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.
OSU Hoops: What Now?
Reger Dowell is making a case for more playing time going forward.
By John Helsley
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The Cowboys have lost four straight and by all accounts dropped from NCAA Tournament consideration, confirming the disappointment that has surrounded the program for much of the past two months.
So, what now for OSU, with three regular season games and the Big 12 Tournament remaining?
Five things to watch as the Cowboys finish their stretch run:
1. Recruiting. Travis Ford and his staff are hardly satisfied with how this season has played out. They never expected to contend for a Big 12 title, but they did count on making a strong play for inclusion on the NCAA dance card. Instead, the team has frustrated Ford from the get-go with its inconsistencies and lack of basketball IQ. Ford isn’t sitting still. Incoming super-recruit LeBryan Nash will infuse the team with an elite talent and Ford is looking for more, especially after cutting ties with former commitment Karron Johnson. The Cowboys are looking for a point guard, a shooting guard and help in the post. A new name to the point guard mix: Jeremy Jones, a Juco prospect at Seward Junior College. Academic issues hurt Jones out of high school, but he’s fast becoming a hot target. Along with the Cowboys, Jones is drawing interest from OU, Kansas State, Arizona State, Indiana, North Carolina, Arkansas and others.
2. Personnel Push. We’ve already seen Reger Dowell make a play for a more prominent role with two strong games back-to-back. Now’s the time for that, with Ford watching to see who’s serious about helping the team going forward. He’ll likely get Jarred Shaw and Roger Franklin more playing time, as both will be needed next year.
3. Alternate Postseason. The Cowboys would appear headed for the NIT, or one of the lesser postseason tournaments (CBI/CIT). With a couple of wins, OSU could secure its place in the NIT and make a case for hosting a first-round game.
4. Style Points. With Dowell gaining more and more exposure at the point, it’ll be interesting to see if the Cowboys pick up the pace in these final games. They’ve already made more of an attempt to attack the rim, and that’s one of Dowell’s major strengths. It’s also a style that figures to fit next year’s team, so why not start revving it up now?
5. Body Language. When there’s an emergence of new faces, somebody gets kicked to the curb. Ray Penn has already seen his playing time decrease and the Dowell experiment cuts into his PT further. In the second half at Kansas, Jéan-Paul Olukemi was left on the bench. How will those guys respond? The answers could be revealing on next season.
OSU at Nebraska: 5 Keys
Cowboys coach Travis Ford is looking to steal a Big 12 road win.
By John Helsley
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OK, so the magic number for NCAA Tournament inclusion may have dropped to 8 in the Big 12, if the league gets the six bids it is projected to receive.
That’s good news for Oklahoma State, which is 4-5 and faces road trips to Texas and Kansas, as well as Nebraska (Today) and Oklahoma.
The bad news: the Cowboys haven’t won a league road game since February of last season. And any math adding up to 8 Big 12 wins requires a breakthrough in an enemy gym somewhere.
Could today be the day?
Five keys for the Cowboys at Nebraska:
1. Shoot Straight. Sounds simple, right? But it’s more complicated than that, as the Huskers will pack the lane, taking away OSU’s offensive strength, which is using Jéan-Paul Olukemi on drives and getting trash baskets from Marshall Moses and Matt Pilgrim. Keiton Page, Olukemi and Ray Penn will get some open looks. For a team that has been wildly inconsistent from the perimeter, the Cowboys will have to knock down some 3s.
2. Fill The Void. Just as Darrell Williams was coming off his best two games at OSU, and seeming to figure things out, the skilled forward was suspended amid sexual assault charges. Williams wasn’t a regular impact player, so it’s not like the Cowboys are without their go-to guy. But he was a starter at a position where OSU has lacked any consistency. That spins the focus to a familiar figure: Matt Pilgrim. A bit of an enigma, Pilgrim has played better of late and is capable of lessening the loss of Williams. Roger Franklin and Jarred Shaw factor in as well. And watch for Ford to utilize more of a four-guard look, too, with Olukemi filling an Obi Muonelo-type role.
3. Be Patient. The Huskers aren’t at all sexy, with a pedestrian offense. But they will get after teams on the defensive end, which is why they lead the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing just 59.1 points a game. For the Cowboys, the key will be showing patience with their offense, working the ball and working off screens and not firing up ill-advised shots.
