real plus in my mind, but not enough to give this potential merger two thumbs up.
In the end, there is probably a 50/50 chance this merger happens. Talks seem to be the most serious they've ever been. I don't think it's a totally terrible or off-the-wall proposal. Come back to me a couple of years from now when the dust has settled for provisional members of the Heartland and maybe my opinion will have changed. For now, not all things are bigger in Texas.
***UPDATE***
It was announced February 13th by the Lone Star Conference that Texas-Permian Basin would be joining the league in all sports starting in 2016. The conference also added Oklahoma Panhandle State for football only, also beginning in 2016. I am thankful that cooler heads prevailed. The LSC is able to add two football members and not disrupt the immediate future of the Heartland. I think this is the best possible scenario for all parties involved. The bottom line here is that football still dominates the conference realignment landscape.
Vinay Patel is in his first year as the top assistant for the RSU men's program. It's been nice to get to know him a little bit in the first month of the new season. Now, here's your chance to find out more about the guy who helped guide West Texas A&M to five D2 national tournaments in his decade of work there in Canyon. Just click the play button below, and enjoy!
Despite the RSU women losing 62-55 in overtime Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce, broadcasting a game played on this court made for a more enjoyable afternoon. I took this photo from the last row of stands the night before at practice. It looks way cooler from up top than it does sitting courtside. Commerce installed the new floor in the off-season. I think I like it. Yes, in fact, I do. I thought it a bit strange until I took the picture and started researching different court designs across the country. Unique court designs have been in vogue the last few years. I would rank this one in my top 10. It has to be the coolest one in Division 2. I stumbled across a website that posted the 13 coolest courts in college basketball. Click HERE to view them. My favorite design is at San Jose State. I also like the ones at Memphis and George Washington. James Madison has a really fun one. Check 'em out, maybe you've seen one in person.
Congratulations to the RSU women, who gave Bobby Cope his first win as a head coach last night in Alva against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Click the play button for coach's comments following the thrilling victory.
The road trip to Denver for the men's basketball team could not have started any better than it did on Wednesday. First, the team arrived safely in Colorado after a long bus ride that included a stop for lunch at one of my old radio residences...Hays, Kansas. It allowed me to spend a few minutes visiting with Gerard Wellbrock, my old friend and talented radio voice of the Fort Hays State Tigers. I worked with Gerard for two years at Eagle Radio in Hays from 2005-2007 before moving to Tulsa. Gerard has been one of my mentors in the industry and I really admire his discipline and professionalism. He and his wife were so good to me and my family in our time there. After a brief check-in at the hotel in Denver, the team made a mad dash for the Pepsi Center where we watched the Nuggets lose to Portland 130-113. The Blazers were highly efficient and Denver was not. It led to a halftime score of 84-50. That's the most points I've witnessed an NBA team put up in a half of basketball. It was pretty hard to fathom how bad Denver played. Not enough shooters on that team, or as my broadcast partner Steve Bontrager would say, "not enough makers". In case you're wondering like we were, the most points ever scored in the first half of an NBA game...107 by the Phoenix Suns in 1990, against Denver no less. After a day full of travel and play, it's time to put in some work. Practice at Metro State is on the agenda Thursday with game one of the weekend Friday night against the highly-ranked Roadrunners. It will tip at 8 p.m. in the central time zone. Saturday against UC-Colorado Springs tips at 6 p.m. You can listen to both games on RSU Radio 91.3 FM or on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live. Pretty cool place to open up the new season.
Rogers State athletic director Ryan Erwin joined us at halftime of the men's exhibition game Saturday night at ORU in Tulsa. He spoke about the ongoing process of transitioning to Division 2 and the addition of yet another sport on College Hill. Don't forget, the men open up the regular season on the road Friday and Saturday nights in Denver against Metro State and UC-Colorado Springs. The women's season opener is at home on Saturday afternoon against East Central.
Had a chance to visit with men's coach Justin Barkley during halftime of the women's exhibition Saturday at Tulsa. The men face ORU in exhibition play this Saturday night before opening the regular season in Denver with a two-game classic at Metro State November 14th and 15th. The 'Cats will face perennial D2 power Metro and UC-Colorado Springs. Both Metro and Colorado Springs are ranked in the Top 20 of at least two preseason polls. Check out the rankings HERE.
The 1983 chart-topping song "Jump" by Van Halen plays on my radio (I know, old school listening device) as I prepare for the start of another basketball season on College Hill. The teams are fully engulfed in preseason practices, the schedules have been released, and the season is literally just around the bend. If you like college basketball, the best bang for your buck is a season ticket to watch the Hillcats hit the hardwood at the Claremore Expo Center in 2014-2015.
If you haven't been following, the current school year marks the second year of RSU's transition to NCAA Division 2 athletics. The Hillcats will be able to compete for regular season titles in the Heartland Conference but are still not available for postseason play (conference tournaments, NCAA tournaments). With that said, the RSU men's team has been picked to finish 5th in the conference while the women's squad has been tabbed to finish 9th. There are 11 men's teams competing in the Heartland and 10 on the women's side. Arkansas-Fort Smith is the men's favorite to win the league, with Lubbock Christian projected to take the women's title.
