Point Of Emphasis: What Do The Cowboys Do Now?
Cezar Guerrero is the point guard of the future. Is that future now?
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Just last week, Reger Dowell talked excitedly about OSU’s game against SMU (coming up Wednesday night atAmericanAirlinesCenter), which offered a return home for theDallasarea product. Dowell was a high school standout at nearbyDuncanvilleand relished the chance to play before family and friends.
Presumably, Dowell is already home, having left the Cowboys program as the latest defector from the recruiting class of 2009.
Dowell’s departure appears curious on the surface, as his profile as the point guard on the team had seemingly been enhanced with Fred Gulley’s exit a week earlier.
Except Dowell’s rise in status was apparently brief.
The Cowboys, struggling to find an offensive identity – with point guard play a considerable factor in the ongoing struggles – seem ready to turn back to Keiton Page at the point.
Page, who played there some a year ago, offers the most stability and leadership, although his perimeter offense has typically suffered when he’s running the point. But then, Page’s offense was already suffering in a stagnant system that made it a challenge for him to even shake free for shots.
And with the season a teetering disappointment at 6-5, Cowboys coach Travis Ford seemingly has seen enough, and will place the offense in the hands of the one player he trusts the most: Page.
Freshman Cezar Guerrero, the point guard of the future, remains in place. His role should increase, either in sharing the position – allowing Page to still play predominantly at the 2 – or as a backup receiving significant minutes.
So, what to make of Gulley and Dowell leaving two weeks apart?
The answer is probably complex.
This we know: Ford is hard on point guards, as a former point guard with high standards himself. Gulley’s former Twitter photo was a shot of him standing there, taking a serious tail-chewing from Ford on the sideline.
This we also know: since Byron Eaton’s senior season, the Cowboys have gotten little from the point, rolling through several players at the position. Few assists. Few points. Fewer and fewer wins.
This season was no different, with Gulley, Dowell and Guerrero all failing to seize opportunity. It all comes down to playing the way Ford wants them to play, which is unselfishly. It’s his way or…
And that brings us back to the 2009 recruiting class, Ford’s first at OSU. From that group, all three point guards – Gulley, Dowell and Ray Penn – have all bolted from an overall group of defectors that stands at a staggering six players, seven if you count Karron Johnson, who signed but never made it toStillwater.
Jarred Shaw, Roger Franklin and Torin Walker have also moved on, making for the washout of an entire recruiting class.
What to make of that?
Well, in hindsight, a class that was originally highly ranked has been revealed as something far less. As players, no one from that list will be missed with great regret.
Still, that many players bailing out doesn’t look good. And some of them could have been solid role players, although they’d first have to accept such a role. Guys today are less inclined to think of themselves as anything less than stars.
Going forward, Ford would be wise to get Guerrero as much time at the point as possible, as he’s clearly the guy going forward.
Phil Forte, signed in November, is more of a shooter, although he could help at the point. And there’s no one else coming who projects as a point guard, although the Cowboys will surely be on the search again with scholarships opened up.
In the meantime, the Cowboys will have a different look going forward this season. And, considering what we’ve seen, that may not be all bad.
Pokes Named National Champs!
Celebration time! Cowboys No. 1.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Finally, some all-out love for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
And if cyber-love is your thing, or you’ll welcome any love from any corner when it comes to the Cowboys and their place outside of the BCS title talk, here’s a hug: OSU has been declared National Champion!
And it gets better – a second helping of Bedlam beatdown better.
The folks at nbcsports.com, namely columnist Michael Ventre, put together a 16-team “make believe” playoff.
OSU emerged No. 1.
The Cowboys clobbered OU – again – in a first-round re-matchup, routed Arkansas in the quarterfinals, outlasted Alabama and outscored Oregon (yeah, the Ducks upset LSU in the other semi) to claim this most mythical of national titles.
What does it all mean? Nothing, of course, except that none of us are satisfied with this year’s road to the BCS coronation. So we keep grousing and complaining and wishing for something better to determine our national champ.
In an absence of that, we’re left with a pretend world that isn’t at all satisfying.
As Ventre concludes:
How are you feeling about that? Overjoyed? Outraged? Satisfied? Irritated?
Whatever your emotions, you’ll agree that letting it play out on the field is more in keeping with the spirit of competition than letting computer geeks match wits. LSU and Alabama certainly are deserving, but I’d rather seem them get there with brawn than with math.
In football, goons are better than geeks any old day.
