Tonight�€™s Game

ORU opens its home season when they host Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana-Lafayette ... this is the second game of a four-year, four-game series between the Golden Eagles and Ragin�€™ Cajuns ... ULL will visit the Mabee Center in 2007-08 and ORU will return to Lafayette in 2008-09 ... senior forward Caleb Green enters tonight�€™s game 14 rebounds shy of the Mid-Con career rebounding record ... Green also needs one made free throw to become ORU�€™s career leader ... this is the first of 14 games this season, the most for ORU since 2000-01 ... tonight�€™s game is the first of five straight for ORU in the City of Tulsa.

The Coaches

ORU�€™s Scott Sutton begins his eighth season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles, and his 12th overall with the program. Sutton is 122-92 (.570) as head coach and ranks second in school history in career wins. He is the son of legendary basketball coach Eddie Sutton, and the younger brother of Oklahoma State head coach Sean Sutton. Louisiana-Lafayette�€™s Robert Lee is 34-28 in his third season with the Ragin�€™ Cajuns.

The Series

Tonight�€™s game is the fourth meeting between ORU and Louisiana-Lafayette, with the Ragin�€™ Cajuns leading 3-0. ULL defeated ORU 95-7 in the last meeting on Dec. 15, 2005 in Lafayette. Tonight�€™s game is ULL�€™s first visit to the Mabee Center since Feb. 24, 1973.

ORU Receives Top 25 Votes

On the heels of last week�€™s win at No. 3 Kansas, ORU received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 polls, which were released on Monday. The Golden Eagles, who defeated the Jayhawks 78-71 on Nov. 15, received seven votes in coaches poll and three votes in the AP poll. This is the first time ORU has received votes in any regular-season Top 25 poll since receiving a single vote on Dec. 9, 2002. The Golden Eagles also received votes in the 2005-06 preseason Associated Press Top 25. ORU was last ranked when they finished the 1973-74 season ranked 18th by the AP.

Vealy Named Mid-Con Player of the Week

Sophomore forward Marchello Vealy has been named Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Vealy, a 6-foot-7 forward, earns his first-ever honor after scoring a career-high 22 points in ORU�€™s win at Kansas. Vealy was was 7-of-10 from the field, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range, and grabbed six rebounds. Vealy made his first seven 3-point attempts against the Jayhawks, going 5-for-5 in the first half to help ORU build a 39-34 halftime lead. He entered Wednesday�€™s game 1-for-13 in his career on long-range shots.

Last Time Out

Despite enduring a 3-for-15 shooting night Ken Tutt, Oral Roberts�€™ ice-in-his-veins senior shooting guard, nailed a clutch 3-pointer and was 3-of-4 from the line �€" all in the final 40 seconds �€" as ORU stunned No. 3 Kansas, 78-71, Wednesday at Phogg Allen Fieldhouse.

The win was ORU�€™s first over a Top 25 team since downing No. 16 Arkansas 86-81 on Nov. 27, 1996, and it was ORU�€™s first win over a Top 5 team.

With ORU clinging to a 72-69 lead with 44 seconds left, Tutt drained a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 75-69 lead. After a missed layup on the other end by Kansas�€™ Russell Robinson, Tutt made a pair of free throws with 25 seconds to go, putting the Golden Eagles up 77-69, effectively sealing the win.

The Golden Eagles rode the hot 3-point shooting of Marchello Vealy and the fine all-round play of Caleb Green to a 39-34 halftime lead.

Kansas twice closed to within two points in the second half, but poor free throw shooting and strong defense by the Golden Eagles did in the Jayhawks. Kansas was 5-of-13 from the line in the second half, and just 11-of-21 for the game. ORU also limited Kansas to 41 percent second-half shooting.

Vealy led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, adding six rebounds in 28 minutes. Caleb Green enjoyed one of the finest games of his All-America career, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Green�€™s double-double was the 48th of his career.

Tutt finished with 12 points, adding six assists and two steals, while Adam Liberty scored 12 points.Marchello Paints a Masterpiece Against the Jayhawks

While sophomore forward Marchello Vealy didn�€™t quite come out of nowhere to help lead ORU to a stunning 78-71 win over No. 3 Kansas last Wednesday, it certainly was an unexpected performance. Vealy, who entered the game 1-for-13 in his career from 3-point range, sabotaged the Jayhawks by going 7-for-8 from the perimeter, including a streak of seven in a row. He was 5-for-5 in the first half to help stake ORU to a 39-34 lead. Vealy finished with a career-high 22 points and also added six rebounds.

Scouting Louisiana-Lafayette

The Ragin�€™ Cajuns are members of the Sun Belt Conference. Louisiana-Lafayette is coming off a 13-16 record and second place finish in the Sun Belt West Division last season. The Ragin�€™ Cajuns are led by 6-7 senior guard Ross Mouton (19.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and junior guard David Dees (18.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg). ULL (1-1) opened the season with a 76-68 win over Division II Ouachita Baptist and are coming off a 69-54 setback at Ole Miss on Nov. 14.

