Oklahoma State receiver Michael Harrison looks for open field after making a catch during a college football game against Missouri at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

Tons of rumors have been swirling about the status of Oklahoma State wide receiver Michael Harrison the past three days or so.

It is my understanding that Harrison has not been dismissed from the team, as other reports have indicated. But I don’t expect to see him play in 2012.

A source told The Oklahoman Sunday night that the Cowboys were “not counting on (Harrison)” playing this season but did not say he had been dismissed.

Harrison’s absence would be a pretty significant blow to the OSU passing game, as he was expected to slide into a starting role on the outside and at least help make up for the loss of star wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Harrison tallied 20 catches for 255 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011.

Without Harrison, an already thin group returning at receiver for OSU is even thinner, as Josh Cooper, Hubert Anyiam and Colton Chelf were all seniors this past season.

Tracy Moore (45 catches, 672 yards, four touchdowns), Isaiah Anderson (28 catches, 315 yards, four touchdowns) and Josh Stewart (19 catches, 291 yards, two touchdowns) will be the top returning wide receivers in 2012.

OSU signed six wide receivers — C.J. Curry, Austin Hays, Jhajuan Seales, Brandon Sheperd, Jesse Vester and Blake Webb — in its 2012 recruiting class. The Cowboys also signed pass-catching junior college tight end Blake Jackson, and athlete Dominic Ramacher is expected to start his OSU career as a tight end-receiver.

Harrison was briefly ruled ineligible by the NCAA prior to the 2011 season but was reinstated the day before the Cowboys’ opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

At 6-foot-4, Markel Brown has learned to fly.

By John Helsley

jhelsley@opubco.com

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The Cowboys aren’t winning big, but they’re winning some, with Tuesday night’s 69-67 win over Iowa State pulling OSU even overall at 12-12 and 5-6 in the Big 12.

And lately, they’re winning – and even losing – with flair.

Markel Brown’s high-rising antics are making him a highlight-reel regular, with his dazzling dunks showing up on Play of the Day lists everywhere.

Against the Cyclones, there was a drive-the-lane elevation jam over ISU’s Royce White, who was rendered helpless by Brown’s sudden explosiveness. And there was an in-flight finish of a fastbreak alley-oop set up nicely by Brian Williams, who added a statement slam himself.

Don’t look now, but these Cowboys are becoming fun to watch.

Not only are the youngsters growing and going together, they’re entertaining, too.

With a nod to the L.A. Clippers’ cool “Lob City” take, the Cowboys have started referencing “Lob Stilly.”

Their coach, Travis Ford, isn’t in on the tag, but he says the dunks are big at home – his home.

“My children are very excited about it,” Ford said. “And they’re keeping track, that’s all they want to talk about.

“But it’s great. It’s fun to see. We know (Brown) has the capability, a lot of our guys do.”

Brown, who went national with two big dunks in OSU’s upset of Missouri, said he’s just trying to deliver some juice.

“I think it gets the team going,” he said. “It obviously gets the crowd pumped and I

think the team feeds off the crowd.”

Said Ford: “He can make some spectacular plays. And our guys are giving him good passes and stuff like that. And they came at crucial times. That’s what I’m more concerned about, make sure we finish the play.”

For Tuesday’s game, the king of OSU dunkdom, Desmond Mason, was seated courtside with his son. Twice Brown dunks prompted the former Cowboys star to rise out of his seat in appreciation.

In an impromptu interview with The Daily O’Collegian, the school’s newspaper, Mason shared some thoughts on Brown and the Cowboys.

“Markel is one of the most athletic guys in the Big 12,” Mason said, “probably one of the most athletic in the country.”

Mason told O’Colly writer Anthony Slater that he’s talked to Brown a few times, attending some Cowboys practices.

“He’s having a great season,” Mason said. “He’s still young and he’s still learning his game, so his talent will continue to open up even more. His athleticism speaks for itself.”

Freshman Le’Bryan Nash won a national high school dunk contest last year, but gladly takes a back seat to Brown and his theatrics.

“I call it ‘Lob Stilly.’ Every time you see me tweet, I am like #lobstilly, because he is going to get a dunk.

“That gets me excited. That gets me motivated to play defense more. It’s good to see guys like that jumping out the gym and it’s good to see highlights besides me. It’s great to see action like that. I love it.”

Le'Bryan Nash rose up against Iowa State much of the night.

By John Helsley

jhelsley@opubco.com

follow on Twitter @jjhelsley

Sometimes, things that don’t quite go right, still turn out all right.

That’s what happened for Oklahoma State in the final seconds Tuesday night, leading to the drama that produced a 69-67 win over Iowa State, complete with a final stand that found Le’Bryan Nash swatting away Chris Allen’s attempt at a buzzer-beater to tie.

Might not have happened, at least not that way, if the preceding offensive series had gone down like Cowboys coach Travis Ford wanted.

“They executed exactly what we wanted,” Ford said of his Cowboys. “I don’t know what type shot we wanted to get, but I wanted to make sure we got it with three or less seconds on the clock.”

OSU got a good shot, with Nash bouncing back to shoot over the smaller Allen, drilling a 15-foot jumper for the lead.

Except he did it with :04.7 left, not three seconds or less.

And that changed what the Cowboys did defensively.

Ford said that with less time, he would have put Nash on the ball, defending the inbounds pass, which likely would have been thrown at least to midcourt.

“With four seconds left, you’ve got plenty of time to throw it in and take 10 dribbles,” Ford said. “I didn’t think they were going to throw it long.”

And the Cyclones didn’t, instead getting the ball in quick to Allen, who dribbled the length of the floor.

Anticipating that, Ford positioned Nash off the ball. And when Brian Williams got screened, Nash picked up Allen, rolling with him stride for stride at the end, before sending Allen’s shot into the stands.

