Gulley: Day to Day
Cowboys point guard is dealing with shoulder woes -- again.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Cowboys point guard Fred Gulley, the starter through the first seven games, is considered day-to-day with a right shoulder injury.
And OSU coach Travis Ford didn’t sound too optimistic that Gulley would be ready to go Wednesday, when the Cowboys play Tulsa at the BOK Center.
“We’ll see,” Ford said. “It’s not looking real good.”
Gulley underwent surgery on his left shoulder in the offseason. Ford said he wasn’t sure of any cause of this injury, but acknowledged that Gulley was in for tests on the shoulder Monday morning and was scheduled to meet with team orthopedic surgery Dr. Mark Pascale later in the day.
Gulley missed OSU’s double-overtime win over La Salle on Saturday due to the injury, but was able to participate in individual workouts Monday morning.
“It’s not something that he pulled or anything like that,” Ford said. “I don’t think it’s anything he injured. I think it’s just something that has kind of been chronic. It has been going on a while.”
Ray Penn, essentially in a time share at the point with Gulley, scored a season-high 17 points and handed out a career-best six assists in the win over La Salle. Penn was they Cowboys starter last season, before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
Cowboys point guard is dealing with shoulder woes -- again.
OSU Hoops: Be Patient
Travis Ford enjoys teaching. That's good, because there's much to be done.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
OSU’s Monday exhibition opener offered equal doses of panic and pleasure, yet begs mostly for a long leash of patience.
This could take a while, Cowboys fans.
As the Cowboys venture into the early stages of this college basketball season, with Travis Ford sorting through his roster for the right mix, there will be highs and lows. We saw it against OCU, with a first half filled with struggle, followed by a second half of budding promise.
When Matt Pilgrim joins in Wednesday upon his return from suspension, things could only get more complicated.
That’s what happens when you lose your best players (James Anderson and Obi Muonelo), then introduce five viable new players into a deep returning core. The new guys are just trying to figure out Ford’s demanding system. The old guys are trying to meld with the new guys. And the coaches are trying to figure out exactly what they’ve got.
Immediate (and probably premature) impressions:
The Cowboys may struggle to score. A year ago, when all else failed, OSU could always turn to Anderson and Muonelo to freelance and find baskets. With Anderson, the Cowboys often had the best player on the floor. It’s early, and heads are spinning, but no one in the current crew has the look — yet — of being a guy who can create offense on his own. There are plenty of talented pieces. But the Cowboys may have to grind their way offensively, at least until someone (Markel Brown? Mike Cobbins? Ray Penn?) evolves into a go-to scorer.
Get ready for Darrell Williams.It’s Da-Rell, for pronunciation purposes. Might as well get used to it, you’ll hear and repeat his name often. After a slow start against OCU attributed to hesitancy, Williams got going and finished with 15 points, 15 boards and five assists. He’s a big man with skills who can run the floor, dribble, pass and finish. If Ford can convince him to play like the man he is, Williams will command extra attention in the paint, which could open things up offensively on the perimeter, where Keiton Page can do his thing.
The youngsters need time.For all the hyperventilating that occurs over freshmen recruits — among the fans and the media — reality usually slaps us upside the head. So it is with the Cowboys’ freshmen trio, Brown, Cobbins and Brian Williams. All three are taking baby steps in adapting to Ford and the college game. They should be good in time, maybe great in an instance or two. It’s not happening immediately. The goal should be for two of them, Brown and Cobbins, to become major contributors at some point this season. Travis Ford enjoys teaching, which he’ll be doing plenty of.
Frontcourt depth has improved.We’ve talked about Williams. Pilgrim is on his way back. Marshall Moses remains in the mix. And Jarred Shaw appears ready to give the Cowboys something off the bench. Cobbins, while a bit thin, has the best long-term skills of the bunch. That’s a significant upgrade in the post, not just over last year, but in a long time at OSU.
Defense will be key. The Cowboys forced 27 turnovers from OCU. Now, the Stars were an NAIA team that was overmatched. Still, the Pokes showed their athleticism and quickness and depth, which is going to allow Ford to turn up the pressure on teams. If a grinding offensive style becomes necessary, stout defense will be key to providing easy baskets and winning ugly.
OSU Hoops: Where’s the respect?
Matt Pilgrim could be a beast in the Big 12.
By John Helsley
follow me on twitter @jjhelsley
So the Big 12 basketball coaches have spoken, albeit silently, by vote.
And while I completely concur they know exponentially more about the game than I ever will, I’m calling them out for their preseason poll.
Since this is an OSU blog, let’s start with the Cowboys, who were picked for eighth place. Too low.
I understand the focus on the loss of James Anderson and Obi Muonelo, the team’s leading scorers and unquestioned leaders. Anderson was the conference Player of the Year and Muonelo was the league’s biggest matchup nightmare.
Those guys will be missed.
