OSU-Iowa State Afterthoughts
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Sitting in the Kansas City airport, waiting on a flight home from the frozen cornfield that is Iowa and thinking how hard it must be to be a Royals fan. Pitchers and catchers are reporting, hope springs eternal, and yet, the sports talk radio guys here are killing the Royals already.
(Sorry, compadre Mike Baldwin!)
But that’s not why you’re here.
Cowboys won a crucial game Wednesday night in Ames. A game with many twists, from a big blown lead (20 points in the first half); to a nearly 22-minute scoring drought by James Anderson; to Obi Muonelo’s greatest game as a Cowboy (seriously); to an underrated defensive job on ISU’s big two of Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap; to a hang-on-at-the-end finish that saw the Cyclones give away some chances at the end.
Quick thoughts, before boarding:
* Muonelo’s growth as a player was evident against ISU. Clearly, he sensed that his team needed somebody to step up with the offense struggling. And he did, scoring 21 straight points during a stretch that turned away the Cyclones’ comeback. Considering OSU’s still-difficult quest for an NCAA Tournament bid, Muonelo’s pack mule effort and 31 points resulted in his best game in orange.
* Didn’t get this in the print edition, but Keiton Page suffered a minor thigh pull that shouldn’t be an issue. Page left the game late, yet was back on the floor at the end. And he was walking fine on the way to the bus after the game.
* The Cowboys face a stretch of four straight games against ranked teams, beginning Saturday with Baylor. We’ve been saying this a lot lately, but consider it a must win. At 6-5, the Cowboys need at least two more wins and maybe three to go dancing. With three home games left, and Nebraska the only one that looks like a lock, beating Baylor could be a necessity.
* As Matt Pilgrim emerges, Marshall Moses’ game has suffered. Moses’ work on the defensive end shouldn’t be dismissed Wednesday night, but it was a miserable night for him on offense. Missed a dunk and a couple of point-blank shots. Turned the ball over. Seems Marshall is having a difficult time adjusting to his new reserve role.
Cowgirls looking to get back on track
Are the Cowgirls and Andrea Riley ready to get back on track?
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
The Oklahoma State women are in the midst of a three-game losing streak but the Cowgirls will look to right the ship against Texas A&M at Gallagher Iba at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The vibe around the Cowgirls is surprisingly good. You’d think a team would be down after losing three straight games, and while they are understandably upset, they realize two things:
1) Except for the Nebraska loss which started the streak, it’s not like Oklahoma and Texas Tech just came and ran them off the floor. OSU knows they have themselves to blame for those losses as much as their opponent’s solid play.
2) Even with the losses, if they get it together they can still have a strong finish resulting in a top four seed in the Big 12 tournament. None of the team’s on OSU’s remaining schedule are unbeatable, especially if the Cowgirls stop beating themselves.
“If we continue to practice hard, things will turn,” OSU coach Kurt Budke said. “I don’t have a gym full of people feeling sorry for themselves or pouting. They’re working hard and getting better, it’s going to turn back (around).”
Sadly for the Cowgirls, the Big 12 South is a incredible gauntlet of Top 25 teams. They have No. 15 Texas A&M on Wednesday, travel to No. 18 Baylor on Saturday then host No. 12 Texas on Feb. 24.
The Post-Penn Plan
Keiton Page may be transitioning to the point.
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Ray Penn’s worst fear went official last week, with his season ruled over due to the ongoing issue with his right knee, where a “stress reaction” isn’t getting better and threatens to get worse.
The loss of Penn may not rank as OSU’s worst fear, yet it dramatically changes the team’s dynamic and shrinks an already small margin for error.
The Cowboys’ plan at point guard going forward: More Fred Gulley and Keiton Page, with an apparent emphasis on the latter.
Ideal? No. Penn’s quickness and ability to penetrate will be missed.
Survivable? Absolutely. The Cowboys won at Kansas State and are 3-2 overall with Penn on the sideline.
When Page missed five of six games recently, Page handled the majority of the duty at the point. Expect that to continue, with Gulley still prone to too many freshman mistakes.
