Oklahoma State game thread

[muskieman]

OSU and Xavier are meeting for the first time as part of the Big 12/Big East Battle. The Cowboys are 43-38 all-time against the Big East.

Television: ESPN2 with play-by-play from Mark Neely and analysis from King McClure.
Radio: 55KRC

Cowboys lineup
G JR, Avery Anderson III 6'-3' 9.3 pts; rebounds 2.1

G So. Bryce Thompson 6-5, 9.8 pts rebounds 2.6

G JR Isaac Likekele 6-5 7.1 pts rebounds 6.0

F So. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe 6-7 6.1 pts rebounds 6.3

C So. Moussa Cisse 7-0 6.9 pts rebounds 5.9

Last game Cowboys were beaten by 6-1 Wichita State
OKL St committed 21 turnovers and shot just 9 of 19 from the free-throw line.

The Cowboys are ranked No. 8 nationally in KenPom.com’s adjusted defense metric. The Cowboys are holding opponents to 40.4% inside and 30.8% from behind the arc for the year.
OSU’s bench accounts for 51% of the team’s scoring.

The question is which defense will win?

[Anti-Homer]

Ok St’s record is pedestrian. But they do have talent, so hopefully will turn it around. They have no good wins and have lost to Oakland and Wich St. Unless X bails them out with a lot of traditional and non-
traditional turnovers (3-point shots from guys who should not take many three-point shots) X should win.

To underscore that latter point is a great tweet from Retire FiftyTu:

“Since TS took over, X is one of four major programs in the country to be 225th or worse nationally in 3 pt. % in each of the last 3 full seasons as well as so far early this season. Miami, Rutgers, and GA are the other three. Crazy bad.”
X has only shot well from three in two games, against bottom feeders. Even with those two games, they have only shot 32% from three as a team this yr. Also, unless the three-point shot is attempted by a guy named Johnson, their cumulative 3 pt % is 27%. TS has done a decent job this year, but that is a huge deficit in his offensive philosophy.

This team has a lot of talent, and now one of their best offensive players is back. Steele loves quoting metrics (e.g., talked about Ok St’s defensive prowess (KP 7th), turnovers created, etc.) One thing I have never seen him quote is the metric posted by R-52. No sense discussing ball security without those, b/c bad threes are much like turnovers, as they are a wasted possession and often lead to run outs. I know this is the year he will make the adjustment.

Final: X 68, OK St 64.

[ChitownSteve]

One of the reasons I believe X has, and will continue to underachieve under Coach Steele is his notable failure to rein in poor three point shooters and awful shot selection. Whether he is personally incapable of, or unwilling to, address the issue is a major coaching shortfall. The above stats are stark and unenviable company to be lumped with.

Hope Coach Steele and the Musketeers prove me wrong starting today versus Oklahoma State.

Go Muskies!

[muskieman]

Early positive is Milles make not one but two free throws

[skyhops]

Scruggs and Nunge on cue take two bad threes early in shot clock, which Steele said on his show was one of the teams issues.

[skyhops]

Back to reality and continued sloppy play and long scoring droughts of the Steele era. Odom has really regressed and the only thing he had to do at end of the half is to guard against a three and then he didn't. Good thing OK State is average or we would be down 10. Please sit Free he is liability right now.

[Anti-Homer]

Down 4 at half.

- 10 assists and 3 T.O.s That's not including 3 of Kunkel's Harlem Globe Trotter's shots, which leads to wasted possessions. One led to a runout and lab 4 seconds later.

Good news: X was 33% from 3, almost a full point about their yearly avg. Bad news? Take Johnson out, and they are 1-7, and none from Hunter! Sound familiar? BTW, for an experienced player, Scruggs dribbles the ball into the Bermuda Triangle under pressure (not just this game) a lot. I'm sure Coach will address this at halftime.

All guards other than Johnson and Jones who have played are struggling a bit. Too bad there isn't another change of pace available.

[bluegrass]

Like the Bengals too many turnovers. Need Nunge in there. Freemantle is obviously still rusty.

[skyhops]

Team goes five minutes without a basket and Steele has deer in headlights and now play to get a hood. Unreal

[skyhops]

55% from field, ouch