TU Athletic Hall of Fame to feature Seals, Sember, and Cooper

Tulsa, Oklahoma –– The University of Tulsa’s all-time scoring leader in basketball Shea Seals, baseball All-American Mike Sember and former Head Football Coach John Cooper are inductees to the school’s Class of 2011 Athletic Hall of Fame, while the 1991 Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Champions is this year’s TU Hall of Fame Honor Team.

The University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Center Multi-Purpose Gymnasium on the TU campus. Tickets for the Awards dinner are $35.00 per person.  Reservations only accepted and must be made by calling the Golden Hurricane Club at 918-631-2570.  The deadline to RSVP is Friday, January 28th.

The 2011 Hall of Fame Class is headlined by Shea Seals (1993-97), an All-America basketball player who stayed in his hometown after a brilliant prep career at Tulsa McLain High School and ended his career with his jersey (21) being retired.

Seals helped lead Tulsa to four-year record of 93-34 and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including the school’s first-ever “Sweet Sixteen” appearance in 1994 and duplicating that feat a year later in 1995. He was also a part of two Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles (1994, 1995) and the 1996 MVC Tournament Championship.

The 6’5” guard was named the 1994 MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year and was a three-time first-team all-conference performer. Seals earned first-team all-MVC honors in 1995 and 1996 as well as Western Athletic Conference first team accolades in 1997.

Seals completed his career as The University of Tulsa's all-time leading scorer with 2,288 points for an 18.5 average, while also ending his career among the top-five in school history for rebounding, assists and steals. He earned third-team Associated Press All-America honors as a senior in 1996-97 and was a top-12 finalist for the Boost Naismith College Player of the Year Award and a candidate for the John Wooden Award that same season.

In the summer of 1996, Seals led the Under-22 USA Select team against the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in an exhibition contest. He had a game-high 20 points while knocking down 8-of-11 field goals against the likes of the NBA’s Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, John Stockton, Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Charles Barkley, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.

During his career, Seals played in 124 games and had 115 double-figure scoring games, while leading Tulsa in scoring 73 times, rebounding 38 times and assists in 39 games. He also scored over 20 points in 52 games.

Mike Sember (1971-74) came to Tulsa from Hammond, Indiana’s Bishop Noll High School on a football scholarship, but ended his collegiate career as one of the top baseball players in school history. He is the seventh baseball player to be inducted into the TU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sember was the starting quarterback on the freshman football team in the fall of 1970, and in the spring tried out for the Golden Hurricane baseball team, was cut, and later was asked to return to the team. He ended his rookie season as a reserve infielder on the 1971 College World Series third-place team.

A superb defensive infielder, Sember played shortstop on three Missouri Valley Conference Championship teams (1972, ’73 and ’74) and helped lead Tulsa to appearances in the NCAA District 5 Playoffs each of those seasons. During his four-year career, Tulsa posted a 158-43 record.

Sember had a .352 career batting average with 22 home runs and 100 RBI, while earning all-Missouri Valley Conference honors for three straight seasons. He was one of Tulsa’s top hitters in his final three seasons, batting .349 as a sophomore with eight home runs and 30 RBI, .352 in his junior season with six home runs and 29 RBI, and as a senior led the Golden Hurricane with a .372 batting average.

He earned All-America and Academic All-America honors as a senior in 1974. Sember was the 31st played selected in the professional draft by the Chicago Cubs. He spent seven year playing professional baseball, including two years in the major league.

John Cooper (1977-84) served as the Golden Hurricane football coach for eight seasons and compiled an overall record of 57-31 and 31-6 league mark. His teams won five straight Missouri Valley Conference Championships (1980-84) and had seven winning seasons. Cooper also served as the school’s director of athletics.

After beginning his head coaching career with a 3-8 mark in 1977, Cooper’s second team posted a 9-2 record and finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 4-1 mark.

