Bedlam Breakdown
The Cowboy kids -- Markel Brown, Mike Cobbins and Le'Bryan Nash -- celebrate a Bedlam win.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Several times this season, Cowboys have chatted on about their tough half-court defense, drawing nods and thoughts of “yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Well, maybe it’s time to buy in.
The Cowboys put the clamps on OU Monday night, forcing the Sooners into a 32.4 percent shooting night in a 72-65 Bedlam win.
OU made just 24-of-74 shots from the floor.
In three Big 12 games now, the Cowboys have held Texas Tech to 39.6 percent shooting, Texas 30 percent and OU 32.4 percent.
“We know our half-court defense is going to be our identity,” said Cowboys captain Keiton Page.
As for the rest of us, we’re slowing catching on. And to think, we’ve always expected offense from Travis Ford’s teams.
“(Defense) is something we take a lot of pride in, Ford said. “In the past it has gotten overlooked. It’s not now because we can’t score.
“Everybody used to think all I did was offense and my teams have always scored a whole lot of points. But the people who know us, we probably spend 70 or 80 percent of our time on defense every day. Our offense shows that at this point.”
Monday night, OSU’s offense looked better, too, although it’s not necessarily reflected in their final 38.6 percent shooting number. But that number was skewed late, when the Cowboys tried to run clock and wasted several offensive possessions. And overall, they moved the ball with better spacing and flow, resulting in several dunks and back-door layups, the result of a new emphasis to get players moving more fluidly on the floor.
OSU’s 13 assists were the team’s third-highest total of the season.
A few more day-after Bedlam thoughts:
* Le’Bryan Nash is finding his second gear. Recent games have seen him play with more energy and passion, resulting in more production, which the Cowboys desperately need to free Page and the rest of the Cowboys. Now, imagine what Nash can be when he finds third and fourth gear.
* While depth is a concern, the reduced roster may turn out to be a good thing for the Cowboys, both now and long-term. Ford admitted Monday night that he was previously struggling with sorting through all his available players to see who could play and who couldn’t. The defections of Fred Gulley and Reger Dowell and the unfortunate injury to Jéan-Paul Olukemi have forced Ford’s hand. And the resulting increased playing time for freshmen Brian Williams, Michael Cobbins and Marek Soucek has been beneficial, with all three looking like winning players for the future.
* The crowd wasn’t classic Bedlam, but it grew to be pretty good… considering. The teams were going up against the BCS title game, which has since been revealed as the No. 2 watched cable TV program – ever. Another factor playing against the basketball game was a 6 p.m. tip that made it difficult for fans coming from Tulsa or Oklahoma City. So a gathering of 9,000 or so isn’t at all bad.
OSU-Texas: Five Things
Markel Brown figures to get the call to slow UT's J'Covan Brown. It's a key matchup, if the Longhorn is healthy.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
OklahomaState’s 1-0 start to Big 12 Conference play stirred optimism – for a few days.
No reason to get carried away, the Cowboys’ win league-opening win over Texas Tech was expected, with the Red Raiders filling the role as Big 12 bottom feeder while Billy Gillispie sorts things out inLubbock.
Tonight’s game at Texasis a better barometer.
The Longhorns are a powerhouse in name only, left to rebuild when too many players bolted for the NBA last spring. Six freshmen play – and three start – in Rick Barnes’ nine-man rotation.
Of course, they’re good freshmen. AndTexasis 9-0 at home.
Still, the Horns, 10-4, don’t own any notable wins and have lost toOregon State,North CarolinaState,North CarolinaandIowaState. And their best player, junior J’Covan Brown – UT’s leading scorer at 19.3 ppg – is questionable tonight with a sprained ankle suffered in the Wednesday loss atIowaState.
So let’s see what the Cowboys got.
Five things to watch:
1. The Brown Dilemma. The news on UT’s Brown couldn’t come at a better time, with OSU’s Markel Brown still recovering from his butt-muscle strain. Markel is the Cowboys’ best defender and he’ll draw the assignment on J’Covan if he goes.
2. Noticing Nash. Let’s see how Le’Bryan Nash handles a road game back in his home state. The last time, in a game he highly anticipated in his hometown ofDallas, against SMU, it didn’t go so well: four points, four rebounds, 2-of-10 shooting. Nash is coming off perhaps his best effort against Tech, when he played with more energy and toughness, a must if he’s going to come close to approaching the player the Cowboys thought he could be.
3. The Frank Erwin Factor. Erwin is the man UT’s arena is named after. The Cowboys are 0-7 in their last seven trips to Erwin’s building. Overall, the Longhorns have won four straight in the series and 10 of 11.