4. Road Worriers. The Cowboys haven’t won on the road in the Big 12. The Huskers are 14-1 at home, with only a loss to Kansas appearing as a blip. So this looks like a tall task for the Cowboys seeking a breakthrough. Still, it’s not like the Huskers are world beaters inside the Devaney Center. Nebraska does own a nice home win over Texas A&M, but otherwise they’ve beaten Iowa State and Colorado and a bunch of nonconference lightweights.
5. Tit For Tat. The Huskers can defend, but so can the Cowboys. And Nebraska struggles to score, ranking 11th in the league in scoring. The Huskers don’t have anyone among the league’s top 20 scorers. That should assure that OSU is in this game to the end. Now, they have to find a way to win it.
Is OSU’s Future PG on Campus?
Is Keiton Page the long-term answer at point guard?
By John Helsley
@jjhelsley
OSU’s point guard of the future is…
Keiton Page? Ray Penn? Fred Gulley?
Someone else? The Cowboys appear set with two new recruits and two outgoing seniors, but they’re back on the trail in search of a point guard, with California high schooler Cezar Guerrero at the front of their search.
Page is the acting point guard today, but is better suited for the off guard spot, where he can carry less responsibility and draw less attention and more freely work for shots — his specialty.
Penn has been the point guard in the past, the recent past even, but currently finds himself trying to escape Travis Ford’s doghouse. Penn played but one minute in OSU’s loss at Texas Tech on Saturday.
Gully, of course, is sitting out this season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery — his second at OSU. Gully played the point during the Cowboys’ run to the 2010 NCAA Tournament. He’s unspectacular, but solid, and we may not have yet seen the best of him, considering the issues that have affected each shoulder.
But there’s a chance — and the level of chance is determined by who’s available — that OSU’s future point guard is not yet on campus.
Karron Johnson, a Juco forward who signed with the Cowboys in November, is on shaky ground, both on the court and off. He’s been kicked off the team at Midland College (his fifth school in five years) and reportedly needs to pass 28 hours to become eligible at OSU next fall.
There’s major doubt that Johnson will make it to Stillwater. Either way, the Cowboys are looking for a point guard.
Guerrero is the highest-rated point man still unsigned, yet comes in at No. 25 on the Scout rankings. The Cowboys are late to the party and must make up ground on a number of schools, including Bedlam rival Oklahoma.
But they have a strong selling point, with instant access to a position that could be the missing piece to a strong team.
Assume, too, that the Cowboys will be looking far and wide for other possibilities, including the junior college ranks.
OSU-Tech: Five Keys
The Cowboys need to get Ray Penn going.
By John Helsley
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Just a few days ago, Jéan-Paul Olukemi dubbed OSU’s game with Texas as must-win.
The Cowboys lost, decisively and disappointingly.
Now it’s on to Texas Tech, where the Red Raiders are suddenly showing signs of life after an 0-4 start to conference play. They’ve won back-to-back games, including on the road at Iowa State Wednesday night.
Still, the Raiders are just 10-11 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12.
The Cowboys are just 2-4, too, in league play. And they’re 0-3 in enemy Big 12 venues.
If OSU is an NCAA Tournament contender, it must start winning games – and soon, as in Saturday.
So what does that make this matchup in Lubbock, must-must-win?
Five keys vs. Texas Tech:
1. What’s New? Cowboys coach Travis Ford promised offensive changes after Wednesday night’s shutdown by Texas. He didn’t get specific, suggesting they could either be lineup or style oriented. But Ford has few personnel options, meaning the tweaks are more likely tied to pace of play. And this team could actually thrive on the run, with slasher types at several spots. Stay tuned.
2. Maintain Focus. OSU has been hampered by ragged play just before – and after – halftime. In four of their last five games, the Cowboys have been outscored 57-8 during the minutes crossing over the two halves. Three of those games have been losses. The Pokes must maintain focus and carry it out of the locker room as well, with little wiggle room to allow teams to make a run.
3. Play Hard. In each of OSU’s road losses, Ford has found himself questioning his team’s effort. The Cowboys must be a max-effort squad to succeed. The work ethic was strong against the Longhorns, if the shooting wasn’t. As Ford said afterward – it’s a start. But only a start. They’ve also got to play better.