But there’s plenty in place, with the Cowboys, to expect more than eighth place.
Soon, you’ll be hearing about Keiton Page’s summer of shape, how he’s transformed his body and upgraded his quickness and stamina and should be ready to lead this team in transition.
You already know about Matt Pilgrim, who was a beast down the stretch in the Big 12 and should only be better as a more confident and secure player. Marshall Moses returns, too, and provided a glimpse of hope to an otherwise disappointing season with a nice outing in the NCAA Tournament loss to Georgia Tech.
You know, too, about Ray Penn and Nick Sidorakis and Fred Gulley. Penn, by the way, is healthy.
What you don’t know, and the league’s coaches apparently don’t know either, is that the new faces have bolstered the team’s overall talent and depth.
Markel Brown, the Player of the Year in Louisiana, should be an impact player as a freshman. Darrell Williams gives the Pokes another big body for the paint, a luxury they just didn’t have a year ago. Cowboys coaches would ideally like to redshirt freshman Michael Cobbins and add bulk to his thin frame, but his skills may force them to reconsider. And don’t forget JP Olukemi, who arrived in January and drew raves in practices, and is now ready to bring his slashing style to the floor.
There’s talk, too, that center Jarred Shaw has improved dramatically. And Roger Franklin and Reger Dowell are still around. Only freshman Brian Williams, rehabbing from offseason surgery, is out the picture for this season.
Yes, there’s no obvious scoring threat, like Big Game James and Obi provided a year ago, although Brown averaged nearly 30 points as a prep senior.
But the strength of this team will be its versatility. This is Travis Ford’s kind of team, one that’s athletic and deep and can play fast on both ends of the floor.
Will they win the Big 12? Likely not.
But will they finish eighth? I say no; no way.
K-State is a solid pick for No. 1. But Kansas gets two first-place votes on reputation alone and finishes second in the voting. Baylor will challenge for the championship and should have been No. 2, not No. 4.
And A&M and Tech ahead of OSU, please.
OSU Hoops: Next Year’s Starting Five
Ray Penn could impact the offense in 2010-11.
By John Helsley
James Anderson… gone.
Obi Muonelo… gone.
Along with invaluable leadership and toughness and clutchness, the Cowboys are also losing their top two scorers, a duo responsible for 1,174 points this season, or 48 percent of the team’s scoring.
Read that again — almost half of the team’s scoring.
Where will all that lost production be made up in 2010-11? From everywhere, would be the best guess.
Matt Pilgrim should step up his offensive role and responsibility. Ray Penn’s return provides a jolt of scoring upgrade to the point. Marshall Moses is a proven, if sometimes erratic, scorer. And Keiton Page is the leading returning scorer, after averaging 10.7 points this season.
Sound good? Maybe not so much.
Well, don’t be alarmed. There are other answers, as well as some intriguing questions, like: How will Page’s role be defined?
In addition to the guys listed above, the Cowboys are counting on a boost from several newcomers, most notably freshman shooting guard Markel Brown and Juco transfer JP Olukemi. Brown averaged 32 points a game as the star on a 41-0 state title team in Louisiana.
Brian Williams, another talented guard, and forward Michael Cobbins are worth watching as well.
And OSU holdovers like Fred Gulley, Nick Sidorakis, Roger Franklin, Jarred Shaw, Torin Walker and Reger Dowell offer optimism of improved play.
Some will stride forward, while others will step back.
The coming months — and how hard guys work in the offseason — will determine the risers and fallers.
And these months will go a long way to answering the Page question.
With the return of Penn and the additions of Brown and Williams, the guard spots are drawing a crowd.
The Cowboys need Brown to be as good as advertised; good enough to start. And Olukemi, already on campus, has shown enough to project as a starter.
OSU coach Travis Ford has hinted that Page needs to make himself more versatile. And more valuable. Handling a share of the point guard responsibilities this season, when Penn was hurt, was a start. But right now, Page looks like a super sub at both guard spots, able to run the offense or fire daggers at enemy zones.
One guy’s early starting five:
PG Ray Penn
SG Markel Brown
SF JP Olukemi
F Matt Pilgrim
F Marshall Moses
The Post-Penn Plan
Keiton Page may be transitioning to the point.
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
Ray Penn’s worst fear went official last week, with his season ruled over due to the ongoing issue with his right knee, where a “stress reaction” isn’t getting better and threatens to get worse.
The loss of Penn may not rank as OSU’s worst fear, yet it dramatically changes the team’s dynamic and shrinks an already small margin for error.
The Cowboys’ plan at point guard going forward: More Fred Gulley and Keiton Page, with an apparent emphasis on the latter.
Ideal? No. Penn’s quickness and ability to penetrate will be missed.
Survivable? Absolutely. The Cowboys won at Kansas State and are 3-2 overall with Penn on the sideline.