A push toward more Page seemed to be the tone when Cowboys coach Travis Ford was asked if Penn’s injury presented an opportunity for Gulley.
“Absolutely,” Ford said, before continuing on. “It’s an opportunity for Keiton. Keiton Page hasn’t played much point. He should have wanted to have played some point this year. Being his size and everything, I wish he would have worked all summer long (and said), ‘Coach I want to be the point guard.’
“He might have wanted that. We never really gave him a shot. So now it is his chance, if that’s something he wanted. He’s never really said it, but it should be. It should be something that he should want to be able to do.”
Reading between the lines, it may present Page’s best opportunity going forward, as in next year and beyond, when he could be a top backup option at the point and shooting guard spots. The prize of the Cowboys’ recruiting class is 6-3 guard Markel Brown out of Louisiana, who figures to jump into the shooting guard spot previously manned by Page.
Currently redshirting JP Olukemi should get a serious look at the 3 position, as Ford looks to get bigger.
So the more versatile Page can be, the better.
In that regard, it’s an important stretch for Gulley, too, since Page could be infringing on his future playing time at the point.
Ford said he’s not looking for any specific stat numbers from Gulley.
“No, we haven’t talked about that,” Ford said. “I don’t want to put that pressure on him. I did that with Byron (Eaton) last year, midway through the season. I do it with certain guys with different stats. But, with him, more positives than negatives. And understand your job on defense. First and foremost, understand your job and don’t turn it over.”
No pressure? The pressure is on.
Chat with Brandon Chatmon at 11 a.m.
Moses Seeking A Makeover
Marshall Moses trying to turn things around.
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Remembering the impact role Marshall Moses had in OSU’s late-season run a year ago, it’s easy to wonder what has gone awry with the encore.
Moses came out of nowhere a year ago, filling a squishy soft interior with some grit and skills. He hasn’t vanished this season, but his presence — as in, “Will Marshall show up tonight” — seems in doubt too often.
Considered part of OSU’s core, Moses has scored seven points or less in five Big 12 games. And despite doing his work inside, although undersized, Moses’ field goal percentage of 49.7 is off the 53.6 he posted a year ago, a number expected to be a baseline to a better year.
Moses has been at the center of other issues, too, including a marijuana-related arrest and an on-court confrontation with teammate Matt Pilgrim that ESPN captured for the world to see in a Big Monday game with Texas.
It’s all been a frustrating experience for Moses, who talked about all that’s gone on and gone wrong during a chat Thursday.
The highlights:
On the dropoff in his game…
“My biggest thing is mentally, I’ve been going through a lot. Everybody knows, it’s no secret. Just dealing with adversity and still being able to focus on basketball, I’m on the bottom half right now but I’m on my way to the top. I’m working every day to get better at basketball, be a better person and clear my name for whoever thinks I’m a bad guy. It may not seem like a lot but it’s tough to deal with, especially when you are a college athlete and a student. It’s no excuse. When it’s time to play ball you have to play ball. I plan on picking my play up and doing whatever it takes to help my team win at this point.”
On dealing with the adversity…
“I’ve never been through it, period. I’ve seen guys go through it in my career here and I know guys other places. John Wall, at Kentucky, he went through it before he got to college. I just never knew what it would fele like. I’ve always seen guys go through it. But now I know what it feels like. The guys who make it through, I have a different kind of respect for them. It’s tough to make it through and I’m tough, so I know I’m going to make it through. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
On trying to isolate himself from negative perceptions…
“I hear people say things, I hear people treat me different. People who walked by and waved and couldn’t wait to see me now kind of turn their heads a little bit or kind of speak because it’s the right thing to do. That’s expected. I don’t even blame them. They don’t know me personally. All they know is what they see and what they hear. I can’t even knock them for that. It does bother me a little bit. I don’t isolate myself from it at all. I look it right in the face every day. I get up and face it every morning with no fear because I put myself in this position and I’ll get myself out of it. That’s just how I feel.”
