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.
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.”
Hoops Update: Injuries
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
OSU will be without Teeng Akol and Nick Sidorakis for a while.
Injuries suffered in recent practices will sideline Akol and Sidorkis for a month or more. And while neither played a major role a year ago, each had been drawing raves from Cowboys coach Travis Ford for their play in the preseason.
Both players were considered key reserves by Ford, who may now be forced to get freshmen ready to take on larger roles.
Akol, a 6-11 center, has a fracture in his right hand is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Sidorkis, a 6-4 guard, won’t need surgery to repair a patela tendon injury to his right knee, but will be out 6-8 weeks.
Cowboy Hoops Adds Walk-Ons
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
The number of available practice bodies had already increased at OSU, with seven newcomers beefing up the roster — a needed boost from a year ago.
Add two more players to the mix, with Travis Ford taking advantage of his walk-on tryout program for the second straight year.
In a near act of desperation a year ago, with his roster depleted, Ford pulled four walk-ons from a workout to help with practice and suit up on game days. One of the four, Edmond Memorial product Garrett Thomas, remains with the squad.
While not as needy this year, Ford still felt adding players could be a benefit to preparation. And with recent injuries to Teeng Akol and Nick Sidorakis, he’s surely pleased to have them.
So, on to the introductions:
From Broken Arrow High and Oklahoma City University, a 6-6 forward… Steven Cantrell!
And from Perkins, a 6-foot guard… Lee Ledford!
Cantrell actually played a bit part in OCU’s national title run in 2008, averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds for a team that finished 31-7. He appeared in 20 games and started five, before leaving for regular-student status at OSU a year ago. Now he’s back.
Ledford, in his third year at OSU, averaged 15 points and seven rebounds as a prep senior.
Don’t expect to see much of Cantrell or Ledford, unless games get way out of hand. Still, they’re valuable additions to the daily grind of practices. Ford wouldn’t have them around if they didn’t offer something.
And there’s always the possible payoff, a moment in Gallagher-Iba Arena when the student section chants their names.
Or even better, a trip to the NCAA Tournament and memories of March Madness.
Talking Kendall Hunter, James Anderson and Andrea Riley
By John Helsley
Remember Kendall Hunter?
Reigning Big 12 rushing champ.
One-third of the Triplets.
Potential Heisman candidate.
Seems so long ago, doesn’t it?
Well, maybe it’s time for a Hunter resurfacing. We haven’t seen – or heard – from “Spud” since he left the Houston loss with an ankle injury that went from sprain to fracture in the rumor mill that serves as the OSU injury report.
On Monday, Mike Gundy essentially called out Hunter subtly, saying team doctors had ruled him healthy, it was just up to Hunter to decide he could go.
Well, Hunter is on the trip to Waco and will be suited up for Baylor. Will he play? How much will he play? Only Spud knows for sure, but ideally he shakes off the rust, suffers no relapse and returns in full for what looms as a major showdown with Texas next week.
Hunter may return against Baylor.
The OSU basketball program isn’t putting on any fronts when it comes to James Anderson.
If he stays healthy and has another strong season – as expected – he’s off to the NBA after this, his junior season.
So enjoy him, Cowboys fans, and by all indications, he’ll be a joy to watch.
Check out this from Travis Ford:
“He has had some of the most ridiculous dunks. You won’t believe the energy level and peppiness he is playing with. He dunked over Teeng (Akol) the other day. It’s something I don’t know if he had ever tried and I don’t know if he could even could have done it, and he he caught a rebound and dunked it from outside the paint, just dunked over two guys. It’s just the step you hoped he would take. It’s early and you hope it continues. I don’t hype it up too much because we’ve got a long ways to go.”
Anderson is bigger and stronger and noticeably more comfortable, almost chatty by his standards.
The good news is there won’t be a need for regular questions about his future, whether he’s staying or going, even though we’d all know he’s going. That part is out of the way.
So enjoy, while you can.
On the women’s hoops front, the Cowgirls face their final season with Andrea Riley.
