Visions of the final-eight Titans of ten years earlier danced in the heads of the 1983-84 Titans as ORU advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Midwestern Collegiate Conference postseason party with a 68-66 decision over Xavier. The Titans had won the regular season conference title with an 11–3 record and then took all three games in the MCC tourney to gain the right to play Memphis State in Memphis, Tenn., in first-round NCAA play. ORU, behind junior center Mark Acres' 28 points, gave Memphis State all it could handle but eventually bowed in defeat 92–83 to the homestanding Tigers. Acres, the MCC Player of the Year, was on his way to his third straight All-American season in which he would finish with team leading averages of 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. He was not alone during ORU's march to the NCAA Tournament, receiving support from junior teammates Sam Potter (18.1 ppg) and Jeff Acres (15.0), his older brother who bounced back from a redshirt season to play a key role in the Titans' resurgence. ORU, which opened the season with a 4-5 start, turned things around the rest of the way, posting a 17–4 record on its way to the MCC crown.