Oklahoma State University Athletics
Perfect In Big 12 Championship Opening Round, Cowboys Facing K-State
March 07, 2016 | Cowboy Basketball
Game Center
1st Round Opponent: No. 8 Kansas State (16-15, 5-13 Big 12)
Site: Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
Date/Tipoff: March 9, 2016 / 6 p.m. Central
TV: ESPNU (Jon Sciambi, Miles Simon)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker & John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 93 & XM 199
Internet Radio: http://okla.st/osutunein
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
Oklahoma State Game Notes
The Basics
• Oklahoma State (12-19, 3-15 Big 12) was the only team in the country to close out the regular season against four straight ranked opponents, and enters postseason play as the No. 9 seed in the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Cowboys are 11-0 all-time in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship, and will put that record on the line against No. 8 seed Kansas State (16-15, 5-13 Big 12).
On the Air
• ESPNU will carry the matchup between the Cowboys and Wildcats with Jon Sciambi and former Arizona star Miles Simon on the call. As always, the game can be heard on the Cowboy Radio Network with Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb. Sirius channel 93 and XM channel 199 will carry the national broadcast of the game.
Oklahoma State Snapshot
• Jawun Evans joined Le'Bryan Nash (2011-12) and Marcus Smart (2012-13) as Cowboys to earn the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award. Evans led all Big 12 freshmen in scoring (12.9 ppg), assists (4.9 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 a/to), field goal percentage (47.1), 3-point field goal percentage (47.5) and free throw percentage (83.3). A three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Evans scored 42 points in helping OSU nearly take down No. 2 Oklahoma and led the Cowboys to an upset of No. 3 Kansas with 22 points, eight assists and six boards. In the six games before his season-ending injury, Evans was averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game - all team highs. OSU is 1-8 since the injury to the Dallas native, who was also named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
• Travis Ford has jokingly said he is coaching his third or fourth different Cowboy team this season, but there's a lot of truth to that. After losing three starters from last year's team, Ford and the staff spent the offseason molding the squad around senior captain Phil Forte. OSU lost Forte to a left elbow injury in the third game of the season, and OSU spent the next month redefining itself. Point guard Jawun Evans emerged as one of the nation's top freshmen, but an injury to his right shoulder on Feb. 3 had Ford once again going to the drawing board. Other injuries and illnesses have popped up throughout the season, and OSU was forced to play Monday night's game at Iowa State with just eight scholarship players.
• Point guard Tyree Griffin has filled in admirably in the absence of freshman phenom Jawun Evans. Over the last nine games the sophomore has posted 47 assists to just 25 turnovers while playing a whopping 37.3 minutes per contest. Griffin dished out 12 assists on a rolled ankle against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, which was just one dime shy of the KU opponent record set by Texas' D.J. Augustin. He followed that up with eight assists and zero turnovers against Texas Tech. Griffin is now averaging 4.19 assists per game in league play, which ranks fifth in the Big 12.
• Jeff Newberry can affect the game in many ways, which earned the senior All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. With two double-doubles, the senior is the first OSU player under 6-foot-2 with multiple points/rebounds double-doubles since Maurice Baker in 2001. The defensive glue guy for the Cowboys, Newberry is averaged 1.8 steals in Big 12 play, which ranked third the league.
• The Cowboys field a solid defensive unit that ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 66.9 points allowed and third in field goal percentage defense at 40.7 percent. OSU held 13 of its Big 12 foes to 44.0 percent shooting or less, including six opponents under 40 percent. The Cowboys have held their Big 12 opponents to 69.3 points and 42.9 percent shooting, which ranks fourth and third in the conference, respectively.
• The Cowboys have put themselves in position to win nearly every Big 12 game this season. Seven of OSU's 15 league losses have been by eight points or less, including five by five or less. OSU was tied with both No. 13 Iowa State and No. 17 Baylor inside the final two minutes, and fell to Texas Tech on the last shot of overtime. The potential game-winning 3-pointer rimmed out for the Cowboys against No. 2 Oklahoma, while a furious second half rally whittled Texas' lead to just three points with 14 seconds on the clock.
• Head coach Travis Ford ranks third in school history in both total wins (155) and win percentage (58.5 percent). Ford ranks behind only Eddie Sutton and Mr. Henry Iba in both categories, and recently picked up his 21st win over a ranked opponent with the victory over No. 3 KU on Jan. 19.
Kansas State Snapshot
• Kansas State earned the No. 8 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Championship after a 5-13 finish in Big 12 play. K-State is coming off an 80-71 loss at Texas Tech despite 21 points and 10 rebounds from D.J. Johnson and 40 points in the paint. TTU shot 59.2 percent from the floor, including a 7-of-14 clip from 3-point.
• Wesley Iwundu is one of the most versatile forwards in the Big 12. The 6-7 junior is the only player in the league taller than 6-3 to average more than 3.5 assists per game, and he still averages 11.9 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting. He is the only Wildcat to rack up 1,000 minutes so far this season.