There are several new faces on both teams, including one familiar face in a new spot with Bobby Cope leading the charges as the new women's head coach. The jumping begins with a women's exhibition game later this week on Saturday at the University of Tulsa. On November 8th, the men play their lone exhibition at ORU in Tulsa. The regular season begins for the women at home November 15th against East Central University of Ada. The men start the regular season on the road with a two-game classic at D2 power Metro State in Denver. The 'Cats face Metro on November 14th, and then play UC-Colorado Springs the next day. The always much-anticipated Hillcat Homecoming features both teams against Arlington Baptist on November 22nd. The women's non-conference slate features games against Northwest Missouri State, Southern Arkansas, Texas A&M-Commerce, Southern Nazarene and Northeastern State. In addition to the trip to Denver, the men will tangle with East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State, and Cameron in the non-conference. The men's home opener is November 20th against Hillsdale Free Will Baptist.
For more information on season tickets, schedules, or team rosters, visit www.rsuhillcats.com. Now, let's JUMP!
What's the phrase...it's a small world after all. Well, it's an even smaller world if you work in some capacity in college athletics. Spending the current baseball season in Sioux City, Iowa afforded me the opportunity to pay a visit to the University of South Dakota. It sits in a beautiful hamlet about 35 miles northwest of Sioux City called Vermillion. That's where former RSU women's coach Amy Williams is making waves and reaching postseason tournaments. In fact, in just her second year at the helm for the Yotes, USD reached its first-ever NCAA tournament as members of Division 1. It was a fun afternoon of lunch with Amy, her husband Lloyd, and her assistants Chuck Love and Tandem Mays. Lloyd was the RSU men's coach at one time, and Chuck and Tandem are former RSU assistants. I also received a tour of the USD campus and it's highly acclaimed Dakota Dome. The dome houses all the sports teams and athletic offices. The university is set to break ground on a new basketball and volleyball arena shortly, which will give Amy and her coaches a brand-spanking new facility to show recruits. Amy's parents were in town as well, so it made for a wonderful Hillcat reunion of sorts.
There's a new man in charge of the women's basketball program at RSU. Actually, he's the very first man in charge of the women's program. In late March, Bobby Cope was elevated from top assistant to the person pushing the buttons and making the crucial decisions. Bobby becomes the third head coach in program history, following successful runs by Amy Williams and Roxanne Long. I spoke with the new coach recently about his acceptance of the job, what happens in the immediate future, and whether he'll continue to sport a colorful look on the RSU bench. On a side, Cope joins his wife Amy (softball) as the head coach of an athletic program on College Hill. It's the second such husband/wife tandem that's had the privilege of being head coaches at RSU at the same exact time. Click the play button below.
The former ORU and Bishop Kelley head coach was told he needed to "bring it" in order to take his place among the highly acclaimed speakers that came before him at the annual RSU athletics banquet. Barry Hinson, the current head coach at Southern Illinois, did indeed hone his skills before appearing in Claremore. He minced no words, he shredded bad behavior and poor judgement, and he gave the crowd more than a few good laughs. It was a pleasure to steal him away for a few minutes to get his thoughts on college athletics and his one exalted moment in the social media blender.
RSU sophomore guard J.C. Hartzler has taken his game to a whole new level this season. The former Tulsa World Player of the Year and state champion on an undefeated Union High School team was timid at times during his freshman season. J.C.'s game has really grown this year, and he relishes being one of the team leaders for the Hillcats. Hartzler turned in his best performance of the season on January 2nd at home against Dallas Baptist with a career-high 26 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 6-for-6 from the three point line. He's had 16 double-figure scoring games this season. I spent a few minutes with J.C. during a recent road trip to Dallas. Click the play button below.
With a 77-73 win at St. Mary's in San Antonio last Saturday, the Hillcat men improved to 2-1 in conference play and 7-4 overall. This team has been a treat to watch so far this season. It isn't the most talented ever assembled on College Hill, but it is the hardest working group. The 'Cats could be sitting at 3-0 in the league if not for a lack of execution down the stretch in Laredo against Texas A&M International in a three point loss two days before the victory over the Rattlers. I had a chance to catch up with senior transfer and Tulsa native (East Central H.S.) Damien Hooks immediately following the win over St. Mary's. Click the play button below.
***Update: Hooks has scored double figures in 10 of the 11 games at the time of this post. He's had 29 points twice with one double-double, has scored 20 or more in six games, and has posted 20 points in each of the last three games.
It's almost to the point of being laughable now. Seriously, the season is only 10 games old for the RSU women and the single-game scoring record goes up in smoke yet again. In case you missed it, junior guard and junior college transfer DaNara Day popped off for 36 points in a 95-88 win at Oklahoma Wesleyan Tuesday night. Day came off the bench in the first half to score 16 points in 12 minutes of floor time. It was only the beginning! Day finished 12-for-18 from the field, 7-for-8 at the foul line, and hit 5 threes (including 3 and-1's). Her night to remember in Bartlesville would end with a much-needed, comeback victory for the 'Cats after trailing by nine at halftime. Day bested the previous mark of 29 points set by Clarissa Cannon just a couple weeks ago. It was broken initially by Katy Harsen, who had 27 in a game at McMurry to open up conference play. At this rate, we should expect the record to fall again a few weeks from now after we turn the page to the new year. Click the play button below to hear from Ms. Day (photo courtesy of Jeff Jackson).
It's fast becoming a theme for RSU this season...single-game records are not safe on College Hill! Senior forward Clarissa Cannon set the new scoring mark with 29 points in a 76-73 loss to Newman University on Monday. On the same night, junior guard Kami Bunch said TIMBER! to the single-game assists record previously held by Autumn Thompson. Thompson's record of 12 back in 2008 apparently wasn't above reproach. The two discussed their records and the team's first-ever Heartland Conference win 71-63 Thursday night at home over Texas-Permian Basin. As always, click the play button below.
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