Ford Takes Exception To Chat
Oklahoma State's Matt Pilgrim takes a shot between Dillard's Oscar Moore, left, and Avry Ingram (25) during an exhibition NCAA college basketball game in Stillwater, Okla., Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. (By Nate Billings, The Oklahoman)
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Out of nowhere it seems, an item in the Rumors section of ESPN’s college basketball page carried the title:
Matt Pilgrim: Chemistry Killer?
The item questioned Pilgrim’s two other stops (Hampton and Kentucky) in his college career and alluded to suggestions that he wasn’t a favorite of past coaches.
There was also a link to a live chat that FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman did with Kentucky Sports Radio, where Goodman suggested Pilgrim was a chemistry killer.
When given a heads up about Goodman’s lively chat, Cowboys coach Travis Ford took exception.
“I don’t know if Jeff Goodman has ever watched us practice. I’ve known Jeff fairly well, I don’t know if he knows Matt Pilgrim at all. From what I understand, I think that comes from something maybe he has heard form the past, long from the past. Last time I checked, Jeff Goodman has never seen my team play. Jeff Goodman has a lot of opinions. I don’t know if he’s ever even coached, I don’t know how we would know if he’s a chemistry killer.
“I hadn’t even heard until you told me that. That would be my least problem with Matt Pilgrim right now, my least problem. The biggest problem we have right now is keeping him out of foul trouble and just knocking off some of the rust. If I were Jeff Goodman I’d keep my opinions to myself until I watched the kid play.”
From my observations and conversations, Pilgrim is fitting in fabulously with his new team. He’s spoken about finally finding a home with a cast of teammates who have taken him in with open arms.
All that needs to be the case for the Cowboys, who need Pilgrim.
OSU scouting report: Colorado
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
First some highlights of Colorado’s loss to Iowa State last weekend:
And the Buffaloes win over Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago:
OSU 24, Texas Tech 17: Thoughts and Observations
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
— A great win… but what will be remembered is this…
— Get down, Zac… Get down!
— Anymore questions about Bill Young’s defense? They shut down Texas Tech’s offense. Great gameplan, great execution.
— After being the focus of my pre-game story, Markelle Martin made me look good. The sophomore had six tackles and two passes broken up.
— One of the most impressive things about the game was the Cowboys remaining committed to the run. That’s why I wrote about it in my insider. They had a plan for the full 60 minutes and didn’t waver from it, even when they weren’t having success.
— Early on, it looked like the Cowboys were having another bad tackling game but they improved greatly in the final two-and-a half quarters.
— Zac ran for 99 yards and looked like the Zac Robinson of his sophomore year. He is simply a great player.
— While he should have gotten down and shown better awareness on the play he got knocked out of the game, he didn’t. And the reason why is the same reason he’s special. He’s extremely competitive and confident.
— The three-pronged attack of Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston will create problems for any defense. Robinson keeps you honest, Hunter adds that little big of explosiveness and Toston is so physical and versatile. Tough to prepare and handle all of those options.
— Patrick Lavine, Patrick Lavine, Patrick Lavine. I say it every week because the guy quietly makes key plays every game. Very consistent performer and he will be missed next season.
— The Pokes have to do something about their special teams. They keep allowing big returns, largely because Quinn Sharp is so good on kickoffs, guys run don’t like they don’t expect to have to make a play.
— Nice tackle by Sharp BTW, he was a superb shortstop in high school and he showed that athletic ability on that play.
— Toston told me after the game that the Pokes poor field position had a lot to do with their running struggles in the first half. They felt like they couldn’t use their playbook when they kept getting the ball inside their own 5 yard line.
— The Pokes got excellent pressure on the quarterback. That had as much to do with Tech’s lack of success as anything.
— OSU was 9 of 18 on third down conversions. The Pokes just proved they were better up front, it’s really that simple.
— Gundy pointed out Noble native Colby Whitlock as being particularly disruptive for the Red Raiders.
— OSU held Tech to 4 of 13 third-down conversions. Another sign of how good the Pokes’ defense has become.
— Hubert Anyiam’s touchdown catch was special. That guy has a talent to be a star and future NFL receiver. Whether he becomes that or not will depend on his mental approach. This offseason will be critical for him. If he commits to being great, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he’s an All-Big 12 receiver in 2010.
— Gundy mentioned after the game how proud he was of the team to overcome the loss of Victor Johnson with Tech looming on Saturday. They stepped up and got it done.
— Part of me thinks the Pokes should get their receivers involved more. But at the same time, if you’re running for 250-plus yards, why throw? It’s like in basketball, if you can get a layup, why would you sit around shooting 3s?
— Bottom line: I don’t think Zac should play against Colorado. They can beat the Buffaloes without him, Kendall looks like he’s slowly regaining his explosiveness and Keith will be his normal consistent self. So rest Zac, make sure he’s ready for Bedlam. If you can’t beat Colorado without Zac, you have no business asking for consideration for a BCS berth anyway.
