A wing and a prayer

In the history of the NCAA Tournament, mighty No. 1 seeds have a combined 84-0 record against lowly No. 16 seeds.

You could say it would take an act of God for the little guys to even have a prayer.

"I'm sure Dr. Roberts will be praying for our team," said Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton, he of the 16th-seeded school named after the 88-year-old Christian minister/televangelist.

So while Oral Roberts, the school, may not have a true big man in the paint as it prepares to face No. 1 seed Memphis, it may have a connection with the big man upstairs in Oral Roberts, the person, who claims he has an open line of communication with God, the Father.

When you are staring at an 84-game losing streak, you have to have faith in something.

"They light (prayer) candles," joked Memphis coach John Calipari, who already had a sectarian game plan mapped out. "We are going to have to get in there and blow them out."

Dr. Roberts says he founded the Tulsa, Okla., school in 1963 when God commanded him to "Build Me a University. Build it on My Authority, and on the Holy Spirit."

While there was no dogmatic mention of a championship basketball team, Roberts has long valued the publicity it could bring. In the school's early days he even made recruiting trips himself, proselytizing not to potential followers but potential forwards.

It created some interesting recruiting battles, such as the time he went toe-to-toe with none other than UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian for a Houston kid named Eddie Owens. Tark didn't like his odds.

"Here I am trying to sell Las Vegas while Oral Roberts is selling God," Tarkanian said. "You can't beat a preacher like that."

Of course, Tarkanian did beat a preacher like that and signed the recruit, who went on to be UNLV's all-time leading scorer. But that's Tark. On that one, God's will or not, Dr. Roberts really didn't stand a prayer's chance.

Generally though, Roberts makes things happen. He is a high school drop-out who has written 120 books. One time he claimed God was going to "call him home" if he didn't raise $8 million quick. He got the money.

Another time he said he had a vision of a 900-foot tall Jesus, so he promptly built a massive hospital that included a 60-story building.

Then there is the fact that Roberts claims to have healing powers, and some followers even say God has used Roberts' hands to raise the dead.

So you'd think a man capable of being part of a resurrection ought to be able to get a well-timed charging call.

"It is written on our court, Expect a Miracle,'" said Sutton. "I don't know if it would be a miracle or not, but we'll try."

Presumably, considering the current state of the world, even if Oral Roberts could channel God to help swing the game, the Lord would have more important prayers to answer, you know, little things such as war, death and getting Billy Packer muzzled.

But while most would agree that God probably doesn't fill out an office bracket and isn't concerned with the tourney, it doesn't stop guys from making the sign of the cross at the free-throw line and thanking the heavens after victories, just in case.

If, by chance, benediction does factor in, then ORU is in good shape. You know any other campus that boasts not only a statue of two 60-foot hands clasped in prayer, but a 200-foot tall Prayer Tower, home to a phone bank that takes prayer requests 24-hours a day from around the world?

Could that include sending one up for a late three-pointer?

Memphis has a lot of churches and a lot of people of faith too, so maybe this gets evened out. For his part Calipari, a Catholic, claimed Monday that he "goes to mass every day" which is certainly possible, but, well, he always struck us as the kind of guy who, each year for Lent, gives up his New Year's resolution.

One thing for certain is that Calipari is a heck of a coach and isn't fooled by Oral Roberts' weak seed. Yes, Memphis could have drawn a team of 8th graders from the Tulsa YMCA and he would have claimed they were the Detroit Pistons, but Monday he was preaching like a minister himself.

"Oral Roberts is not a 16-seed, they are a 12 or a 13," he said. "If they are a 16-seed, a 14 can win the national title. They might be the best 16-seed in the history of the game."

Calipari actually isn't sandbagging too much here. ORU has averaged 20 wins a season the last five years. Sutton, whose father Eddie is at Oklahoma State, is one of the best young coaches in America. He has built a team with size and speed. They beat Southern Cal by 20. This is a pretty good club.

Besides, the law of averages says one day the upset is going to happen. There have been close calls before. But they always fell short.

But has an upset ever been based not just on power forwards, but a higher power? Has anyone else had a Prayer Tower where the phone lines could be slammed appealing for slams? Has they ever had a founder who could pull out a "call him home" motivational speech that would make Rockne seem passionless?

Calipari just gulped at the thought. "It's scary," he said.

Someone get him a set of rosary beads.

Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Click here to follow him on Twitter. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Monday, Mar 13, 2006 11:11 pm, EST

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