Cooper led Tulsa to its first of five straight MVC titles in 1980 with an overall 8-3 record and a conference mark of 4-1. In his fourth season, Cooper led that 1981 team to a 7-4 record and a first-place MVC mark of 5-1. His best season came a year later when the 1982 Golden Hurricane posted an overall 10-1 mark, the best record in 40 years. Tulsa posted wins over air Force, Kansas and Oklahoma State, while suffering its only loss against 13th-ranked Arkansas. In that season, Tulsa was ranked as high as 16th nationally in the UPI poll and 19th the Associated Press poll. Cooper earned MVC Coach of the Year accolades in 1982.

Cooper’s final three teams (1982-84) went undefeated in conference action with a 16-0 mark. His last two teams compiled overall records of 8-3 (1983) and 6-5 (1984). Overall, Cooper had 56 players earn all-conference honors, five different players participated in Senior All-Star games and 20 of his recruited players were NFL draft selections.

From Tulsa, Cooper went on to coach at Arizona State and Ohio State, leading the Sun Devils to one PAC-10 title and the OSU Buckeyes to three Big Ten crowns. Cooper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

This year’s Hall of Fame Honor Team is the 1991 Men’s Soccer Team. The Golden Hurricane won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and the MVC Tournament Championship that year, while becoming the first TU men’s soccer team to advance to the NCAA Tournament as well as the first Hurricane soccer team to be nationally ranked.

Tulsa, ranked as high as 17th nationally, posted an overall 14-3 record and had a 4-0 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action.

In only its’ 12th season of existence, Tulsa entered the NCAA Tournament after having defeated Southwest Missouri State and Illinois State by identical 2-1 scores to win the MVC Tournament Championship.

Early on, the season looked like it would be one of the best in school history when the Golden Hurricane defeated the nation’s fifth-ranked Evansville Purple Aces, 2-1, in just the second game of the season. During the regular season, Tulsa also defeated nationally-ranked SMU and Creighton, while the only losses came against eighth-ranked St. Louis and North Texas in the regular season, and SMU in the NCAA first round.

Eight Tulsa players earned all-conference honors, including six first-team selections, while senior Frank Velez was named the MVC Player of the Year, sophomore Kevin Cronk was selected as the MVC Goalkeeper of the Year and Head Coach Randy Waldrum was named the MVC Coach of the Year. Velez earned second-team All-America honors, while Kevin King, Jimmy Dowell and Neal Zahn joined Velez on the All-Midwest Region Team.

In addition to the Awards dinner, the inductees will also be honored at halftime of the Tulsa-Houston men’s basketball game on February 5th.



The University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2011

Athletic Hall of Fame Honor Team
1991 MEN’S SOCCER TEAM
Won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and the MVC Tournament Championship . . . became the first TU men’s soccer team to advance to the NCAA Tournament and to be nationally ranked . . . was ranked as high as 17th nationally . . . posted an overall 14-3 record and had a 4-0 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action . . . in only its’ 12th season of existence, Tulsa entered the NCAA Tournament after having defeated Southwest Missouri State and Illinois State by identical 2-1 scores to win the MVC Tournament Championship . . . defeated the nation’s fifth-ranked Evansville Purple Aces, 2-1, in just the second game of the season . . . also defeated nationally-ranked SMU and Creighton, while the only losses came against eighth-ranked St. Louis and North Texas in the regular season, and SMU in the NCAA first round . . . eight Tulsa players earned all-conference honors, including six first-team selections . . . senior Frank Velez was named the MVC Player of the Year . . . sophomore Kevin Cronk was selected as the MVC Goalkeeper of the Year . . . Head Coach Randy Waldrum was named the MVC Coach of the Year . . . Velez earned second-team All-America honors . . . Velez, Kevin King, Jimmy Dowell and Neal Zahn were named to the All-Midwest Region Team.