***
The Cowboys basketball team returns to the floor Saturday in the All-College Classic, taking on New Mexico in a tipoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.
OSU is 6-3 and still in search of a true identity in this season.
But Le’Bryan Nash is starting to play better and coach Travis Ford has begun to tighten his rotation and experimentation, just as the Cowboys prepare for a rugged three-week run into Big 12 play.
Here’s an e-mail discussion I did with Anthony Slater at The Daily O’Collegian, OSU’s student newspaper.
We talk about some of the issues facing the Cowboys, as well as a guess at their outlook.
OSU Hoops: Taking Manhattan?
Markel Brown could get the call for slowing Pitt's Ashton Gibbs.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Sitting there in JQH Arena Wednesday night, watching the Cowboys fall behind by 12 early in the second half – following a fading performance to the first half – I couldn’t help but think, ‘Here they go again.”
With a road losing streak dating back to February of 2010, it looked like just another disappointing excursion away from home.
Then something happened, giving the Cowboys and their fans reason for hope.
A team struggling to reveal an identity, revealed some fight and toughness in an enemy arena that while hardly hostile, was still energized and fully against them.
The Pokes made plays.
They made shots.
They got stops.
They made free throws!
And, again on the optimistic side, a squad heavy on freshmen and sophomores took a step toward growing up.
“It’s a huge step for us,” said senior guard and captain Keiton Page. “We know how tough it is (on the road). When you go out there and play like a team, like that, we can be really good.”
Now comes a very different challenge: No. 15 Pitt, today at 1:30 p.m., inside Madison Square Garden.
This is a game Cowboys players have anticipated in scanning a difficult nonconference schedule. Their last trip to the Big Apple didn’t go so well. They hope they’ve indeed grown in this return for an ESPN2 event.
They better have, as this figures to be their toughest test – to date, and perhaps for this entire season.
This collection of Cowboys has upside – a dangerous word.
Five thoughts on the Pokes entering into the Pitt game:
1. The roster is deep with talented pieces. And a lot of different guys contributed in the 72-67 win over Missouri State, a team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference.
But the task for OSU coach Travis Ford remains putting those pieces together in the right combinations and finding an offensive flow that fits their skills, of which shooting and post offense are not a part of.
Ford has begun tightening his use of the roster – more on that to come in Monday’s Insider edition in The Oklahoman – and more is in order, particularly today.
2. Le’Bryan Nash, the famed freshman, may be figuring things out somewhat, although the process will take time. The Cowboys need Nash to man up, which he did at Missouri State, playing aggressively and with a toughness, giving his team scoring and rebounding down the stretch.
Finally, we’re seeing that he can be a go-to type of scorer on the offensive end. The Cowboys went to him Wednesday and he responded.
3. Philip Jurick is turning out to be a great find and addition. But he must avoid foul trouble. He’s OSU’s only real power presence in the post, able to offer some physicality. And while he should be aggressive in going for blocked shots, a great deterrent for opposing teams, he can’t help if he’s on the bench with fouls.
4. Pitt is good, really good, maybe even Final Four good. The Panthers took a tumble in the rankings when they lost at home 86-76 to Long Beach State in mid-November. Pitt has won six straight since. And the Panthers are led by a tough senior tandem of Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson. Gibbs is big-time good and he could prove troublesome for the Cowboys today. Pitt, like OSU, also has a dynamic freshman in 6-9 forward Khem Birch.
5. Winning today will be tough, extremely tough. But the Cowboys need to at least play well. The Missouri State win was a solid win on the road and it couldn’t have come at a better time, with confidence in danger of slipping and the Panthers next. That win bought the Pokes some time, win or lose in Manhattan. Still, a poor effort could surrender some of those positives.
Introducing Cezar Guerrero
Cezar Guerrero shows his skills from high school.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Someone posed the question late Wednesday night – “Have we been hyping the wrong Oklahoma State freshman?”
How about answering a question with a question, “Why pick only one?”
Le’Bryan Nash came to the Cowboys with all the credentials – high-ranking national recruit, dunk champion, NBA body with crazy skills.
Cezar Guerrero came in under the radar, despite a big-time prep career in California. Then his early major moment was a scare, when he suffered a stinger, lost feeling in his extremities and had to be medi-flighted to Oklahoma City.
Well, Guerrero’s second impression, made on a wild Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena, is what prompted the original question. With 29 points, almost all of them clutch, and eight 3-pointers the little guard won over the Cowboys crowd and all but won OSU the game, 90-85, in overtime.