4. Check Out TheCzech.Yes, I’ve used that before. And I’m sure to use it again. Can’t resist. Marek Soucek isn’t ready for a starring role with the Cowboys, not physically or mentally, as he continues to adjust to the American game. Still, he does some good things that are otherwise lacking from these Cowboys. Like shooting. And screening. And passing. He can help.
5. Paging Page. It’s always interesting to see what Big 12 coaches have in store for Keiton Page, who is riding a hot streak of late. Barnes is one of the league’s best, and you can bet he’ll work up something to pressure Page and force other Cowboys to prove they can score.
Those are a few of the storylines from here inAustin, where I’ll be tweeting throughout the game and, of course, writing this one up for the paper and newsok.com.
Keiton Page Deserves Better
OSU's Keiton Page (12) dribbles past Texas Tech defender Javarez Willis (5) in the first half of a men's college basketball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Texas Tech University Red Raiders at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
Opinions on Keiton Page vary widely.
And wildly.
I don’t get it.
The Cowboys haven’t been great this year – or last – but I shudder to think where they’d be without Page.
So he doesn’t pass the eye test. And he’s not the best athlete on the floor; heck, may be among the worst.
Maybe the Pokes have too many athletes. Page is a basketball player.
And a winner, lugging around a young team struggling to find its way, doing his best to will it to victories. And Wednesday night’s win over Texas Tech in a Big 12 opener – a must win, lest there be any doubt – featured Page pulling the Cowboys over the finish line again.
Happy to let Le’Bryan Nash shoulder the load early, Page answered the call when needed late. He finished with 23 points, the bulk of which came with the rest of the Cowboys tightening on the offensive end.
Page scored OSU’s final 12 points and 16 of its final 17.
And in his third game at the point, the Cowboys committed just two turnovers – a school record – with Page providing five assists.
What’s not to like?
After the game, Tech coach Billy Gillispie gushed about Page. And if you think it was just polite coachspeak, it sure didn’t play that way.
For two seasons now, Page has been the object of opponents’ bad intent, drawing major attention that makes it difficult for him to even catch the ball in a normal flow, let alone get shots. With OSU lacking true scoring options, teams focus first and foremost on slowing Page.
Bill Self. Rick Barnes. Frank Martin. All have saluted Page, whether verbally or by devising defensive schemes aimed primarily at him.
That, friends, is respect.
When James Anderson and Obi Muonelo were still around banging down shots, things were easier for Page, who often found himself left free to fire.
Those days are long gone.
So Page is asked to carry the load, as hard as that is for a 5-8 unspectacular athlete to pull off. And more often than not, he obliges. Beyond all that, no other Cowboy is as orange as Page, anOklahomakid with a sense of school history who always plays the good soldier, representing the program in good times and bad.
His reward: a mixed bag of love and hate.
C’mon, get off Page’s back.
His burden is heavy enough.
–
By John Helsley
jhelsley@opubco.com
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Blackmon: Simply The Best
Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon (81) celebrates a touchdown during the Fiesta Bowl between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the Stanford Cardinal at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
With the OSU offense sputtering in the second half and Stanford ahead 14-0, Justin Blackmon did what he does best, striking for a 43-yard scoring play to get the Cowboys started.
First, however, Blackmon got mad.
“I knew we could play better,” Blackmon said. “If that takes me getting mad, I guess I get mad and go out there and do it.”
Blackmon got mad and soon enough the Cowboys got even.
And eventually, after a full 60 minutes of game time, they pulled ahead, for the first time at the end of overtime, good enough for a 41-38 win in a Fiesta Bowl classic.
Andrew Luck was everything he’s been billed to be, maybe more. And Brandon Weeden was great, too, throwing for 399 yards and three touchdowns, although he wasn’t getting near the love of Luck.
But in the end, the Fiesta Bowl was Blackmon’s Big Show.
Eight catches and 186 yards and three touchdowns, with Stanford committed to stopping him and Blackmon supposedly slowed by a bum leg caused by an infection.
He did it, too, with a receiving corps that featured Colton Chelf as the No. 2 option, as more explosive wideouts Tracy Moore and Michael Harrison played only limited roles due to apparent disciplinary issues. Did it with the running game going nowhere.
Blackmon averaged 23.3 yards a catch, scored on receptions of 43, 67 and 17. And he made the defining play of the game for OSU, a fourth-down grab on the game-tying drive in the final minutes of regulation, rendering Stanford’s fifth-year senior corner Corey Gatewood helpless on a quick slant.
“If I know it is one-on-one,” Weeden said, “I’m going to Blackmon 100 percent of the time.”
Cardinal coach David Shaw was fully aware of Blackmon’s potential impact heading into the game. Afterward, he was no less impressed.
“The fact that Justin Blackmon did not get Heisman votes is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous,” Shaw said.