ORU vs. Sun Belt Conference Opponents

The Golden Eagles are 14-21 all-time against current Sun Belt Conference teams, including 0-3 against Louisiana Lafayette. ORU is 3-5 vs. Arkansas State; 1-1 vs. Denver; 1-0 vs. Florida International; 2-0 vs. Louisiana-Monroe; 3-5 vs. Middle Tennessee; 0-2 vs. New Orleans; 4-4 vs. North Texas; and 0-2 vs. Western Kentucky. ORU has never faced Arkansas-Little Rock, Florida Atlantic, South Alabama, Troy or Western Kentucky.

Doing it All on the Big Stage

Senior forward Caleb Green asked head coach Scott Sutton two summers ago to schedule at game at Kansas before he graduated. Green, who grew up a Jayhawks fan, was one a huge part of ORU�€™s historic upset over No. Kansas last Wednesday. Green scored 20 points with 11 rebounds, eight assists and a career-high five steals. Green was everywhere in the win, even converting a pair of 3-pointers. On the biggest stage, Green was "by far, the best player in the game", KU head coach Bill Self afterward.

ORU Ranked 14th in Mid-Major Top 25

The Golden Eagles are ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 poll. ORU, which ranked as high as ninth in the poll in the 2005-06 regular season, finished the campaign out of the Top 25 despite winning 21 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Creighton tops the preseason poll, followed by Gonzaga, Hofstra, Southern Illinois and Wichita State. Three preseason Top 25 teams are on ORU�€™s 2006-07 schedule. No. 8 Akron visits the Mabee Center on Dec. 2, while the Golden Eagles host No. 19 Montana on Dec. 19. ORU visits No. 16 Loyola Marymount in the season opener.

Together�€¦ Again

ORU�€™s coaching staff is a rarity in the college basketball world these days. Head coach Scott Sutton and assistants Tom Hankins, Conley Phipps and Corey Williams begin their eighth season as a staff, the longest running tenure of any men�€™s basketball coaching staff in the country. Belmont�€™s four-man staff has been together seven years.

Dynamic Duo

This just in�€¦ Caleb Green and Ken Tutt are one of the best duos in the nation, and have been for going on four years. And statistically speaking, they are one of the best scoring duos in NCAA history. Green and Tutt are on pace to each reach 2,000 career points, and if they do, will become just the seventh set of teammates in NCAA history to reach the milestone together.

Green Named Wooden Award Preseason All-America

Senior forward Caleb Green added perhaps the most prestigious honor to an already impressive list of awards when he was named to the Wooden Award Preseason All-America team in October. This is the first step toward being eligible for the Wooden Award, given annually to college basketball�€™s top player. Green, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, is a two-time Associated Press honorable mention All-America and a two-time Mid-Con Player of the Year. As a junior, Green averaged 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in leading ORU to a 21-12 record, its second straight Mid-Con regular-season title, the Mid-Con Tournament title and ORU�€™s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 22 years.

Green Selected as Mid-Major All-American

The preseason hardware keeps rolling in for Caleb Green. The senior forward is one of 25 players selected to the CollegeInsider.com�€™s Preseason Mid-Major All-America team, which was selected by NBA scouts, college head coaches and the CollegeInsider.com staff. Green has twice been selected to College Insider�€™s post-season All-America team. This honor is the latest in a line of national recognition for Green, who also was tabbed a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports, was chosen among the nation�€™s top power forwards by Lindy�€™s (No. 9) and CBS Sportsline (No. 11).

ORU Picked for Mid-Con Three-Peat

ORU, which returns two preseason all-league selections, is once again the favorite in the Mid-Continent Conference men�€™s basketball race this season, according to a vote of conference coaches, SIDs and selected media members. This marks the fourth time in the last five years ORU has been picked atop the preseason poll. The Golden Eagles received 19 first-place votes to finish with 260 points. ORU is coming off a season in which it claimed its second consecutive Mid-Con regular-season title after posting a 13-3 mark in conference play and a 21-12 overall record. IUPUI (230) beat out UMKC (200) for second place in the preseason voting. Both teams received two first-place votes. Valparaiso came in fourth, while Oakland was fifth. Rounding out the poll are Western Illinois, Southern Utah and Centenary.

Green Named Preseason Player of the Year

Junior forward Caleb Green, two-time Mid-Con Player of the Year and three-time first team All-Conference selection, has been tabbed as the Mid-Con Preseason Player of the Year. Green propelled the Golden Eagles to the regular-season and tournament titles after leading the conference in scoring (20.8) and rebounding (8.8), and ranking in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (6th), free-throw percentage (8th), free throws made (1st) and attempted (1st). Senior guard Ken Tutt joined Green on the preseason all-conference first team. Tutt averaged 14.2 points last season and was named Mid-Con Tournament MVP.

Chasing History

Not only is Caleb Green looking for his third straight Mid-Con Player of the Year honor, he�€™s also in line to make a significant impact on the both the ORU and Mid-Con record books. With 1,817 career points and 886 career rebounds entering Wednesday�€™s game at Kansas, Green should become only the second player in ORU history (Mark Acres is the other) and the first in Mid-Con history to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Green, who has averaged 663 points in the last two seasons, is 592 points shy of breaking the Mid-Con career scoring mark of 2,408 points set by UMKC�€™s Michael Watson (2000-04). If he stays on his career average of 9.3 rebounds per game, Green should break the Mid-Con record of 910 rebounds, set by Valpo�€™s Chris Ensminger (1992-96), later this month.

