As with most things affiliated with Tulsa, the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament is a disaster. The Valpo men wrapped up their bi-polar season by losing the 3/7 game to UMKC. The Valpo women lost to the worst possible foe, hometown punks Oral Roberts. In fact the Golden Eagles have both their men's and women's team in the final for the tournament, which is really no shock since the games are being played in their hometown. Regardless, it still stinks.
What does not stink, however, is Keith Freeman. The Valpo women's basketball coach is the best coach in the Mid-Continent Conference and pretty fun at press conferences, too. After losing to Oral Roberts yesterday, Freeman offered us this jab:
"It's no secret how to guard ORU, and if you look at their game yesterday, they weren't hitting 3-pointers. They must have gone to the praying hands and asked for some help."
For those fortunate to have never been to Tulsa, and specifically the wacked out campus of Oral Roberts University, the praying hands to which Freeman refers are featured in the picture above. The giant high-five towers over all who use the main entrance to ORU and is just the beginning of the architectural free-for-all. Over the years it has come to symbolize everything the Mid-Con hates about ORU. In fact those familar with the hands probably have not even read this post as the image burned their eyes just now. I wore sunglass in typing. I give Freeman credit for working it into his quote, even if it fried his tastebuds uttering the words.
As for those who were hesitant upon learning that Valpo would be leaving the Mid-Continent Conference for the Horizon League, I offer you two points. One, the Horizon League offers an Oral Roberts-free environment (reason enough to jump ship). Two, we cannot do any worse than losing a first round game to an 11 win team in UMKC. Come next November, all will be improved as we rid ourselves of all things Tulsa.
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