During the week, Shaw had compared Blackmon to Terrell Owens.
“Yards after catch, physical play, great blocker, plays with an attitude,” Shaw said. “Give the kid all the credit in the world. He deserves it.
“He’s going to do the same thing on the next level that he does on this level. Guys like that play that way in high school, junior high school, college and the NFL. He’s special.”
Don’t we all know it.
“To make big catches in crucial situations then make plays with the ball in his hands when the other team knows he is going to do it, it is pretty amazing, especially when the teams roll up on him like tonight,” Mike Gundy said.
“Stanford’s game plan, other than blitz, was to roll up and play a guy down on him. He still finds a way to get open and get the ball and the quarterback finds a way to get it to him.”
Blackmon found a way to will the OSU offense Monday night.
And to will the Cowboys’ victory.
The program has featured some elite wide receivers. Gundy played with Hart Lee Dykes and has long proclaimed his greatness. Rashaun Woods was all but unstoppable, once catching seven touchdowns in a single game. Dez Bryant dazzled with regularity.
Gundy hadn’t been willing to place Blackmon alone at the top of the list, until Monday night.
“I resisted in saying he was the best wide receiver that has ever played atOklahomaState,” Gundy said. “He is, bar none.”
OSU-SMU: Five Things
By John Helsley
@jjhelsley
Because it’s December and it’s still too soon to surrender on the season, OSU’s game against SMU tonight inAmericanAirlinesCenteris big.
Big enough even to call a must-win, if – if – the Cowboys still hold NCAA Tournament hopes.
Bottom line: The Pokes are better than SMU. They should win this game; not that just being better has assured anything this season. There hasn’t been a game yet in which you came away from a Cowboys win thinking they really looked good or produced a complete effort.
Still, let’s go on the assumption that OSU has the better players and should win. And forget theDallaslocale, this won’t be some sort of home-court advantage for SMU.
So it’s must-win.
Here are five things to watch:
1. The Point Plan. Keiton Page surely gets the nod at the point, a move necessitated by the failure of the other three guys to hold that spot – Fred Gulley, Reger Dowell and Cezar Guerrero. Of course, Gulley and Dowell have since left the program. Guerrero’s playing time figures to get a major bump. But it’s mostly about Page. And while a lot of folks have claimed this is what they’ve all been waiting for, it’s not ideal, for Page or the Pokes. Remember, Page was pushed to the point for a while last year. And it didn’t work out so well. Opponents pressured Page all the way up the floor, making him labor just to get the ball past midcourt. It wore him down on the offensive end, affecting his playmaking ability as well as his scoring ability.
2. Nash’s Homecoming. For freshman Le’Bryan Nash, this game represents a return home to theDallasarea where he starred as a prep player. How will he respond? Will it fire him up? Will he try to do too much? The Cowboys need Nash at his best.
3. The Rotation. Previously, a rotation that stretched as many as 10 deep created problems for Cowboys coach Travis Ford, who had to try to manage playing time for so many deserving players. With Gulley and Dowell now gone, some of that has been alleviated. Will that mean increased time for Brian Williams or even Marek Soucek?
4. About The Mustangs. SMU was pretty good a year ago, winning 20 games. But these aren’t those Mustangs. Even at 7-4, they don’t own a quality win and have lost toColoradoState,FresnoState, Oral Roberts andJacksonState. Did we say must-win?
5. Defining Roles. The buzz word surrounding this OSU team early was versatility. Now, you have to wonder if mixing and matching players and working guys at different positions may have set them back, with guys not fully recognizing their roles. That’s sure the way it’s looked. Maybe the trimmed roster allows for better definition.
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.
John Helsley’s Power Lunch Chat Recap
Gina Mizell’s Power Lunch Chat Recap
HireCoachGundysCoaches.com takes off
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was asked at his Monday press conference if he was worried about keeping his staff together because assistants like offensive coordinator Todd Monken and associate head coach/special teams coordinator Joe DeForest are or have been in the mix for various head-coaching positions. This was Gundy’s response:
“I’m thinking about starting a website that says “HireCoachGundysCoaches.com” and just let people come in and fill out an application. And then at the end of the day, I’ll just go through. I don’t type good enough, (so) I’ll have somebody type and email them back, and then they can catch me up the next day.”
Sorry, Gundy. Someone beat you to it. Most likely an OSU fan.
HireCoachGundysCoaches.com went live sometime Moday afternoon after the press conference. It plays off the “Hire OSU grads” campaign and has a Twitter feed of Gundy news. And, best of all, it features a slowed-down version of the now-famous video of the man himself doing “The Gundy” in the locker room after the Texas A&M game.
Brandon Weeden chops down the Stanford Tree
Some OSU fans having fun with a holiday Ecard program…