Travis Ford Talks Recruits
By John Helsley
Back from a spin through the ESPN “Car Wash,” the hip term attached to a full day’s run through the many studio’s — TV and radio — Travis Ford finally had a chance to talk about his latest recruiting class.
The newest Cowboys: 6-foot-9 power forward Michael Cobbins of Amarillo’s Palo Duro High School; 6-4 shooting guard Markel Brown of Peabody Magnet High in Alexandria, La.; 6-4 shooting guard Brian Williams of Glen Oaks High in Baton Rouge, La.; and 6-6 small forward J.P. Olukemi of Vincennes University Junior College.
It’s a group gaining steam as a consensus top-20 recruiting class, ranked as the best in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally according to HoopScoop.com, and the top class in the league and ranked 18th nationally by Scout.com.
A closer look:
Brown is a four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 24 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. He averaged 28.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots per game as a junior last season.
Also recruited by LSU, Marquette, Michigan, USC and Texas A&M, Brown was a first-team Class 4A All-State selection and was named the Most Valuable Player for District 3-4A. He was also named the All-Cenla MVP in 2009, voted on by local sports writers and consists of all the central Louisiana schools. He also started on the team his sophomore year as the Warhorses went 38-1.
“Markel is a kid I went and saw play and the first five minutes I watched him play I said, ‘that’s our guy’,” Ford said. “He plays for a big-time high school program. He can play the point, the two and also the three. He’s arguably one of the most athletic guys we’ve recruited.
“He’s just like a grasshopper. He can shoot it and has a great in-between game. He will fit into our system well. He can shoot it, which we need because we could be losing our two best shooters next year in James (Anderson) and Obi (Muonelo). He’s very quiet, but I think he will be a fan favorite.”
Cobbins is a consensus four-star and top-50 recruit, ranked as high as 38th nationally by Rivals.com. Scout.com lists him as the 12th-best power forward in the country.
As a junior last season, he averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, leading the Dons to the Region I-4A finals. Also recruited by Memphis, Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia Tech, he was also named the Player of the Year of the 5A-4A Golden Spread Super Team by the Amarillo Globe-News.
“Michael is someone we’re very excited about,” said Ford. “He’s a very versatile player and before he got hurt, was having a top-10 player-of-the-year season. He came to our elite camp and we fell in love with him.
“He plays a lot of different positions. He has recovered from his injury and is 100 percent, so I’m anxious to see him. He has a great attitude and is a player who has just gotten better and better. He’s very versatile and very long. We don’t really have anybody like him on our team that’s his size with the skills that he has.”
Olukemi could be a vital cog next season, when James Anderson and Obi Muonelo have moved on. The 6-7, 215-pound forward played during the 2008-09 season at Vincennes University in Indiana. He averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.
Olukemi is a consensus three-star player, and was ranked as the top junior college recruit this season by Midwest Scouting Service. He is sitting out the 2009-10 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining once next season begins.
“Many publications have JP rated as the No. 1 junior college player in the country,” said Ford. “We targeted him right away. He’s special in that he has three years to play. He has a great attitude and a great presence about him as a person. He has a big, strong basketball body and is someone who will step in and play right away. He’ll bring size to our team.”
Williams is a consensus three-star recruit, and ranked as high as the No. 26 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. He was also recruited by LSU, Oregon State and Baylor.
Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 3.5 assists per game as a junior last season, pacing Glen Oaks to a No. 1 ranking in Class 4A. He was named Class 4A’s Outstanding Player by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and one of two juniors — joining Brown — named first-team All-State for Class 4A. He was also named the District 6-4A Most Valuable Player.
“Brian’s game is a lot like Obi’s,” Ford said. “He’s 6-4 to 6-5 and much more athletic. He can jump over the rim. He averaged 30 points a game last year in high school. He can step out and shoot it, he’s very athletic and has a great in-between game.”
Charitable Robinson
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston galloped for a 69-yard run late in the Iowa State game but was stopped at the two yard line.
I couldn’t help but ask Zac Robinson about it, just to see if he gave Toston a hard time about getting caught so close to the endzone:
“I ran down and said, ‘How are you going to get tackled on the three like that?’” Robinson said on Monday. “He was so tired he wouldn’t even look at me. He didn’t want to hear it at that time… and I haven’t talked to him about it since then.”
Toston did eventually get the touchdown after Beau Johnson gained one yard on first down then Robinson was stopped on second down.
“I intentionally didn’t get in (on second down) so he could get that touchdown because I felt bad for him,” Robinson said with a smile.
OSU scouting report: Texas Tech
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
In this story on Lubbockonline.com, the Red Raiders discuss going against OSU’s offensive line, which they consider one of the best they have faced this season.
Another key player for Tech is Brandon Sharpe. The senior defensive end has 10.5 sacks this season (1.3 per game).
“I think he’s starting to realize the potential of how good he is,” Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I think he’s a little better than you’ve seen so far.”
The one-on-one battle between Sharpe and OSU left tackle Russell Okung will be one of the best battles to watch on Saturday.