4. Take it to Tech. The Raiders have regrouped with the two wins. Still, they came against Nebraska and Iowa State, hardly league powerhouses. And they’ve lost four times at home, where the crowds have been sparse. The atmosphere won’t be a factor. And while Tech has a veteran team – much more was expected of them in the preseason – if the Cowboys can strike hard early, the Raiders may fade. Still, Mike Singletary and John Roberson are capable of filling up a stat sheet, so beware.
5. Free Ray Penn. Ford can get frustrated with Penn, who has a tendency to freelance and stray from the offense at times. Still, he’s this team’s best option at the point, not Keiton Page, who needs to be concentrating on firing daggers from the 3-point line. Penn’s confidence appears to be teetering on the edge, and extended bench time could push him over the edge. The Cowboys should get him involved and get his offensive game going, which would be a huge boost.
OSU-Texas: Five Keys (Plus Bonus Material)
The Cowboys need Marshall Moses foul-free and scoring against Texas.
By John Helsley
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Jéan-Paul Olukemi said it, so we’ll say it.
Tonight’s game against Texas is a must-win.
Not a must-win in terms of “season over” if the Cowboys lose.
Must-win to keep from chasing the .500 mark from well behind.
Must-win to keep team confidence from sinking into the abyss.
Must-win to add a marquee win to the resume, with only Missouri and A&M qualifying as the similar opportunities on the remaining home schedule.
That said, here they are:
Five keys vs. Texas:
1. Manage Emotions. It’s a tissue and hanky kind of night planned for Gallagher-Iba Arena, with emotional nods and tributes to the families of the 10 men lost in the 2001 plane crash. There has been a significant, and proper, buildup to this 10th anniversary. For the Cowboys, there’s also a game to be played.
“We of course want to win for us,” said senior captain Marshall Moses, “but if anything, winning the game for them on a night where their ceremony will be bigger than any win we could ever have, because we’ve got life to live after the game. Win, lose or draw, God has blessed us with life. God willing, we’re all going to walk out of this building.
“Those guys didn’t get that chance. So winning for them would actually be bigger than winning for us.”
2. Hold Down The Fort. Winning at home, especially for a team that struggles mightily on the road, seems mandatory for these Cowboys, even with No. 7 Texas in town. The Longhorns are big and tough and talented, maybe the Big 12’s best team. Still, a loss would be difficult to swallow for an OSU team already 2-3 in conference play. Last year, the Cowboys found a way in a similar spot against No. 1 Kansas. Can they do it again?
3. Don’t Foul! The Cowboys have been fouling at an alarming rate. “There’s no question it’s holding us back, a lot,” said OSU coach Travis Ford. There’s a danger of this team getting tagged as frequent foulers by officials, removing any benefit of the doubt on calls. Texas will play aggressive and physical, so the Cowboys can’t back down. But they better play smart.
4. Harness Hamilton. UT’s Jordan Hamilton enjoyed his breakout game inside GIA a year ago, going off for 27 points in a Longhorns win. Now a sophomore, he’s a star, leading the Horns with a 19.5 scoring average to go with 7.2 rebounds a game. Texas has other capable scorers, but Hamilton can take over a game. He must be slowed, with Olukemi the likely best option to defend him.
5. Paging Penn. Bottom line, the Cowboys need Ray Penn to play the point, freeing Keiton Page to concentrate on shooting and relieving him of the stress of bringing the ball up court. But Penn continues to frustrate Ford with his freelancing ways.
Bonus Material
Leftover quotes from the weekly notebook:
Marshall Moses on entering a stretch of games to build a resume:
“Right now, we’ve just got to get a win. Losing is not something we’re used to and not something we like. We’ve just got to figure out how to compete on the road, and now at home, when you play against top five or top 10 teams.”
Travis Ford on Texas:
“They’re good in everything they do. It’s a team that starts four McDonald’s All-Americans and has another on the bench. They’ve got a lot of weapons.
They’re one of the top two or three teams I’ve seen play all year long. Seems like they have great team chemistry. And they look like a hungry basketball, a team that’s very driven right now.”
Ford on a fluid lineup:
“Always. Could be due to matchups. Could be due to guys not performing. Could be due to a lot of different things at this point. There’s no givens at this point.
“Hopefully, it can help wake a few guys up.”
UT coach Rick Barnes, the only coach still in place from 2001, the year of the plane crash, on the emotions of the night:
“Personally, you think back to that time and it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years ago. It was a very emotional time. I remember going to the memorial service, along with most everyone else from our league.