The 29 points tied Guerrero with James Anderson and Byron Houston for the most by a freshman in Cowboys history, but more than anything, established his personality: fast, fun and fine in prime time.
“I didn’t know about any records, to be honest with you,” he said after the game. “I just go out there and play. I just want to do me and do what I’m capable of doing. And that’s making shots, creating stuff and winning games. I’m a leader. If you need me to be vocal, I’m vocal.”
That’s right, Guerrero fancies himself a leader, no matter his freshman status.
With Keiton Page out with a toe injury, Guerrero took it upon himself to fill the void.
“This is real stuff, I told KP, ‘I’ve got you,’” Guerrero said. “When he was putting on his clothes, his regular clothes, I told him, ‘Hey baby boy, I got you. Don’t worry about it. I’m here. I’m going to support you and I’m ready to take on that role to be that leader for you.’
“There’s always moments for us to be leaders in this game. You’ve got to take your opportunity to be a leader on the court and just flourish with it.”
Guerrero flourished, alright.
And his intensity and aggressive play should help Nash, who sometimes plays like he needs a jolt of excitement.
Nash has flashed his potential, with a 26-point effort in his exhibition debut and a gliding style and strength in and around the basket. He’s an obvious talent.
So who deserves the hype?
Celebrate them both.
Page Update
For the first time in his career, Page did not play for the Cowboys.
The injury occurred in Tuesday’s win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as Page came up limping after crashing out of bounds on one end. He played on, however, and Ford was looking forward to his long-range shooting to combat UTSA’s zone, when word came that he was really hurting.
Page tried to give it a go in warm-ups, but changed from his uniform into a sweat suit before the game. X-rays revealed nothing too serious, with the injury being termed as similar to a turf toe.
Cowboys coach Travis Ford is optimistic about his availability for the NIT semifinals in New York on Wednesday.
“My guess is he’ll be ready to go,” Ford said.
Don’t Sleep On UTSA
Former OSU standout Brooks Thompson brought a savvy and talented team into GIA.
The Roadrunners return four starters and 12 lettermen from last year’s 20-14 team that won the Southland Conference Tournament and made the school’s first NCAA postseason appearance in any sport.
A definite advantage for the Roadrunners is the benefit a summer trip to Australia delivered in the form of practices and games and chemistry.
“This is with the utmost respect, San Antonio is probably a better basketball team than we are right now, for the fact they have four returning starters, they went to Australia in the summertime and they’re just so much further ahead,” Ford said. “They’ve got good players and are really well coached.
“Without Keiton Page, even with Keiton Page, I knew this was going to take a special effort, period. I got to watch enough tape on San Antonio to realize that at this time of year, they’re really very well polished.”
UTSA was the unanimous pick to win the Southland West Division.
Oklahoma State launches “Virtual Venue”
The ticket-buying experience for Oklahoma State basketball is about to become a virtual one.
OSU has partnered with IOMEDIA to introduce Virtual Venue, which will allow fans to “interact” online with Gallagher-Iba Arena when they buy their tickets through Ticketmaster, starting this season.
Features of Virtual Venue include a 360-degree, 3D view from all seats, the ability to select and compare seat views and the option to share through social media.
OSU also plans to incorporate Virtual Venue for Boone Pickens Stadium later this season, making the school the only sports organization to have the platform for both football and basketball.
Part of the Boone Pickens Stadium Virtual Venue will be a first-time interactive concept that will allow potential suite holders to choose from five different design options to customize their suite.
I’ve used Virtual Venue before when buying tickets at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix. It is pretty cool to see your view right away and have the option to compare seat options, rather than having to go with what Ticketmaster randomly decides for you.
Here’s a link to Oklahoma State’s Virtual Venue site.
Marek Soucek: Ford’s Find Comes To Fruition
By John Helsley
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Travis Ford found himself in need of some size.
His 2011-12 Cowboys’ roster offered appeal, with athletes galore ready to run and gun – he promises! – and finally fulfill the need for speed suggested when he arrived from UMass.
Still, something was missing: big bodies.
That sent Ford searching – clear to the Czech Republic.
When Marek Soucek landed in Oklahoma late Thursday evening and made the drive into Stillwater, Ford had not only a legit 7-footer, but one styled for the up-tempo plans of the season ahead.
“We were late in the game looking for a big man and came across Marek and heard a lot about him, did some background work and got some film on him,” Ford said. “We watched a lot of film, then made contact to his high school coach and kind of went from there.