Here are some highlights of Texas Tech’s 66-14 win over Kansas State:
Worth Watching: Who’s at QB
Perrish Cox Will Be Watching Who Starts At QB for Tech
By John Helsley
Texas Tech has quarterback issues.
Like, who will start?
And who’s available?
And who’s best?
While much of the talk this week will center around OSU’s ability to slow the Red Raiders — something the Cowboys have long struggled to accomplish, as our man Brandon Chatmon addressed this morning in The Oklahoman — the difficulty of the job could be tied to who stands behind center on Saturday.
Could be Taylor Potts, the early season starter.
Could be Seth Doege, the freshman who replaced Potts a few weeks back.
Could be Steven Sheffield, the surprising former walk-on who has played the best, yet is trying to return from Oct. 18 foot surgery.
And it could be Saturday at 7 p.m. before we know which of the three it will be.
Here’s what Leach said Monday, when it was revealed Sheffield would give it a go this week at practice:
“We’ll see how it comes. It always is good to have more options. The more the merrier.”
Cowboys coaches say they’re preparing for anybody and everybody. And that it doesn’t matter in Tech’s system.
But for a change, it does matter. Check out the numbers.
Potts 67.2 completion percentage, 2,221 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTs
Sheffield 74.5 percentage, 1,014 yards, 12 TDs, 2 INTs
Doege 62.3 percentage, 369 yards, 2 TDS, 0 INTs
More to consider, Tech’s record when each starts:
Potts 3-3 (W – North Dakota, Rice, New Mexico; L – Texas, Houston, A&M)
Sheffield 2-0 (Kansas State, Nebraska)
Doege 1-0 (Potts actually relieved and sparked the win over Kansas)
Sheffield seems to bring something special to the Raiders, including a toughness that teammates can feed from. And all indications are that he gives them the best chance to win.
But will his foot allow him to return so soon after surgery?
“I know Sheffield,” Tech wide receiver Alex Torres told reporters Monday, “his leg is still tentative. I don’t know exactly the whole injury situation and what’s the deal with that, but right now I’m not too sure what (the QB spot is) going to look like.”
Most likely, we can rule out Doege. The Pickens Palace is no place for a freshman who has been inconsistent and had to be replaced in his only career start.
Assuming that, it comes down to Sheffield’s tolerance for pain, as he’d likely be Leach’s Option A, considering Potts’ so-far shaky season, which includes an ugly scene in which he was booed off the field — at home — against A&M.
Stay tuned, although Leach isn’t likely to leak news. This is a major development in a game that could all but lock in the Cowboys for no less than the Cotton Bowl.
OSU Scouting Report: Texas Tech
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
In the Lubbock Avalanche Journal has a story on the last time OSU and Texas Tech played in Stillwater.
Here are highlights of Texas A&M’s road win over Tech:
Chat with football beat writer Brandon Chatmon
OSU 34, Iowa State 8: Thoughts and Observations
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
The Cowboys rebounded like a good team with senior leadership should after a tough loss. Zac Robinson was very efficient and the running game and offensive line dominated throughout the game.
Finally a Kendall Hunter sighting. It was good to see the All-American junior get back out there but it’s clear he doesn’t quite trust his body yet. He can’t cut like he normally can but he still had a successful return.
The Cowboys lost offensive tackle Brady Bond but you could barely even notice. The Pokes rushed for over 300 yards including Keith Toston’s 206 rushing yards.
The reason OSU’s defense was so strong against Iowa State’s running game was their aggressiveness. The Pokes clearly decided that Austin Arnaud could not beat them and went about proving it and that’s exactly what they did. They forced the Iowa State QB into several mistakes including three interceptions.
I’m still a big beleiver in getting Tracy Moore involved in the offense a bit more. The freshman from Tulsa Union just seems to make key plays when the Cowboys need it. He has a knack for getting open and catches the ball when he does.
What can you say about Keith Toston. 206 rushing yards, three touchdowns. And it is nothing new, the senior running back has done that all season, he’s been extremely consistent for the Cowboys. OSU is going to miss him next year, I think people take him for granted and some people won’t realize what OSU had in Toston until he’s gone.
One aspect the Cowboys can improve on is their kick returns. They just could seem to get in sync against the Cyclones and haven’t seemed as explosive in recent weeks.
Stat games:
Iowa State ran just 54 plays and OSU had the ball for 39:38 of the game.
OSU had 29 first downs and ran 78 plays.
Ugo Chinasa was solid with 2 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, one sack and one pass break up.
Once again, Pat Lavine was making plays. The senior had eight tackles, one interception, one sack. BY FAR the most overlooked playmaker on the entire team.
Every Cowboy who carried the football on Saturday had a run of at least 12 yards or more. That speaks to the dominance of the OSU offensive line.
Bottom Line: Now that the Cowboys have moved past the loss to Texas, it’s clear OSU is only focusing on what it can control. And if they play well in their final three games, a Cotton Bowl or maybe even Fiesta Bowl berth is within reason. So while they didn’t accomplish their goal of a Big 12 south title, there’s plenty to play for, plenty to look forward to.