“You don’t want to ever forget what happened. It’s an emotional time and it should be an emotional time, because families there lost loved ones and there will always be a void there. I really, one, respect that and certainly honor that.
“Our team will be aware of that, because some of them probably don’t know exactly what it’s about. But we have talked about it and we will continue to talk about it because I want them to understand what happened and why this is the 10 year anniversary, and why every year is important and every day is important.”
Five Keys: OSU at Baylor
Jean-Paul Olukemi is becoming an offensive force for the Cowboys.
By John Helsley
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Back to even in the Big 12 at 2-2, thanks to their last-minute miracle and overtime win over Iowa State, the Cowboys again face the task of winning a road game.
It hasn’t been easy, with OSU now 1-3 in true road games. The Pokes could have, maybe should have stolen a win at Colorado last week, leading by 12 in the second half.
But then, the same could be said for the Cyclones, who led by 10 in the second half – and six in the final minute – inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
So the Cowboys are back to even, about where we might have picked them when conference play began.
And now comes a winnable game in Waco.
Once a Top 25 team, the Bears are 12-5 overall and also 2-2 in the Big 12, not quite living up to their preseason hype.
Five keys at Baylor:
1. Bring out the Bears. Baylor can be long inside, with 6-11 Perry Jones, 6-10 Anthony Jones and 6-7 Quincy Acy manning the middle. That trio will pack the lane and make it tough on opposing post players. So it’s up to Keiton Page, Ray Penn and Jéan-Paul Olukemi to pump in some shots from the perimeter and loosen things up for Marshall Moses and Co.
2. Press the Point. The Bears returned three big-time starters in LaceDarius Dunn, Jones and Acy and added one of the nation’s most coveted recruits in Jones. Ekpe Udoh was a major loss, but an underrated subtraction was point guard Tweety Carter, who pushed the ball and started the offense. Baylor is trying to make do at the point and it often shows.
3. Free JP. Olukemi is getting more and more comfortable in his expanded role, slashing and scoring, making mismatches inside with his athleticism and explosive jumping ability. He’s one Cowboy who can create and he’s starting to do just that on a regular basis. He’ll be matched against similar athletes today, so this could be fun.
4. Dunn Deal. Dunn is a premier scorer, averaging 21.6 points a game to lead the Big 12 and rank 10th nationally. He can take over a game and ignite the Ferrell Center crowd. There’s no natural matchup for the Cowboys, with Olukemi probably best suited to defend him, or maybe Markel Brown. No matter who gets the call, the Cowboys can’t afford to let him go off.
5. Who’s In? Against Iowa State, starters Penn and Matt Pilgrim played themselves off the floor with careless play and ill-advised shots. And as the Cowboys rallied down the stretch and pulled away in overtime, Penn and Pilgrim were nowhere to be found, while Brown and Roger Franklin provided positives. Are we witnessing a changing of the guard, or were Penn and Pilgrim just on the receiving end of a serious message?
OSU at Colorado: 5 Keys
It's time for Matt Pilgrim to fully exert his presence.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
A week ago I wrote about the Cowboys “winning ugly.”
Wednesday night at Texas A&M, we saw them lose ugly – hideously in fact.
And after what seemed like a breakthrough win over Kansas State at home last Saturday, the Cowboys find themselves on the back end of a two-game road trip suddenly needing a rebound.
It won’t be easy.
Colorado is one of the surprise teams in the Big 12, owning wins over two Top 25 teams (Missouri and K-State) in the past week.
In Alec Burks and Cory Higgins, the Buffs have two projected NBA players, and the roster overall is in better shape than recent years.
Five Keys for the Cowboys vs. A&M
1. Work the offense. At A&M, when things started to slip away, the Cowboys too often opted for quick and unwise shots, rather than working the ball to Marshall Moses and Co. inside. Moses was limited to just seven shots, although he hurt himself, too, with five turnovers when defenders stripped the ball when he went to his dribble-down move on the blocks. This is not a premier 3-point shooting team. And it shouldn’t act like one. Ray Penn can’t miss 10 shots.
2. Slow Alec Burks. Former Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik didn’t win a lot at CU, but he apparently recruited well. Burks is big-time, considered a Top 10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft by some. Burks is averaging 24 points per game in two Big 12 outings. The Cowboys won’t be able to shut him down, but they better slow him down.