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
MIKE SEMBER • Baseball, 1971-74  
Came to Tulsa on a football scholarship, but ended his collegiate career as one of the top baseball players in school history . . . was the starting quarterback on the freshman football team in the fall of 1970, and in the spring tried out for the Golden Hurricane baseball team, was cut, and later was asked to return to the team . . . ended his rookie season as a reserve infielder on the 1971 College World Series third-place team . . . was a superb defensive infielder . . . played shortstop on three Missouri Valley Conference Championship teams (1972, ’73 and ’74) . . . helped lead Tulsa to appearances in the NCAA District 5 Playoffs each of those seasons . . . Tulsa posted a 158-43 record during his four-year career . . . earned all-Missouri Valley Conference honors for three straight seasons . . . had a .352 career batting average with 22 home runs and 100 RBI . . . was one of Tulsa’s top hitters in his final three seasons . . . hit .349 as a sophomore with eight home runs and 30 RB . . . batted .352 in his junior season with six home runs and 29 RBI . . . led the Hurricane as a senior with a .372 batting average . . . earned All-America and Academic All-America honors as a senior in 1974 . . . was the 31st played selected in the professional draft by the Chicago Cubs . . . spent seven year playing professional baseball, including two years in the major league.
 
JOHN COOPER • Head Football Coach, 1977-84
Served as the Golden Hurricane football coach for eight seasons . . . also served as the school’s director of athletics . . . compiled an overall record of 57-31 and 31-6 league mark . . . his teams won five straight Missouri Valley Conference Championships (1980-84) and had seven winning seasons . . . his second team posted a 9-2 record and finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 4-1 mark in 1978 . . . led Tulsa to its first of five straight MVC titles in 1980 with an overall 8-3 record and a conference mark of 4-1 . . . led the 1981 team to a 7-4 record and a first-place MVC mark of 5-1 . . . his best season came in 1982 with an overall 10-1 mark, the best school record in 40 years . . . posted wins over Air Force, Kansas and Oklahoma State in 1982, while suffering its only loss against 13th-ranked Arkansas . . . Tulsa was ranked as high as 16th nationally in the UPI poll and 19th the Associated Press poll in 1982 . . . earned MVC Coach of the Year accolades in 1982 . . . his final three teams (1982-84) went undefeated in conference action with a 16-0 mark . . . had 56 players earn all-conference honors, five different players participated in Senior All-Star games and 20 of his recruited players were NFL draft selections . . . went on to coach at Arizona State and Ohio State, leading the Sun Devils to one PAC-10 title and the OSU Buckeyes to three Big Ten crowns . . . was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

SHEA SEALS • Basketball, 1993-97
A 6’5” All-America basketball player who stayed in his hometown after a brilliant prep career at Tulsa McLain High School and ended his collegiate career with his jersey (21) being retired . . . led Tulsa to four-year record of 93-34 and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances . . . led Tulsa to the school’s first-ever “Sweet Sixteen” appearance in 1994 and duplicating that feat a year later in 1995 . . . was also a part of two Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles (1994, 1995) and the 1996 MVC Tournament Championship . . . was named the 1994 MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year and was a three-time first-team all-conference performer . . . earned first-team all-MVC honors in 1995 and 1996 as well as Western Athletic Conference first team accolades in 1997 . . . completed his career as Tulsa's all-time leading scorer with 2,288 points for an 18.5 average . . . ended his career ranked among the top-five in school history for rebounding, assists and steals . . .  earned third-team Associated Press All-America honors as a senior in 1996-97 . . . was a top-12 finalist for the Boost Naismith College Player of the Year Award and a candidate for the John Wooden Award as a senior . . . in the summer of 1996, Seals led the Under-22 USA Select team with a game-high 20 points against the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in an exhibition contest . . . Seals played in 124 career games and had 115 double-figure scoring games . . . led Tulsa in scoring 73 times, rebounding 38 times and assists in 39 games . . . also scored over 20 points in 52 games.