*****OU-Oklahoma State Pregame Notes/Game Thread*****

[OUHoops]

Click here for SoonerSports.com's complete OU-OSU pregame notes.

MONDAY’S GAME BASICS
Oklahoma (10-4, 0-2) looks to snap its first losing streak of the season when it plays at Oklahoma State (8-7, 1-1) Monday at 6 p.m. CT. The Sooners have lost two in a row to start Big 12 Conference play, including a 72-61 home defeat at the hands of No. 14 Kansas on Saturday. The Cowboys have lost five of their last seven games and are coming off a 58-49 setback at Texas Saturday. Monday’s contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KOKC AM 1520 in Oklahoma City; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Mike Houck announcing. The game will be televised by ESPNU with Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham calling the action.

PREVIEWING OKLAHOMA STATE
After a 6-2 start, Oklahoma State has lost five of its last seven games and enter Monday’s contest with an 8-7 record. The Cowboys are 6-1 at home, with their only loss coming to Virginia Tech (67-61) on Dec. 31. They are coming off a 58-49 defeat at Texas on Saturday in which they held the Longhorns to .300 field goal and .167 (3-for-18) 3-point shooting but committed 21 turnovers (to Texas’ 10) and were whistled for a season-high 29 fouls (to UT’s 17). The Cowboys beat Texas Tech Wednesday in their Big 12 opener, 67-59.

OSU, which starts three freshmen, a first-year junior college transfer and a senior, is shooting .410 from the field on the season (ranks 10th in Big 12), .332 from 3-point range (ranks eighth) and .700 from the free throw line (ranks sixth). It ranks fourth in the league in 3-pointers per game (6.4) and last in average rebounding margin (-2.1).

Senior guard Keiton Page averages a team-high 14.1 points per game and is shooting a team-best .374 from 3-point range (team-high 37 makes). He registered three straight 20-point games (averaged 23.7 ppg) before being held to nine points Saturday at Texas. The 5-9, 165-pounder ranks 19th in school history with 1,302 points and third with 233 3-pointers (school record is 279).

Freshman forward Le’Bryan Nash ranks second on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.9 rpg). He scored 21 points in OSU’s Big 12-opening win over Texas Tech and followed with 12 Saturday at Texas. Nash leads the team with his 5.1 free throw attempts per game (shooting .688).

Junior guard Jéan-Paul Olukemi, who averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, sustained a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 31 against Virginia Tech.

Travis Ford is in his fourth year as Oklahoma State’s head coach and owns a 73-44 record. He’s in his 14th year overall.

LAST YEAR VS. THE COWBOYS
OU and OSU split last year’s season series, with each team winning at home. In the first meeting, the Sooners held a 21-6 lead and were up 47-39 early in the second half but couldn’t overcome the Cowboys’ 36-for-44 free throw performance and fell 81-75 on Feb. 5 in Stillwater. Andrew Fitzgerald and Cade Davis led OU with 18 points each. Carl Blair hit all nine of his free throw attempts and finished with 13 points, but registered six turnovers without an assist. Cameron Clark was held scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting.

In the March 5 rematch in Norman, Davis scored a game-high 22 points in his final career home game to help OU to a 64-61 win. Clark added 15 points and Steven Pledger 11. The Sooners held OSU to 3-for-25 (.120) 3-point shooting over the two-game series.

 

[WTSooner]

Re: OU-Oklahoma State Pregame Notes [SoonerSports.com]

Fairly big game for OU. I think we are the better team right now, but if we don't play well, we will lose. Can't let Page go off from deep, and gotta win on the boards. I don't think OSU has the athletes to completely take us out of our offense like KU and Mizzou did. Thinking Fitz should have a big game.

 

[garyeb2]

I don't bet on basketball games. And I don't recommend that anyone should. But, I found it interested that OSU broke as a 3.5 point favorite and the line
was immediately bet down to 2.

Even in aggie land, I thought OU would be a slight 2/3 pt. favorite.

 

[CrimsonandCream14]

Going to be very annoyed if we allow Page to get a bunch of open looks. Loves to pull up for wide open 3's in transition, and we cannot allow that. Hopefully cutting down on the TO's will stop that. Shut him down and I think we win with Olukemi not playing.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

What's with all the empty seats?

 

[sooners78]

damn we have regressed

 

[okcsooner83]

Bring back Eddie and Kelvin, both teams are pathetic.

 

[OUHoops]

Terrible.

 

[CrimsonandCream14]

9-4 OSU at the under 16 timeout. We're taking a lot of outside shots after one pass it seems like. Not moving the ball a whole lot. Defensively we've been beat backdoor a few times. Need to turn up the intensity! Lets go Sooners!

 

[JBaker]

Do we have an offense?

 

[SoomerBooner]

Anyone have a link to watch the game? I though it would be on ESPN3.com, but it's not...

 

[OUHoops]

 

[okcsooner83]

Do we have an offense?

NO!

 

[OUHoops]

Fitzgerald's jumper and slop shots aren't going today.

 

[WTSooner]

We are SO out of sync as a team right now.

 

[stormspencer]

Granted, I have only seen us play several times this year, but thus far against an average team, I have seen us step out of bounds twice (no court awareness), several examples of poor helpside defense, Fitz and Clark forcing shots.

I don't understand the excitement about this team. I'm not sure Kruger has much to work with.

 

[sooners78]

need to run n gun

 

[CrimsonandCream14]

Sweet Jesus. 11-6 OSU at the under 12.

 

[okcsooner83]

Kruger needs to get rid of some guys after this season.

 

[Chiefdaddy]

We have too many liabilites on offense. Grooms and Blair can't play the two man game because they can't hit 3's.