3. Get help. OSU relies on bench help, with Jéan-Paul Olukemi, Markel Brown and Darrell Williams key figures in any successful projection. None of the three were a factor at A&M. Olukemi in particular, after his 22-point outburst against K-State, threw out a no-show, providing but a single point before fouling out. These guys aren’t complementary players, they’re major players.
4. Road test. The Cowboys have played just three true road games, scuffling in all three, including two bad losses at Gonzaga and A&M. To get back to the NCAA Tournament, a road win or two in the Big 12 would be advisable. Don’t know if it comes here, but at least a stronger showing would be good.
5. Prod Pilgrim. Matt Pilgrim slowed his progress into this season, drawing a suspension from coach Travis Ford in the preseason and falling out of shape. But he’s been back for nearly two months now and it’s time he starts to resemble the guy who showed so much promise late last season. Pilgrim can be a force when he extends himself and plays hard all the time. It’s time.
OSU at A&M: Five Keys
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
The Cowboys scored a major early win over Kansas State on Saturday.
In retrospect, it may have been a must win, considering the road tests that await them the next four days.
OSU visits Texas A&M tonight and is at Colorado on Saturday. The two teams are a combined 26-5 overall, 2-0 in the Big 12 and 19-0 at home.
Both games are winnable and each game presents a different set of challenges.
And at the same time, winning just one should be considered a bonus.
The Pokes proved something Saturday, beating a quality team and exhibiting toughness in doing so.
But the Big 12 road is something completely different; something Jéan-Paul Olukemi and Markel Brown and Darrell Williams have yet to experience.
Five Keys for the Cowboys vs. A&M
1. Survive the Surroundings. Again, we can’t stress enough how difficult it is to win on the road in the Big 12. Any breakthrough is like stealing. It’s money in the bank in the quest to get to nine conference wins and make the case for NCAA Tournament inclusion. As the competition rises, OSU will need more and more from guys like Olukemi, Brown and Williams. They can’t get caught up with the crowds and the noise and crazies.
2. Lean on Moses. At times, the Cowboys get away from feeding Marshall Moses in the post. That’s a no-no, especially on the road, where he provides experience and leadership. He has a knack for getting big men in foul trouble, which can be an equalizer in enemy gyms. Moses, because he’s left-handed and a bit unorthodox, creates matchup difficulties for defenders. The Cowboys must lean on that.
3. Good Guards. OSU survived shaky shooting from guards Keiton Page and Ray Penn against Kansas State. They’ll need one or both to fire some daggers against A&M, so that Moses and Olukemi and Matt Pilgrim can find room to score and rebound inside.
4. Manage Middleton. A&M’s Khris Middleton is among the most improved players in the league. While the Aggies’ scoring is balanced, Middleton is a guy who can go off – as he did with 31 against Arkansas – and he’s a guy who gets everyone else going. He’s led the Aggies in scoring a team-high eight times and has a team-best 13 games with 10 or more points.
5. Penn’s Place. For Ray Penn, it’s his first time to play at A&M, which is as close to his Houston home as it gets in the Big 12. A knee injury prevented his College Station debut a year ago. Penn is expecting several family members to make the trip over, which is always nice. But he must maintain focus on the job at hand.
Bonus Coverage!
We don’t always get this, but we’ve secured some comments from Aggies coach Mark Turgeon on tonight’s game. Turgeon’s take:
On the next stretch of games being a big judge of where the team is…
“I want to see truly where we are. I think Oklahoma State’s phenomenal. They had a game that they lost, Virginia Tech, that they probably should have won. They were ahead seven with about four to go, and had a tough break. Something happened, or they’d be like 15-1 or whatever and they’d be ranked too. I think they’re really good. Then you play a Missouri team that’s ranked, then a Texas team that’s ranked, then a Kansas state team that’s ranked. So it’ll be good for me to see where we really are. I know we’ve beat some good teams, but consistently for four straight games to do that…we’ll see how tough we are and what we’re all about.”
On what makes Marshall Moses such an effective player…
“He’s just so strong. He’s got a great base and just overpowers you. He can turn and face. He’s got a quick first step. He can get you deep and he can score, and get second chance points, (he’s) just real physical. He’s really good at posting up. They do a really good job of getting him the ball and they usually have some good shooters around him, so they can space pretty well too. He’s good. I remember we played him there his sophomore year and we’d never really heard of Marshall Moses. And he just lit us up at their place that game and ever since then he’s really never looked back. He’s having a phenomenal senior year. That’s why they’re doing so well.”
