It has been awhile since the Oral Roberts University Hall-Of-Fame induction ceremony in Tulsa honoring the 1974 Titan basketball team. That team was ranked 18th in the nation and finished the regular season 21-6. We were one of only 32 teams to get a bid to play for the NCAA Division I basketball championship. We beat Syracuse in the first game, then beat Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen. We lost to Kansas in the Elite Eight game in overtime by 3 points and was denied the chance to go to the Final Four. That team AVERAGED 95 points a game. We had FIVE players average in double figures. That team coached by Ken Trickey, who had a 118-23 record in five years at ORU, was very special.

It is a complete and inexplainable mystery why it took ORU 52 years to put that team in their HOF. I spoke about that and several other great accomplishments at the HOF luncheon. It was an honor to speak about the players, coaches, and so many others that played a role in the success of that team and the previous four teams that led the way. Duane Fox, the only living member of the starting five, spoke as well and did a great job. (His memory “may” be better than mine, but he is a few years younger.)

Here is a picture taken at the Ken Trickey Legacy luncheon that we had the day before the HOF celebration. I am glad we had this opportunity to get together and as you can see by the smiles on those faces I was not the only one enjoying the occasion.

Finally, on a side note, I am in the process of revising my website. It will have information, pictures, and articles about the NBA, NCAA, and Illinois high school basketball. I am excited to share it with you. I think you will enjoy the posts and the site. The website remains the same, thebasketballgoat.com

Picture of players, coaches, managers and trainer who played a role in the unbelievable “run” of the 1974 ORU basketball team and the success of the 1970, 71, 72, and 73 teams. Read my full article about ORU basketball on my website or order my book Welcome To My World.