King Tutt

Not to be out done by Green, senior guard Ken Tutt is looking to make a permanent mark on the record books as well. Tutt enters his final season 8th in career scoring and 3rd in 3-point field goals. Tutt, with 235 career treys, trails career Division I leader Tim Gill by 98 for the top spot. Tutt is also on track to finish in the Mid-Con top five in the same category. Tutt, a two-time first-team all-conference selection, was the 2006 Mid-Con Tournament MVP.

Double Your Pleasure

Caleb Green recorded his 48th career double-double in Wednesday's victory over No. 3 Kansasount, scoring 20 points and securing 11 rebounds against the Jayhawks. Of his 48 career double dips, 26 outings are 20-point, 10-rebound efforts including nine last season. Green ranks second in ORU history in both double-doubles and 20-point, 10-rebound games. He trails Mark Acres in both categories.

Double Your Pleasure, Part II

Following his 20-point outburst at Kansas last week, Caleb Green has scored in double figures in 31 consecutive games, dating back to last season. Green was last held under 10 points against when he scored nine against Monmouth on Nov. 26, 2005 at the Great Alaska Shootout.

Tough Schedule

For the second straight season, head coach Scott Sutton has put together a challenging schedule. Games at Arkansas, BYU, Georgetown, and Kansas, and home contests against Akron and Montana highlight the schedule. Overall, ORU will face seven teams which participated in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT last season. ORU�€™s Division I non-conference opponents posted a collective .574 winning percentage in �€™05-06.

Oh, Brother! (and Father)

ORU head coach Scott Sutton and his brother, first-year Oklahoma State head coach Sean Sutton, enter an elite fraternity this fall as the seventh set of head coach brothers in NCAA history (all levels). They are one of three sets of head coach brothers currently active, joining James (Yale) and Joe (Cornell) Jones, and John III (Georgetown) and Ronny (Ball State) Thompson. Scott, Sean and their father Eddie, are the third father-son trio in NCAA history, joining the Thompson�€™s and Ray (DePaul), Joey (DePaul) and Tom (Ill.-Chicago) Meyer.

A Prince of a Fellow

Junior forward Yemi Ogunoye is known around the ORU campus as a great guy. In fact, some might say he�€™s a prince. No, really, he is a prince. Ogunoye�€™s uncle is the king of Owo City, a branch of the Yoruban tribe, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. Ogunoye�€™s father, Thomas, is next in the line of succession and will one day return to Nigeria to follow his brother as king. While Yemi is in the line of succession, he is behind his cousins and unlikely to serve as king.

ORU Basketball on the Radio

Clear Channel-owned KTBZ 1430 AM "The Buzz" is the home of ORU Basketball for the third season. Select broadcasts will be aired on sister station KAKC 1300 AM. Veteran sportscaster Mark Neely also begins his third season with the Golden Eagles. Neely, a 3-time Tulsa Broadcaster of the Year, has also served as the play-by-play voice of the Tulsa Drillers Double-A team since 1996. In addition, Neely also handles select college football, basketball and Major League Baseball broadcasts for ESPN.

ORU Signs Two in Early Signing Period

Texas natives Robert Jarvis (Humble, Texas) and Kyron Stokes (Mansfield, Texas) signed with ORU on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Jarvis, a 5-11, 180-pound combo guard, is currently playing his second year at Seminole (Okla.) State College. As a freshman Jarvis averaged 19.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He made 109 3-pointers in 31 games, shooting 38 percent form beyond the arc. He also made 84 percent of his free throws (100-119). Jarvis is a 2005 graduate of Humble High School. He played in the Houston Area Basketball Coaches Association All-Star as a senior and scored a game-high 17 points in victory. Jarvis chose ORU over Boise State, Houston, San Diego and Utah.

Stokes, a 6-4, 185-pound shooting guard, is a senior at Mansfield Summit High School in suburban Dallas, the same school which produced current ORU junior Moses Ehambe. Stokes ranks among the Top 50 seniors in Texas by a pair of noted recruiting services. Rivals.com ranks him 41st, while Hoop Scoop has him at No. 47. Stokes averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game as a junior, earning 1st-team all-district. He chose ORU over Arkansas-Little Rock and TCU.

About ORU

Founded in 1963 by evangelist Oral Roberts, ORU is a 400-acre campus located in South Tulsa. ORU boasts an enrollment of over 5,000 students from all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries. Some famous ORU alums include entertainer Kathy Lee Gifford and Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Clifton Taulbert. "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening briefly attended ORU, and subsequently, many of the characters on the show are modeled after former ORU students and staff members. In fact, if you look closely over Ned Flanders�€™ fireplace, his college diploma reads "Oral Roberts University".

Up Next

The Golden Eagles continue their homestand when they host NCAA Division II Panhandle State, 7:05 p.m., Saturday at Mabee Center.