OKLAHOMA CITY ? Oklahoma City University will play Wiley (Texas) at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 in the first round of the NAIA Division I men?s basketball tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
The Stars, ranked second in NAIA, qualified for the national tournament by being Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season champion. OCU, 30-2, made the SAC Tournament semifinals and started the season 29-0.
?We?re anxious to play,? OCU coach Ray Harper said. ?If we win, it will be because we rebound and defend. We have struggled offensively, but I think we can get that back. We?ve had time to prepare, and when we?ve had time, we?ve improved in every phase of the game.?
Willie Irick, a 6-foot-6 junior from Teaneck, N.J., leads OCU with 15.7 points and 0.74 blocks per game. Irick, the SAC newcomer of the year, ranks 12th nationally in field-goal percentage with 58.1 percent. The Stars lead the NAIA as a team with a 52.4 percent shooting percentage.
Kameron Gray, a 6-1 junior from Oakland, Calif., paces the Stars with 4.6 assists and 2.32 steals per game. Gray ranks 10th in the NAIA in steals.
B.J. Walker, a 6-10 senior from Cincinnati, leads the team in rebounding at 6.7 per game. Walker was second-team all-SAC.
Wiley (21-9) made the field by winning the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament. Terrell Jacobs, a 6-1 junior from Little Rock, Ark., is Wiley?s leader in scoring (15.5 points), assists (3.6) and steals (1.73). He was first-team all-Red River.
Fans can follow the tournament via live audio on the OCU web site. Click on the Listen to the Games Live button, then on Click Here to Listen Live at the bottom of the screen. Joel Roberts will have the call.
The first 30 games of the tournament will be video streamed live on the Internet. Go here for details.
The OCU Alumni Association will host a reception for Kansas City area alumni and fans 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Granfalloon Restaurant located on the Plaza at 608 Ward Parkway. Coaches, players and athletic department members will provide an update on the latest at OCU. To RSVP, contact Andrea Brack by calling (405) 208-5347 or e-mailing abrack@okcu.edu.
For information on the NAIA Tournament, see here.