On OSU losing players like James Anderson and Obi Muonelo off last year’s team and still playing so well…
“They’re bigger and stronger. They’re a whole different team. I think they defend really well. Keiton Page is playing really, really well and having a great year. He’s gotten better. Jean-Paul (Olukemi) sat out last year and practiced, and he’s really giving them good minutes. They’ve got some good depth, good players, good guards and are well-coached. They have a plan and a purpose every game and they execute it, and that’s why they are where they are. It will be a real physical game Wednesday night, which we need to prove we can play in.”
On Oklahoma State’s offensive strategy this year…
“Get the ball to Moses or get the ball to Keiton Page. That’s what they’re trying to do. They only shot 10 threes the other day against K-State, and only made two, but they shot 40-something free throws. So it was a combination of a physical game and it being called closely, but also (them) getting to the foul line. So they’re doing a good job of that. It’s good coaching when you can play one way one year and win, then play different the following year and still win. That’s the sign of a good coach. Travis (Ford) has done a good job with this team and they create some problems. Defensively they’re real solid and always have a game plan. They’re playing different, I think they’re averaging 69 a game or something, where last year this time I’m sure they were in the 80s. So they’re playing differently. They’re rebounding better. They look more like us probably.”
OSU Hoops: Bracing for the Big 12
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
The Cowboys put the wraps on a successful nonconference schedule Monday night, blowing away from Texas-San Antonio late for a 79-63 win. OSU moved to 12-2 with a perfect 7-0 mark at home.
Still, what did we learn about the Pokes from their first month and a half? The Cowboys barrel into Big 12 play with more questions than answers.
OSU's Keiton Page goes airborne to pass over TU's D.J. Magley and Jordan Clarkson in the 2nd half of their game at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK Dec. 8, 2010. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
And a new question, posed by the play of UTSA Monday night, could be critical: Can teams effectively shut down Keiton Page?
The Cowboys’ long-distance dialer has now been held to two points in back-to-back games, after the Roadrunners slowed him with the same approach Gonzaga used in its win over OSU last Friday night. Both teams devoted a man to fronting Page, effectively limiting his touches, and thus, his offensive opportunities as a shooter.
A year ago, teams were so focused on James Anderson and Obi Muonelo that Page regularly found himself with room to work. Such threats are missing this season. Against UTSA, Page managed just three shots and scored his only basket on a back-door cut.
“I think a lot of people are probably going to do that to Keiton,” UTSA coach Brooks Thompson said after the game while copping to copying the Gonzaga strategy.
Why not? If Page can’t fire daggers at defenses from the outside, opponents can commit more help to OSU’s one other consistent offensive threat, Marshall Moses inside.
Now, Thompson said he fully expected Cowboys coach Travis Ford to combat such strategies against Page. And Ford has proven more than capable at making the right moves, although he didn’t sound overly concerned with Page’s lack of scoring Monday night.
“I’m not worried about that,” Ford said. “I’m glad we won with him only scoring two points. That’s exciting for our basketball team.
“Tonight, he didn’t really need to score. I thought he did a lot of other things to help us win, which may not have been the case in the past.”
OSU's Matt Pilgrim (31) looks to pass the ball away from Ben Martin (4) of Nicholls State in the first half during the men's college basketball game between Nicholls State University and Oklahoma State University at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2010. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
What Page — and the Cowboys — need most is some other players to emerge as consistent threats. And that may already be happening.
Matt Pilgrim is just now showing signs of returning to the force he was late last season, after a suspension and then a shoulder issue slowed his progress this season. Jean-Paul Olukemi is shwoing range as well as his explosive abilities as a slasher around the basket. And freshman Markel Brown is starting to figure things out, gaining confidence and minutes with each game.
Ray Penn is the other major factor. If Page is cornered, Penn must be more assertive as a scorer. And he’s capable. But against UTSA, he never got going to offer a glimpse of the impact he could provide, committing two quick fouls and finding himself limited to nine minutes before fouling out in a fluke outing.
The Cowboys are 12-2. And that’s solid.
And yet, it’s squishy, too, with no statement wins on which to peg optimism.
So questions remain. And it’s time for the answers.
