The RoundHouse | 1/27/2018 11:06:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Tulsa visits Koch Arena on Sunday and if you were born after about 1980, you aren't sure why this is a big deal.
 
That is understandable. It's been a long time since a meeting with the Golden Hurricane highlighted the schedule and much happened in Shocker basketball to occupy your attention.

Creighton deserved your disdain and so did Illinois State and Northern Iowa. You had long drives to St. Louis and NCAA Tournament trips to plan. December games vs. Tulsa faded quickly.

That changes this season.
 
The "Havoc in the Heartland" rivalry series started in fine fashion earlier this month. Wichita State survived two three-point attempts in the final 12 seconds to defeat Tulsa 72-69. Shocker fans filled around half of the Reynolds Center to produce a sell-out of 8,355 fans.
 
Coach Gregg Marshall and most of the Shockers heard stories about the Tulsa rivalry, which was a thing in football for many years and peaked in basketball in the 1980s. The trip to Tulsa made it more real in comparison to recent non-conference meetings.
 
"Now it's definitely a rivalry," Shocker senior Zach Brown said after that game. "You can see that now."
 
Non-conference rivalries can be meaningful – Kentucky-Louisville, Cincinnati-Xavier are leading examples. Conference rivalries are better because the drama builds from one meeting to the next, with a third possible, all with trophies and standings at stake.
 
Wichita State's rivalries evolved throughout its years in the Missouri Valley Conference – Oklahoma A&M, Cincinnati, Tulsa and Creighton top the list. The move to the American brings Tulsa and Cincinnati back to center stage. Tulsa is the nearby with a heated history. Cincinnati is the old favorite from the Valley of Death and the ultimate measuring stick for Wichita State's progress into a national program in the 1960s.
 
To help out the youngster, here is What makes Tulsa so appealing as a circle-the-date game?
 
Geography – The cities are separated by 176 miles. There is potential for fans to mix, and not just for men's basketball. Shocker fans earned bragging rights with their takeover of the Reynolds Center, just the kind of action a good rivalry needs.
 
History – Tulsa joined the MVC in 1934. Wichita State joined in 1945. The post-World War II conference that the Shockers joined changed significantly over the years with nine schools joining and departing. Until 1996, Tulsa remained as a rival in football and basketball.
 
The high points – Wichita State won the 1976 MVC men's basketball title. Tulsa finished third in 1973 and 1974. Those sleepy years did not hint at what was to come in the 1980s.
 
Both programs hired new coaches with big personalities and an influx of talent led both to flourish at the same time. The Shockers went to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight in 1981 and returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1985, 1987 and 1988. Tulsa won the 1981 NIT and played in the NCAA Tournament in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987.
 
The Shockers won the MVC titles in 1981 and 1983 and MVC Tournaments in 1985 and 1987. Tulsa won MVC titles in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Tulsa finished second in 1981 and tied for second with the Shockers in 1982. The Shockers finished tied for second in 1985 and tied for second with Tulsa in 1989.
 
Ten of the decade's 24 meetings featured at least one team in the national rankings.
 
Big personalities – Shocker coach Gene Smithson and Hurricane coach Nolan Richardson changed the nature of the rivalry forever.
 
Smithson, hired in 1978, brought MTXE and prominent recruits such as Antoine Carr, Cliff Levingston and Aubrey Sherrod.
 
Richardson, hired in 1981, brought a fearsome full-court press after winning the 1980 NJCAA title at Western Texas Junior College. He also brought starters Paul Pressey, Greg Stewart, Phil Spradling and David Brown with him to get his rebuild at Tulsa off to a fast start.
 
Smithson emblazoned MTXE on his towel, the court, uniforms and shirts. Richardson wore polka-dot ties and cowboy boots.
 
After Tulsa won five straight over the Shockers, Carr famously guaranteed a win and delivered two his senior season. Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel and Aubrey Sherrod dueled Tulsa's Steve Harris and Ricky Ross. In 1984-85, Tulsa won two regular-season meetings to grab the title away from the Shockers. The Shockers won the tournament on Tulsa's home-court.
 
The Shockers did it again in 1987, knocking off the Hurricane on their home-court to cap a thrilling run through the MVC Tournament. Wichita State won six of eight meetings under coach Eddie Fogler to end the 1980s. Tulsa ended its MVC membership with an eight-game win streak over the Shockers, a streak that stretched to 13 as the Hurricane thrived under coaches such as Tubby Smith and Bill Self.
 
Wichita State regained control of the series under Mark Turgeon and Gregg Marshall continued to give it wins nine of the past 10 games.
 
No matter your age, pay attention on Sunday. Conference play means emotion and rematches and hard feelings and drama. Tulsa and Wichita State are back in the same conference standings and that is a big deal.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.