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.
OSU-Baylor: Afterthoughts
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Going into Saturday’s game at Baylor, I wasn’t as alarmist as some in the media about OSU’s chances for the NCAA Tournament.
After Saturday, I may be changing my take.
Now, I’m not at all ready to bury the Cowboys. Things change. Things changed last year, drastically, as OSU rallied late to The Dance. And this is still a team somewhat in transition, with a freshmen point guard and several other inexperienced parts.
But this leopard must change its spots — and fast.
OSU is a bad shooting team, the Big 12′s worst. Worst in overall percentage. Worst in 3-point percentage.
Just worst.
If there’s a bright side, the Cowboys should be better, which means they can get better.
With James Anderson, Obi Muonelo, Marshall Moses and Keiton Page in play, it’s hard to imagine these Cowboys being this bad: 43.4 percent; 36.8 percent in conference games.
That won’t get it. Not in the Big 12.
There are too many good squads in this conference this year. For the Cowboys to be one of them, NCAA Tournament good, they have to find their shooting stroke.
Welcome to Bedlam
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
We posted the combined home record of all Big 12 teams in the Monday paper: 111-1.
Let me repeat that, 111-1.
Even Cowboys coach Travis Ford, who fully understands the value of the home court, blinked at that stat.
“Really? Really?” Ford asked in wonder.
“That’s amazing.”
Tonight’s Bedlam bash features two teams on opposite ends of the home front over the weekend. OSU rolled previously No. 22-ranked Texas Tech by 29 points in Gallagher-Iba Arena, while the Sooners were slugged by 30 at Baylor.
Tonight also introduces several key OSU newcomers to the ruggedest of road venues when it comes to being a Cowboy: Lloyd Noble Center.
And that figures to play crucial into a prime opportunity for the Pokes to pull off a cherished road win that would get them off to a smashing start in conference play. James Anderson, Obi Muonelo, Marshall Moses and even Keiton Page should be ready for what’s in store. How freshmen Ray Penn, Fred Gulley and Roger Franklin and transfer Matt Pilgrim perform could be the tipping point.
Penn, as the lone starter among that group, and the point guard, and paired in an emotional meeting with former Houston prep rival Tommy Mason-Griffin, shoulders heavy pressure.
For Penn, this will be the most hostile environ he’s faced, oh…
“Of his life,” Ford said. “Guarantee you that. Plain and simple, we are trying to prepare him mentally for it, but you just have to dive into it. We’ve played some good enough games where he should be prepared. He doesn’t need any excuses that it’s the Big 12, ‘I’m a freshman.’”
Same, Ford says, for all of OSU’s freshmen.
“As we’ve told our guys, they’re a little bit past being true freshmen. They’re older freshmen at this point, especially the guys who have been playing a lot of minutes. They are older freshmen and they need to act like it at this point.
“Some of these guys have gotten extremely valuable experience. Ray, Fred Roger — those three stand out as far as guys that are averaging 15-20, 30 minutes a game. I don’t want to sit here and make excuses for them. They need to be ready to play.”
Don’t expect Penn to wilt under a Bedlam spotlight that also features an ESPN Big Monday showcase.
Penn firmly believes his sweaty shorts don’t stink.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “I’ve waited 19 years (to be in) the Big 12. It’s time to get it. This is what I’ve been working for.”
Survival Counts
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
For Cowboys fans, there was much to love and hate about Wednesday night’s win at Stanford.
On the bright side, of course, was a win. As they say, a win is a win is a win. Especially on the road.
And James Anderson played like the star he is. And Obi Muonelo reminded us of his ability to recognize — and deliver — when he’s needed most, firing for 18 second-half points.
And you had to like the way that with the game in danger of slipping away, freshman point guard Ray Penn — held scoreless to that point — looked as cool and refreshing as meringue on lemon pie.
Now to the dark side.
The Pokes nearly choked away a 15-point lead against a team with one real scoring threat.
Marshall Moses, one outing after scoring a career-high 28 points, got zip against Stanford, falling into foul trouble and playing just 14 minutes. The Cowboys need Moses every night, with little trusted help inside except for Matt Pilgrim, who has his own fouling issues.
Except for Anderson and Muonelo, OSU’s perimeter shooting was atrocious: 2-of-14 from 3-point range by everyone else combined.
An ugly win? The final five minutes, yeah.
But the first 35 were actually pretty appealing.
And remember, blemishes and all, a win is a win is a win.
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.”