“Marek does fit our style of play, for somebody who can shoot the ball the way he does with his size. His coach knew our style and had watched our teams play and his first comment was that this would be the perfect fit for Marek.”
Ford’s pursuit of Soucek began months ago, but was kept hush-hush as the Cowboys coach worked to get the young Czech’s class work verified here through the NCAA. Once complete, OSU had to provide a visa for Soucek to take to the embassy there, clearing the way for a passport and his ticket to, eventually, Stillwater, hopefully before any of the other interested schools – Maryland, Washington, Seton Hall, Gonzaga, to name a few – pounced, too.
Now he’s a Cowboy. And the Cowboys are anxious to see just what they’ve got.
Ford nor his coaches had seen Soucek in person until Thursday night, going only on what they saw on film. Ford joked that he told assistant Steve Middleton, who picked Soucek up at the airport, to “send him back home if he turns up 6-foot-4.”
A look at Soucek’s game on YouTube, however, proved plenty tempting.
The big man is skilled, with a smooth outside shot, the ability to score inside with his left or right hand, a deft passing touch and no fear of mixing it up either, like some big men trained in the European game.
“A lot of times, these foreign players do bring great fundamentals,” Ford said. “He’s played against good competition. We’re excited to get him in here to adapt to our team and adapt to the state and to school.
“There’s always an adjustment period. But all the players are excited, which is fun. They’ve all been asking about him. And that’s the type of team we have – anybody that can help us be successful, they’re all for it.
“This team has embraced it and is excited about it and has almost been giddy about it.”
Soucek acknowledges the transition. And he embraces it, too.
“I’m missing so many I love,” Soucek said. “I know in a few days it will be OK. I think it will help my basketball and my life. That’s why I wanted to go to Oklahoma State, because I can play basketball at the highest level and study.”
OSU basketball’s Dec. 10 game with Pittsburgh means Cowboys could make two trips to Madison Square Garden
The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team will play Pittsburgh Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden in a game to be televised by ESPN 2, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday on its web site.
That means the Cowboys could make two trips to trips to New York City before Christmas. OSU will host the Midwest Regional portion of NIT Season Tip-Off in a bracket. Regional winners advance to Madison Square Garden for the semifinals on Nov. 23. The championship and consolation games are set for Nov. 25.
The Cowboys, the No. 2 seed in the NIT Season Tip-Off, face Arkansas-Pine Bluff in one game of a doubleheader, with Oral Roberts and Texas-San Antonio meeting in the other matchup at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The “other” game in Stillwater features a clash of OSU alums as coaches, with Scott and Sean Sutton guiding Oral Roberts and Brooks Thompson in charge at UTSA. A Golden Eagles win would likely create a matchup of the Suttons vs. Travis Ford and the Cowboys – on Eddie Sutton Court.
The first and second rounds are scheduled for Nov. 14-16 at the sites of the top four seeds: No. 1 Syracuse, No. 2 OSU, No. 3 Stanford and No. 4 Virginia Tech.
Shaw’s Release No Stunner
Jarred Shaw surely saw the handwriting on the wall at OSU.
By John Helsley
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The news of OSU granting Jarred Shaw his release was unexpected, yet hardly stunning. The signing of 6-11 Philip Jurick, combined with the Cowboys’ commitment to playing fast next fall, likely sent Shaw packing.
OSU coaches always felt Shaw had upside. And we saw it, too, in glimpses of games here and there — remember the Kansas game in the Big 12 Tournament? — if never in abundance.
The slender Shaw was hampered somewhat by Chron’s Disease, an inflammatory illness of the intenstines, which affected both his ability to gain weight and his cardio fitness. Shaw was a polite kid who always offered a smile and he seemed to be well-liked by teammates.
But players want to play. And Shaw’s place in the program going forward was in question, especially with Jurick on board, so he’s seeking a transfer.
Cowboys coach Travis Ford has vowed to run and gun next season, making best use of a roster that finally offers the athletes able to fit the system we’ve all awaited since Ford was hired from UMass three years ago. Even Jurick’s role is somewhat sketchy, although his size and proven rebounding and shot-blocking skills won’t go to waste.
But if the Cowboys run with regularity next season, it’s easy to project plentiful playing time for Markel Brown, Keiton Page, Jean-Paul Olukemi, Mike Cobbins, LeBryan Nash, Reger Dowell and Cezar Guerrero. And Darrell Williams’ status remains in flux while his legal situation plays out. Fred Gulley and Brian Willliams are also in the mix. And then there’s Jurick.