When Page missed five of six games recently, Page handled the majority of the duty at the point. Expect that to continue, with Gulley still prone to too many freshman mistakes.
A push toward more Page seemed to be the tone when Cowboys coach Travis Ford was asked if Penn’s injury presented an opportunity for Gulley.
“Absolutely,” Ford said, before continuing on. “It’s an opportunity for Keiton. Keiton Page hasn’t played much point. He should have wanted to have played some point this year. Being his size and everything, I wish he would have worked all summer long (and said), ‘Coach I want to be the point guard.’
“He might have wanted that. We never really gave him a shot. So now it is his chance, if that’s something he wanted. He’s never really said it, but it should be. It should be something that he should want to be able to do.”
Reading between the lines, it may present Page’s best opportunity going forward, as in next year and beyond, when he could be a top backup option at the point and shooting guard spots. The prize of the Cowboys’ recruiting class is 6-3 guard Markel Brown out of Louisiana, who figures to jump into the shooting guard spot previously manned by Page.
Currently redshirting JP Olukemi should get a serious look at the 3 position, as Ford looks to get bigger.
So the more versatile Page can be, the better.
In that regard, it’s an important stretch for Gulley, too, since Page could be infringing on his future playing time at the point.
Ford said he’s not looking for any specific stat numbers from Gulley.
“No, we haven’t talked about that,” Ford said. “I don’t want to put that pressure on him. I did that with Byron (Eaton) last year, midway through the season. I do it with certain guys with different stats. But, with him, more positives than negatives. And understand your job on defense. First and foremost, understand your job and don’t turn it over.”
No pressure? The pressure is on.
The Stats Don’t Lie
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
So… what’s wrong with the Cowboys, who have now lost three straight for the first time under Travis Ford, again placing their NCAA Tournament resume in peril?
It’s simple: check the stats.
When the season started, OSU looked like a team of shooters, with James Anderson, Obi Muonelo and Keiton Page all carrying reputations for putting the ball in the basket.
Only Anderson has lived up to the billing.
Among the Big 12′s top 20 scorers, you’ll find only one Cowboy — Big Game James. Of course, Anderson is also the league’s leading scorer. Still, OSU lacks a reliable No. 2 scorer.
The streaky Muonelo second on the team at 12.5 points per game, yet that reliability issue came into play Saturday at Texas Tech, when with Anderson struggling, Muonelo went 3-of-12 from the floor and finished with eight points.
The stat reality, the Cowboys aren’t the hot shots they were believed to be.
In the Big 12, OSU ranks 11th in field goal percentage at 44.4 percent. Anderson makes 46 percent of his shots, with Muonelo at 44 percent and Page 37.3.
More stat reality: part of the shooting problem is tied to shot selection. The Cowboys are last in the Big 12 in assists, meaning they’re either forcing up shots or not working hard enough for easier shots.
Travis Ford said earlier this week that OSU missed Byron Eaton’s leadership. And that is true.
But they miss his playmaking, too.
So what’s wrong with the Cowboys? They miss Byron Eaton, which we always knew they would.
Maybe, though, they’ve been missing Ray Penn, too. The healthy Ray Penn.
Penn was seemingly just turning the corner in his freshman season when he suffered a “stress reaction” in his knee.
In the two contests prior to sitting out four straight games, he produced his two best assist totals of the season, with seven at Baylor and six at home against Colorado.
Penn is back. And while he showed some rust in the loss at Texas Tech, there’s hope that he can re-ignite the Cowboys offense and help fix what’s wrong.
Penn’s “Friends”
Penn Clears Up Post
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
We’ve enjoyed Ray Penn’s personality for some time now.
If there’s such a thing as a must-quote freshman, he’s it.
Penn, after all, brought us the lines “There’s no punk in me,” and, “I’m a ballplayer. When I’m out there on that court, I’m not a freshman, I’m a player just like anybody else. I’m here on a scholarship, just like anybody else. I’m trying to get to where everybody else is trying to get.”
And yet, to say Penn is “out there” apparently isn’t enough.
The Cowboys point guard provided breaking news on himself late Friday night, proclaiming — on Facebook — that he would play Saturday at Texas Tech, after missing four games with a stress reaction in his knee. And he did.
Penn was back at the keyboard following the game, except with a worrisome less-clear post that left OSU fans wondering what was up: “my season is over.”
Had Penn re-aggravated the injury? Or worse?
Finally, Penn has cleared up his status, if not the reason for the cryptic quote, with yet another Facebook filing on Monday.
“Hello world. I have to clear this up. My status of ‘my season is over’ was just out of frustration. Take no regards to that and I would appreciate it if ya’ll would stop hyping up something that is nothing.”
Now, we’re not apt to tone down young Mr. Penn. Not in our quote-starved universe.
But Ray better understand that he’s behind the type — and the hype.
Even when he’s just talking to his “friends.”