• Two of the top defenses in the Big 12 will square off when the Cowboys and Wildcats meet at the Sprint Center. Oklahoma State is holding opponents to 66.9 points per game, which ranks second in the league. K-State isn't far behind at 67.6 points per game, which ranks third.
Inside the Matchup / Big 12 Championship Notes
• The Cowboys are a perfect 11-0 in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. OSU is 23-17 overall in the Big 12 Championship, including a 6-7 record in the Sprint Center in Kansas City. OSU is also a perfect 3-0 against No. 8 seeds in the Big 12 Tourney.
• Oklahoma State and Kansas are the only schools to advance to at least the quarterfinals of all 19 Big 12 Championships.
• Travis Ford is 7-7 in the Big 12 Championships in his career, which is tied with Scott Drew (11-11) of Baylor for the second best win percentage among active coaches. Only Bill Self (24-6) of Kansas has a better record in the league's showdown.
• OSU split the regular season meeting with K-State, as well as its potential quarterfinal opponent, Kansas. OSU took the matchups in Stillwater against the Wildcats and Jayhawks.
• This will be the eighth time Oklahoma State and Kansas State will meet in a conference tournament setting. The Cowboys were 4-1 against the Wildcats in the Big Eight Tournament, but K-State has taken both meetings in the Big 12 Championship. K-State eliminated OSU in the quarterfinal round of both the 2010 (83-64) and 2013 (68-57) Big 12 Championships.
• K-State is 14-4 against the Cowboys in neutral site games, including a 13-3 record in Kansas City. The Cowboys have won 15 of the last 16 meetings against K-State in Gallagher-Iba Arena dating back to 1994.
• The Wildcats lead the overall series with Oklahoma State, 77-52. K-State holds a slight 8-7 advantage over the Cowboys in the Ford era after OSU won, 58-55, in overtime on Feb. 13 in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
• The Cowboys overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Wildcats, 75-69, in overtime on Jan. 2, 1999. The victory is the third biggest comeback by an OSU team in a Big 12 game. Adrian Peterson led the Cowboys that day with 24 points and nine boards.
An Oklahoma State Win Would ...
• Maintain the Cowboys perfect record in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship. OSU enters Wednesday's matchup 11-0 in the opening round.
• Advance OSU to its 20th straight appearance in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship. Kansas and Oklahoma State are the only Big 12 programs to reach the at least the quarterfinals of every Big 12 Tournament.
• Snap the Cowboys' six-game losing streak overall, and its five-game losing streak away from Gallagher-Iba Arena.
• Give the Cowboys a 4-2 record in neutral site games and a 5-11 record away from Stillwater on the year.
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1st Round Opponent: No. 8 Kansas State (16-15, 5-13 Big 12)
Site: Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
Date/Tipoff: March 9, 2016 / 6 p.m. Central
TV: ESPNU (Jon Sciambi, Miles Simon)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker & John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 93 & XM 199
Internet Radio: http://okla.st/osutunein
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
Oklahoma State Game Notes
The Basics
• Oklahoma State (12-19, 3-15 Big 12) was the only team in the country to close out the regular season against four straight ranked opponents, and enters postseason play as the No. 9 seed in the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Cowboys are 11-0 all-time in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship, and will put that record on the line against No. 8 seed Kansas State (16-15, 5-13 Big 12).
On the Air
• ESPNU will carry the matchup between the Cowboys and Wildcats with Jon Sciambi and former Arizona star Miles Simon on the call. As always, the game can be heard on the Cowboy Radio Network with Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb. Sirius channel 93 and XM channel 199 will carry the national broadcast of the game.
Oklahoma State Snapshot
• Jawun Evans joined Le'Bryan Nash (2011-12) and Marcus Smart (2012-13) as Cowboys to earn the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award. Evans led all Big 12 freshmen in scoring (12.9 ppg), assists (4.9 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 a/to), field goal percentage (47.1), 3-point field goal percentage (47.5) and free throw percentage (83.3). A three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Evans scored 42 points in helping OSU nearly take down No. 2 Oklahoma and led the Cowboys to an upset of No. 3 Kansas with 22 points, eight assists and six boards. In the six games before his season-ending injury, Evans was averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game - all team highs. OSU is 1-8 since the injury to the Dallas native, who was also named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
• Travis Ford has jokingly said he is coaching his third or fourth different Cowboy team this season, but there's a lot of truth to that. After losing three starters from last year's team, Ford and the staff spent the offseason molding the squad around senior captain Phil Forte. OSU lost Forte to a left elbow injury in the third game of the season, and OSU spent the next month redefining itself. Point guard Jawun Evans emerged as one of the nation's top freshmen, but an injury to his right shoulder on Feb. 3 had Ford once again going to the drawing board. Other injuries and illnesses have popped up throughout the season, and OSU was forced to play Monday night's game at Iowa State with just eight scholarship players.