Shaw had to understand it all. So his departure is no stunner in a roster overhaul that will require a roster for 2011-12.
Ray Penn and Roger Franklin have also departed, meaning three key pieces of Ford’s 2009 recruiting class are gone.
The question now is when will OSU fill Shaw’s scholarship? The Cowboys hold out hope that La Salle transfer Aaric Murray heads their way, although all indications are that he’ll go to West Virginia. OSU is also involved with Chicago prep power forward Jamari Traylor, who may need to go to junior college first.
Ford won’t just add a body, not with a bevy of top prospects supposedly on the radar in what is considred a rich recruiting class nationwide next year.
Nash Scores and More
By John Helsley
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The obvious assumption upon LeBryan Nash’s signing with Oklahoma State hinted at some influence from Nash’s half-brother, former Cowboy Byron Eaton.
LeBryan Nash competes in the slam dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All American basketball Jam Fest at Chicago State University in Chicago, Monday, March 28, 2011. Nash won the contest. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)
And while Eaton’s OSU career offered a younger Nash reasons to attend Cowboys games — which he did, several times – don’t overplay that connection. Nash has long credited Travis Ford as the tipping point in his desire to go orange and black. And while at 39th Annual Derby Festival Basketball Classic in Louisville over the weekend, Nash reiterated that fact, as the locals pressed him on his coach and former Kentucky star.
“Every time I walked around, somebody has got something to say about him,” Nash told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “That’s why I committed to Oklahoma State. He’s a great coach who is going to push me and hopefully get me to the next level.”
Nash admitted to not knowing so much about Travis Ford, the player.
“He was a shooter, I know he was a shooter,” Nash said. “He knew how to control the offense and can show me how to play point guard when I’m there.”
Point guard? Consider that another tip on how the Cowboys want to play next season — fast. Ford, too, has hinted at putting the ball in Nash’s hands out front; probably not full-time, with Reger Dowell returning and Cezar Guerrero coming in. But expect to see some of it.
As for the Classic, Nash produced 19 points, six rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes. Reports suggested he was one of the most athletic players on the floor.
Nash’s athleticism couldn’t land him another dunk contest title, although he was a crowd favorite. Nash, who won the McDonald’s All-American Jam Fest dunk contest in Chicago, produced two dunks that wowed the crowd, including one in which he passed — behind his back to himself – off the backboard for a throwdown.
While the crowd approved, the judges graded Nash a bit harsher, drawing boos from those in attendance.
“I think that dunk was a better dunk than they gave me,” Nash said. “The fans know I should have won and I know I should have won, but the judges didn’t give it to me.”
Guerrero’s Emotional Day
Can Cezar Guerrero provide an immediate impact for OSU?
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Word from California Wednesday told of what an emotional time it was for Cezar Guerrero, the prep point guard who signed with Oklahoma State on the first day of the early signing period. During a ceremony at his school, St. John Bosco, Guerrero fought back tears several times while realizing his dream of playing “big-time college basketball.”
It wasn’t all about Guerrero, either, as he thanked his coaches and teammates and his mother and a lot of other folks for all their support. He told his teammates he loved them and at one point, tears were flowing throughout the room.
Guerrero’s emotional speech, as well as a story on his big day can be found at this Los Angeles news site.
I talked to Guerrero, who goes by C.J., on Tuesday and he was excited about becoming a Cowboy.
“I’m looking forward to being there, experiencing new things and playing basketball in a big conference,” he said. “I want to meet new people and start a new life, a college life.”
Guerrero said he realizes he’ll be a long way from home in Stillwater, in terms of miles and culture. But he said he’s looking forward to that, too.
“I chose OSU because of coach Travis Ford, he’s a player’s coach, a real good teacher of the game. But also the facilities, the environment and the people around there and how nice they are. They have a lot of manners, where over here in Los Angeles, it’s a lot different.
“I wanted to make the transition from the city life to being more focused. Stillwater’s a small town. It’s pretty much focused on sports.
“I wanted to go somewhere where they have great facilities, a great coach and somewhere where I can focus and achieve my dream.”
Guerrero admits to a bit of trepidation in being so far from all the people he loves. But he said embraces the opportunity.
“I’m somewhat (anxious), but it’s not really a big factor. In life, you always have to take risks to go somewhere. Here’s my risk, going to Oklahoma State, a long way from home.”