Her career is a mixed bag, as she’s been at the trigger of some of the program’s great recent moments, but also some embarrassments, which is why her one-game NCAA Tournament suspension still hangs over the squad and its chances to do much in March.
Still, Riley has a chance to improve her legacy, if not by leading these Cowgirls to great things, then by bridging things for a promising young core of players who figure to brighten OSU’s long-term future.
Riley is always worth watching.
This season, there’s plenty of reasons to pay close attention.
Six Former Pokes Open NBA Camp
By John Helsley, Staff Writer
NBA training camps are opening everywhere, some with an Oklahoma State flair.
Former Cowboys show up on the rosters of six NBA teams, with practices due to begin today.
Tony Allen maintains stability, starting his sixth season with the Boston Celtics. But for four other former Pokes, new teams offer new beginnings.
Joey Graham, who spent the past four seasons with the Toronto Raptors, moves to the Denver Nuggets.
Stephen Graham, Joey’s twin, signed on Monday with the Charlotte Bobcats – his sixth NBA team.
Desmond Mason, who spent last season locally with the Thunder, went West with a one-year deal to play with Sacramento.
David Monds, who finished at OSU in 2007 and spent last season in the NBA Developmental League, is trying to make it with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers.
And John Lucas, who played in 60 games for the Houston Rockets over two seasons from 2005-07, is trying to make it with the Miami Heat.
Allen, who has battled injuries throughout his career, is questionable for the preseason as he continues recovery from June 3 ankle surgery to repair a torn tendon.
Graham waited five months to hook on with a new team, then hustled in to join the Nuggets’ first practice. Denver is hoping he fills offense lost when Linas Kleiza signed with Olympiakos and defense lost when Dahntay Jones signed with the Pacers, according to the Denver Post.
“I like covering guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James,” Graham told the Post. “I’m a rough-neck guy, a blue-collar guy.”
Helsley’s Back and Forth: Stay Awake Saturday
By John Helsley
Five things to review and anticipate in the world of OSU sports:
Rewind
1) Rice Remains. The biggest news coming out of the Rice win, other than the win, was the injury list. Jermiah Price (hand). Justin Blackmon (shoulder). Kendall Hunter (ankle). Dez Bryant (hamstring). Perrish Cox (shoulder). The hurts are mounting, and those don’t include the longer list of Cowboys playing with assorted bumps and bruises and aches.
2) Running in Place. OSU’s running game hasn’t been all that. The problem is three-fold: Struggles at guard, where two new starters are in place; Kendall Hunter’s injuries (past and present); an inability to adjust to either of the previous two. While it goes against the grain for Mike Gundy, if allowed to don the offensive coordinator hat (or bench), I’d work in reverse and pass to open things up for the run.
3) Richetti’s Ready? We’ve been waiting to see what made Richetti Jones the touted recruit before his very serious hip injury. Maybe Saturday night’s performance against Rice is a hint that he may be coming around and not becoming the next XLK. Jones looked quick off the ball and provided pressure at DE, something that’s been lacking. It was only a start, but at least it was something.
4) Zac’s Back? Answering a week of heavy questions concerning his health/performance, Zac Robinson played his best game of this season. Passes were sharper. Runs again featured a burst. Upon further review, the opinion (trotted out by yours truly first) that Zac was still overcoming the mental side of his previously sore hammy looks more accurate all the time.
5) Hoops Recruit. The Cowboys added another basketball commit, with Juco swing man J.P. Olukemi pledging to the Pokes. Sounds like a slashing scorer that Scout.com considers one of the top Juco recruits in the country. Travis Ford, with four commits to date, appears to be building something in Stillwater.
Fast Forward
Note: With the absence of opponent story lines — beyond the band — to consider this Saturday, we’re going to provide five players to watch against Grambling.
1) Beau Johnson. Because of a sore shoulder, Johnson wasn’t all that effective against Rice. If he’s better, we may get a better glimpse of what he has to offer. With Hunter’s status still in doubt, the Cowboys need to show some explosiveness at the RB spot, or risk becoming one-dimensional.