“I knew they were going to go to Allen,” Nash said. “I told B-Will, ‘You have got to guard him,’ because I knew they were going to go to him. My man set a pick, so I switched on him. He didn’t jump that high off the floor, so the ball… I got a good block.”

And a surprising block.

Nash entered the game with just 10 blocked shots on the season.

“I was excited,” said Cowboys sophomore Markel Brown. “LB blocking a game-winning shot? It’s unusual. Usually he doesn’t get up off the ground.”

Even Nash joked after the game about his supposed defensive deficiencies.

Not that he doesn’t have it in him.

“He’s come a long way,” Ford said. “If he continues with the mindset of, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get better,’ then he can get to the point where he’s a really good defender. Because he’s got a great feel for the game.

“When you have a good feel, you can read angles and do some things. And I think he did that with the timing of the blocked shot.”

Turned out all right.

Allen signed with Oregon early Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.

Allen, of Missouri City, Texas, committed to Oklahoma State on an official visit two weeks ago. But his official visit to Oregon last week with his best friend Bralon Addison, a four-star receiver and Texas A&M commit, apparently convinced both to switch. Multiple reports today indicate both have signed with Oregon. What prompted the switch: Chip Kelly’s assurances that he wasn’t jumping to the NFL didn’t hurt.

Still, Oklahoma State has plenty of pass-catching recruits coming in.

jhelsley@opubco.com

follow on Twitter @jjhelsley

Le’Bryan Nash admits an affinity for Twitter.

“I’m a Twitter freak,” said Nash, who can be found here: @LeBryan_Nash02.

“I like tweeting about stuff. People tweet me.”

And sometimes he’s misunderstood.

Early last week, Nash sent out a tweet that read, “Im not let this man hold me down from being great I got two much on the line.”

Immediately, some followers figured Nash was referencing Cowboys coach Travis Ford.

“I need to address that,” Nash said after his big game against Missouri, “I’m not talking about Coach Ford at all. When I’m talking about the man, it’s what everybody talks about, ‘The Man.’

“It’s not about Ford at all, he’s a great coach. I’m glad I came here. I’m absolutely 100 percent with him. He’s doing a great job coaching me right now.”

Usually, Nash’s tweets are upbeat. He frequently reaches out to Cowboys fans.

A sampling:

“Just keep believing n us.”

“People see me around campus dont be shock come up and say hi want some friends lol.”

“I dont get this class but the teacher is funny.”

Before the Missouri game, Nash urged Cowboys fans to produce a “white out.”

“All students attending the mizzou game tonight @ 6:30 we need your support please support the team by wearing white ( WHITE OUT)!!!!!!!!!!”

Trouble was, the team wore orange.

Nash’s correction didn’t come soon enough, with much of the student section showing up in white amid reports that the student union sold out of white shirts.

“ATTENTION all oklahoma state fans the white out has been changed to baylor home game everyone please wear orange tonight (ORANGE OUT)!!!!!!!”

All harmless, of course, right?

Most of the time.

“Right after the Baylor game, I knew I was going to get bad tweets,” said Nash, who scored six points in a 41-point loss. “I just can’t wait until that game comes back here, try to beat them.”

Meanwhile, Nash will keep taking things out on The Man.

“It’s probably life I’m talking about really,” he said. “I’m trying to have an uplifting life, keep God in my prayers.

“My mom motivates me all the time. I talk to my mom every night. And she tells me, ‘It’s going to get good if you keep God in your prayers.’”

Elston, a defensive back from Oxford, Ala., could visit either OSU or LSU this weekend. He played in the Under Armour All-American Bowl and is a three-star prospect, according to Rivals.

Rivals lists Mississippi as Elston’s current leader.

Coach Mike Gundy has tentatively set March 12 as the first day of spring practice.

We’ll post a full schedule when that becomes available.

He had plenty to say about OSU, the Big 12 and his unhappiness about leaving the conference.

I’ll get out of the way.

“I hate not coming back to this place.

“We had always played well here because of the respect that I have for this building, like when I went to Kansas. Y’all got the two best arenas, not just in the Big 12, but maybe in the country. Throw Cameron in there, too (Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium).

“Y’all have figured out that you don’t have to just be a football school. You can be a basketball school. You can be a wrestling school. You can be the whole thing. We’re starting to get that way. That’s one of the reasons I was not happy leaving the Big 12. Look where we’ve been in the Sears Cup the last two years—No. 6 and No. 8. We were No. 2 in (the women’s rankings), next to Stanford.

“You get a familiarity with the schools, and your fans get going and it’s just great. Now, we’re going to have to go find new teams and new rivalries. They only have to look at us and Missouri. We’ve got to look at 12 other schools and learn how to play against them and their tendencies. I know a little bit about it, but there’s only three coaches left in the SEC (from) when I was there (as the head coach at Arkansas). Three pretty damn good ones—Pat (Summitt) and Andy (Landers) and Sharon Fanning.

“I’m happy for the Big 12 that it stayed together. It would have been a joke if y’all would have had to go to the (Pac-12). That would have been the demise of Oklahoma State. Now you’re in the Big 12 again, you’re bringing two schools in. Be the best that you can be.

“We’re going to the SEC. I’ll spin it a different way next year. When we were in the SEC, we were the best league in women’s basketball for 10 straight years. Now, the Big 12 has been the best basketball (league) about the last eight out of nine. You have a couple good teams coming in.

“What you have here is you have an atmosphere. That crowd—I’ve never played in front of six, seven, eight thousand here. Thank Goodness. But your 4,000 or 3,500 are very, very loud. They get into it. They’re very knowledgeable about the game.

“We’re getting everybody’s best game. That’s to be expected. Hopefully, it’s going to make us a better team in March.”