On this being a trying season…
“It’s been the most emotional as far as the lows. One of the biggest things I’m faced with, and I’m pretty sure coaches don’t even know and probably wouldn’t even believe it if they heard it, I just hate to see our coaches be let down. Whether it be losses or something I do individually, especially when I do something because that’s something I can control. They work so hard. Last year, they were low and then their hard work rubbed off on us and we started winning. We are trying to get that to happen this year because right now, we’re at the low. The lowest point we can get as far as I’m concerned.”
On his being benched last Saturday at Texas Tech…
“The Texas game, what happened between me and Matt. That was my fault. I take responsibility for that. (Coach Travis Ford) just wants me to do better and control my temper. This is his way of letting me know that I can’t do anything I want. I respect all his decisions. That’s coach Ford, I think the world of him. I doubt I’ll start this (Bedlam) game, I don’t know when I’ll start again or when he’ll put me in the game. But when he does, all I can do is play my heart out for him and the fans and my teammates.”
Being around Moses on a fairly regular basis, he’s a likable guy. And a stand-up guy, as you can tell from his comments above.
Emotional? Sure, sometimes to his detriment.
But he’s also open and honest with his answers, even when dealing with his faults. And there’s something to admire in that.
The Stats Don’t Lie
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
So… what’s wrong with the Cowboys, who have now lost three straight for the first time under Travis Ford, again placing their NCAA Tournament resume in peril?
It’s simple: check the stats.
When the season started, OSU looked like a team of shooters, with James Anderson, Obi Muonelo and Keiton Page all carrying reputations for putting the ball in the basket.
Only Anderson has lived up to the billing.
Among the Big 12′s top 20 scorers, you’ll find only one Cowboy — Big Game James. Of course, Anderson is also the league’s leading scorer. Still, OSU lacks a reliable No. 2 scorer.
The streaky Muonelo second on the team at 12.5 points per game, yet that reliability issue came into play Saturday at Texas Tech, when with Anderson struggling, Muonelo went 3-of-12 from the floor and finished with eight points.
The stat reality, the Cowboys aren’t the hot shots they were believed to be.
In the Big 12, OSU ranks 11th in field goal percentage at 44.4 percent. Anderson makes 46 percent of his shots, with Muonelo at 44 percent and Page 37.3.
More stat reality: part of the shooting problem is tied to shot selection. The Cowboys are last in the Big 12 in assists, meaning they’re either forcing up shots or not working hard enough for easier shots.
Travis Ford said earlier this week that OSU missed Byron Eaton’s leadership. And that is true.
But they miss his playmaking, too.
So what’s wrong with the Cowboys? They miss Byron Eaton, which we always knew they would.
Maybe, though, they’ve been missing Ray Penn, too. The healthy Ray Penn.
Penn was seemingly just turning the corner in his freshman season when he suffered a “stress reaction” in his knee.
In the two contests prior to sitting out four straight games, he produced his two best assist totals of the season, with seven at Baylor and six at home against Colorado.
Penn is back. And while he showed some rust in the loss at Texas Tech, there’s hope that he can re-ignite the Cowboys offense and help fix what’s wrong.
Penn’s “Friends”
Penn Clears Up Post
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
We’ve enjoyed Ray Penn’s personality for some time now.
If there’s such a thing as a must-quote freshman, he’s it.
Penn, after all, brought us the lines “There’s no punk in me,” and, “I’m a ballplayer. When I’m out there on that court, I’m not a freshman, I’m a player just like anybody else. I’m here on a scholarship, just like anybody else. I’m trying to get to where everybody else is trying to get.”
And yet, to say Penn is “out there” apparently isn’t enough.
The Cowboys point guard provided breaking news on himself late Friday night, proclaiming — on Facebook — that he would play Saturday at Texas Tech, after missing four games with a stress reaction in his knee. And he did.
Penn was back at the keyboard following the game, except with a worrisome less-clear post that left OSU fans wondering what was up: “my season is over.”
Had Penn re-aggravated the injury? Or worse?
Finally, Penn has cleared up his status, if not the reason for the cryptic quote, with yet another Facebook filing on Monday.
“Hello world. I have to clear this up. My status of ‘my season is over’ was just out of frustration. Take no regards to that and I would appreciate it if ya’ll would stop hyping up something that is nothing.”