2) James Thomas. The sophomore linebacker out of LaMarque, Texas, played extensively against Rice, finishing with five tackles and a pass breakup. DC Bill Young said he made some mistakes, but overall played well. At a position loaded with seniors, Thomas represents the future of the position.
3) Tracy Moore. With Bryant ailing, the true freshman wide receiver from Tulsa Union could get a more prominent role in the offense. OSU coaches need to see what he can offer and there’s better time than this before hitting Big 12 play. At 6-2, 237 pounds and fast, Moore offers an appealing target.
4) Jeremy Smith. Watch to see if his redshirt is yanked. By all accounts, Smith is the real deal. And if the prognosis on Hunter and the running game don’t improve, coaches may be tempted to get Smith involved to help energize things and keep what was supposed to be a special season on track.
5) Alex Cate/Brandon Weeden. No sightings, so far, of the Cowboys’ backup QBs. Surely this Saturday.
Dawggone Wild
By John Helsley
What’s it worth to have your ailing quarterback quarantined, via airplane, yet available to play?
In the case of Georgia’s Joe Cox, $6,274.
Check it out here,where the Athens paper reveals the plan to deliver Cox to Stillwater for the OSU game separately from the team, so not to risk the spread of a virus he was battling.
That was the charge of a Georgia aviation company to fly Cox into Stillwater solo on the Friday night before kickoff. He had missed Thursday’s practice with a fever of more than 100 degrees.
Cox started the game and played the whole way, but was not all that impressive after an initial drive to a touchdown — the Dawgs’ lone TD drive.
So the return on the investment is questionable.
I guess it’s noble that Georgia didn’t just fly Cox commercial (at a far cheaper amount) and put other passengers at risk of getting sick. Still, this is another example of athletic departments run amok.
Employees at UGA — coaches included — are due to take forced work furloughs because of school-wide cuts. And over in athletics, the appearance is that they’re breaking out the checkbook with little regard for financial restraint.
This kind of free spending isn’t limited to Georgia. In the name of recruiting gains and competitive advantage, convenience is frequently the No. 1 factor in athletic travel among the powerhouse programs.
While the rest of us tighten our belts and skip trips to Starbuck’s, coaching salaries and the price of tickets and concessions and parking continue to soar.
I’m bothered and I’m a media freeloader, with free entry to games and privileged parking, except for the times when I pack up the car and the kids and head off to catch a Cardinals game in St. Louis.
Doesn’t it bother you, the fan, too?
Helsley’s Back and Forth: Week 2
By John Helsley
My weekly look back and ahead at five key talking points for OSU sports:
Rewind
1) Quick Fall. OSU’s run with the big boys didn’t last long; about as long as that skinny, wobbling dude dodging horns at the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. The warnings were out there all week about the dangers of Week 2. Trap game. Houston’s offense. Even the SI jinx. No matter the denials, the Cowboys just didn’t look ready to go from the start against the Cougars. That doesn’t mean they overlooked or disrespected the Cougs. But isn’t it just inevitable that a letdown was to be expected after so much effort and attention went into the Georgia game? Too bad the Cowboys couldn’t have swapped Houston-based foes, playing Rice in Week 2 and the Cougs Week 3.
2) Driving Ford. Travis Ford’s big raise and extension was a shocker, coming after just one season. But know this, OSU athletic director Mike Holder truly believes Ford is the man to drive this program, pardon the pun, to the next level. The new deal gives stability to both coach and school and will make for a strong marriage. And the $3 million buyout ensures that only major fish will test the waters to lure Ford away.
3) Zac Slack. Zac Robinson hasn’t been the same and the proof is in the numbers – yards and points are down for the quarterback and the Cowboys. Rumors about possible hidden injuries are rampant. Anything’s possible, but this reminds me of what I saw with DeMarco Murray last year on the OU beat. Murray, while deemed 100 percent and cleared for action following offsesaon knee surgery, looked slow and indecisive through about half the Sooners season. Then on some run, he stuck his leg in the ground and pushed off hard and nothing bad happened. And his play took off. I think Zac may be similarly hesitant after suffering a second hamstring pull this preseason. And it’s affecting his play. Unlike with Murray, the Cowboys can’t afford to wait half a season for Robinson to regain his mojo.
