Tulsa
Tulsa has really fallen on hard times in recent years. The first season under Eric Konkol was supposed to be a rebuild, but it was far worse than many expected, with a 5-25 record in the end. The Golden Hurricane won just a single game in AAC play, needing overtime to topple Tulane at home. It was a really rough start to Konkol’s tenure, but this upcoming season should be a bit better.
The roster is almost completely remade, starting with Konkol’s former star guards Cobe Williams and Keaston Willis, who have both transferred over from Louisiana Tech. Other additions include former Michigan backup Isaiah Barnes, TCU reserve wing PJ Haggerty, and Clemson forward Chauncey Wiggins. Konkol has added a number of players who could shine with additional opportunities and is banking Tulsa’s future on their success.
It’s hard to be worse than 5-25, even though we have no idea how all these new players will come together for this upcoming season. Ideally, the Golden Hurricane will be a figure in the new-look AAC this season. After ranking in the bottom 20 in the nation in points per game, they’ll hope for a better offensive team and that alone could make Tulsa a surprise in 2024.
We’ve looked at the potential for ten teams that disappointed last season. Do you think any or all of these teams could take major steps forward next year?