Now, we’re not apt to tone down young Mr. Penn. Not in our quote-starved universe.
But Ray better understand that he’s behind the type — and the hype.
Even when he’s just talking to his “friends.”
Chat with John Helsley at 11 a.m.
Penn Says He’s Ready
By John Helsley
LUBBOCK – Breaking news from Lubbock… via Facebook… via Ray Penn… on Ray Penn.
The freshman point guard apparently will play today, according to the man himself on his Facebook page.
Penn has been doing light work in practices this week and has suffered no setbacks to the “stress reaction” in his knee. At Friday night’s shootaround inside United Spirit Arena, Cowboys coach Travis Ford told us he was leaning toward using Penn some today against Texas Tech.
Now Penn has declared himself ready.
After missing the past four games, Penn is likely to be rusty.
Still, he says he believes he’ll be back to normal soon.
Ford is counting on it.
“We need him to be,” Ford said. “I think it’ll be difficult, but there are eight games left and hopefully more after that. I think he can get back to there. I’m anxious to see it because I think it’s going to be a great test for him and really see how much determination and what he’s made of between the ears a little bit because he has been sitting out.
“When he’s ready to go, I’m throwing him back in there. We need him, we need him badly.”
Ford could prove a tough critic. As a player at Kentucky, he once endured a full season with a broken knee cap, playing on until requiring surgery to remove a chunk of bone once the schedule was complete.
So while Ford knows how difficult and painful Penn’s ailment may be, he also carries his own history of toughness.
Ford said that in no way does he want Penn to jeopardize his health.
But if ready, Ford wants the best out of his point guard.
“I have sympathy, but I don’t have time to make excuses,” Ford said. “I addressed it after the game the other night that people want to make excuses for other people. This is February in the Big 12. You can make excuses in November and December but at this point in time you better play.
“We all better play and step up and coach and be the best that we can at this point in time because nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. It’s the same thing with Ray. I know he’s been hurt and everything, but if he steps on that court ready to play, he better help our team be successful.”
OSU Hoops: Gottlieb; Penn Update
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Came across a great tribute by Doug Gottlieb at espn.com. For OSU fans, it’s a must read.
Gottlieb, the former Cowboys point guard, puts not only faces, but spirit into each member of the basketball crew lost in the 2001 plane crash in Colorado in his touching tribute titled “The Ten will live in OSU hearts forever.”
Absolute must read, for Cowboys and non-Cowboys, anyone who remembers — or more poignantly may have forgotten — that heartbreaking period in Stillwater.
Proceed to the link — now.
And grab a hanky.
* Free Ray Penn
As OSU tries to shake a two-game losing streak, the return of point guard Ray Penn appears near.
And it can’t come soon enough.
While the Cowboys were able to disguise some weaknesses and win twice without their freshman point man, teams have begun to exploit Keiton Page and Fred Gulley.
Turnovers have skyrocketed and now the good gained from a road win at Kansas State could be surrendered if the Cowboys don’t start winning again quick.
Penn practiced a bit this week, although in a limited capacity. His status for Saturday’s game at Texas Tech is iffy, but with a full week between games before a Bedlam in Stillwater clash, the most he should miss is one more game.
“My trainer, he has been working with me every day, getting extra work in,” Penn said Thursday. “I’m almost there now. We are still in the debate of whether I am going to play Saturday, but definitely against OU.”
OSU is now officially calling the injury a “stress reaction,” which, fortunately for Penn, is something less than a stress fracture.
Still, it’s quite painful. And after first cropping up in the Baylor game, then worsening against Colorado, Penn knew it was more than just a sore knee.
“I can play through pain,” Penn said, “but that pain was starting to reach a certain point to where I couldn’t even bend it.”
Penn said that there is no indication this will be a lingering problem and he stressed hope that he’ll return to full speed at some point this season. The sooner the better, with his spectator status anything but fun.
“It’s miserable, you know,” he said. “It’s miserable, especially when you are losing and you know you can’t help your team. But you know, like I said, I’m healthy now and it’s in the past and just move forward for the second half of the Big 12.”