4) In Defense. Will the real OSU defense please stand up? So good against Georgia, the Cowboys D dipped against Houston. I, however, don’t heap massive blame on the defense, at least not in the second half. The Cowboys played more aggressive, played more press coverage and got themselves off the field. The OSU offense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
5) Where’s Kendall? Cowboys running back Kendall Hunter went missing Saturday, hobbling off the field at halftime and then returning with a protective boot on his foot. Now Hunter is all but ruled out of Saturday’s game with an ankle sprain. How long will he be out? How much will he be missed? Only time will tell on the first question. Check out my story in Wednesday’s paper concerning the second.
Fast Forward
1) Zac’s Back? With Rice and Grambling State on the schedule, along with an open week, before the conference opener at Texas A&M, it’s time for Zac Robinson to re-establish himself as one of the league’s best QBs. Remove all doubts. Erase the rumors. Put the Cowboys offense on the fast track.
2) Being Beau. With Kendall Hunter charging through defenses on his way to the Big 12 rushing crown a year ago, Beau Johnson’s opportunities to carry the ball were limited. Thrown into the mix against Houston, he showed the kind of burst and skill that made him a prized Juco recruit a year ago. Now we’ll get an even better look at Johnson.
3) Dee-fense. Rice will bring an offensive approach identical to Houston to Stillwater, if not similarly talented players. Still, it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys defend the Owls for the adjustments they make, not just for this week, but those many weeks ahead when spread offenses line up on the other side.
4) Pack the Pickens. OK, so the official push for a sellout is set for next week, against Grambling State, with a number of promotions and presumably free tickets flowing to fans, I’m intrigued to see what kind of crowd shows up for Rice. Hopefully, we won’t be channeling Vance Bedford and his ship-jumping rant come Saturday night. There’s still much for OSU fans to get excited about. Let’s see if they realize it.
5) QB Watch. Once the Cowboys get Robinson going, they should get the backups — Alex Cate and Brandon Weeden — on the field to not only get them some game experience, but get a glance at what they may have for next season.
Hoops and Hardball
By John Helsley
Monday delivered some interesting tidbits for two off-the-radar sports at OSU: basketball and baseball.
The countdown to Major League Baseball’s deadline to sign draft picks had several potential Cowboys in play. When the smoke all cleared in the hours after midnight Monday, it didn’t go as well as hoped for the Pokes, yet wasn’t a total loss, either.
Of the four players in play — 09 pitchers Andy Oliver, Tyler Lyons and Tyler Blandford, and prep SS signee Mychal Givens — three agreed to last-minute deals, with Lyons the one returning to Stillwater.
The Givens signing, by the Orioles, hurt worst, since the O’s had cut off negotiations heading into the weekend and it appeared the nation’s No. 2 recruit would be heading to OSU.
Overall, it wasn’t a lost result. To the contrary, it was a big win, just to plug an ace like Lyons into the top of the rotation for 2010.
When last season ended, Cowboys coach Frank Anderson couldn’t have counted on any of the four to be at OSU. Only an economy that strapped MLB teams left those players dangling for so long. And even then, deals were eventually done across the board, marked by the Nationals signing of Stephen Strasburg for a cool $15 million.
On to basketball, the Cowboys welcomed everyone expected, including big men Jarred Shaw and Matt Pilgrim.
Shaw, a 6-10 freshman from Dallas, has been cleared by the NCAA and is eligible to play this season. The No. 15 center prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, Shaw averaged 13.5 points and 9.7 rebounds for Carter High’s state title team last season. There had been some question about his eligibility.
Pilgrim’s status for this season remains an issue. He transferred from Kentucky when new coach John Calipari declined to renew his scholarship. It’s now up to the NCAA to decide if he’s immediately eligible to play for the Cowboys.
The decision is critical for Pilgrim, who already sat out last season at Kentucky, after transferring there from Hampton.