• Point guard Tyree Griffin has filled in admirably in the absence of freshman phenom Jawun Evans. Over the last nine games the sophomore has posted 47 assists to just 25 turnovers while playing a whopping 37.3 minutes per contest. Griffin dished out 12 assists on a rolled ankle against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, which was just one dime shy of the KU opponent record set by Texas' D.J. Augustin. He followed that up with eight assists and zero turnovers against Texas Tech. Griffin is now averaging 4.19 assists per game in league play, which ranks fifth in the Big 12.
• Jeff Newberry can affect the game in many ways, which earned the senior All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. With two double-doubles, the senior is the first OSU player under 6-foot-2 with multiple points/rebounds double-doubles since Maurice Baker in 2001. The defensive glue guy for the Cowboys, Newberry is averaged 1.8 steals in Big 12 play, which ranked third the league.
• The Cowboys field a solid defensive unit that ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 66.9 points allowed and third in field goal percentage defense at 40.7 percent. OSU held 13 of its Big 12 foes to 44.0 percent shooting or less, including six opponents under 40 percent. The Cowboys have held their Big 12 opponents to 69.3 points and 42.9 percent shooting, which ranks fourth and third in the conference, respectively.
• The Cowboys have put themselves in position to win nearly every Big 12 game this season. Seven of OSU's 15 league losses have been by eight points or less, including five by five or less. OSU was tied with both No. 13 Iowa State and No. 17 Baylor inside the final two minutes, and fell to Texas Tech on the last shot of overtime. The potential game-winning 3-pointer rimmed out for the Cowboys against No. 2 Oklahoma, while a furious second half rally whittled Texas' lead to just three points with 14 seconds on the clock.
• Head coach Travis Ford ranks third in school history in both total wins (155) and win percentage (58.5 percent). Ford ranks behind only Eddie Sutton and Mr. Henry Iba in both categories, and recently picked up his 21st win over a ranked opponent with the victory over No. 3 KU on Jan. 19.
Kansas State Snapshot
• Kansas State earned the No. 8 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Championship after a 5-13 finish in Big 12 play. K-State is coming off an 80-71 loss at Texas Tech despite 21 points and 10 rebounds from D.J. Johnson and 40 points in the paint. TTU shot 59.2 percent from the floor, including a 7-of-14 clip from 3-point.
• Wesley Iwundu is one of the most versatile forwards in the Big 12. The 6-7 junior is the only player in the league taller than 6-3 to average more than 3.5 assists per game, and he still averages 11.9 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting. He is the only Wildcat to rack up 1,000 minutes so far this season.
• Two of the top defenses in the Big 12 will square off when the Cowboys and Wildcats meet at the Sprint Center. Oklahoma State is holding opponents to 66.9 points per game, which ranks second in the league. K-State isn't far behind at 67.6 points per game, which ranks third.
Inside the Matchup / Big 12 Championship Notes
• The Cowboys are a perfect 11-0 in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. OSU is 23-17 overall in the Big 12 Championship, including a 6-7 record in the Sprint Center in Kansas City. OSU is also a perfect 3-0 against No. 8 seeds in the Big 12 Tourney.
• Oklahoma State and Kansas are the only schools to advance to at least the quarterfinals of all 19 Big 12 Championships.
• Travis Ford is 7-7 in the Big 12 Championships in his career, which is tied with Scott Drew (11-11) of Baylor for the second best win percentage among active coaches. Only Bill Self (24-6) of Kansas has a better record in the league's showdown.
• OSU split the regular season meeting with K-State, as well as its potential quarterfinal opponent, Kansas. OSU took the matchups in Stillwater against the Wildcats and Jayhawks.
• This will be the eighth time Oklahoma State and Kansas State will meet in a conference tournament setting. The Cowboys were 4-1 against the Wildcats in the Big Eight Tournament, but K-State has taken both meetings in the Big 12 Championship. K-State eliminated OSU in the quarterfinal round of both the 2010 (83-64) and 2013 (68-57) Big 12 Championships.
• K-State is 14-4 against the Cowboys in neutral site games, including a 13-3 record in Kansas City. The Cowboys have won 15 of the last 16 meetings against K-State in Gallagher-Iba Arena dating back to 1994.
• The Wildcats lead the overall series with Oklahoma State, 77-52. K-State holds a slight 8-7 advantage over the Cowboys in the Ford era after OSU won, 58-55, in overtime on Feb. 13 in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
• The Cowboys overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Wildcats, 75-69, in overtime on Jan. 2, 1999. The victory is the third biggest comeback by an OSU team in a Big 12 game. Adrian Peterson led the Cowboys that day with 24 points and nine boards.
An Oklahoma State Win Would ...
• Maintain the Cowboys perfect record in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship. OSU enters Wednesday's matchup 11-0 in the opening round.
• Advance OSU to its 20th straight appearance in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship. Kansas and Oklahoma State are the only Big 12 programs to reach the at least the quarterfinals of every Big 12 Tournament.
• Snap the Cowboys' six-game losing streak overall, and its five-game losing streak away from Gallagher-Iba Arena.
• Give the Cowboys a 4-2 record in neutral site games and a 5-11 record away from Stillwater on the year.
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Players Mentioned
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