Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys, Tigers Meet In Battle Of Unbeatens
December 28, 1999 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 28, 1999
PDF Formatted Notes
Statistics
STILLWATER, Okla. - Two of the nation's five unbeaten teams match up Thursday when Oklahoma State plays LSU in the second game of the Sugar Bowl Classic, Missouri and Kentucky square off in the opener. The 10-0 Cowboys are off to the fourth-best start in school history and have won each game by double digits but figure to face their toughest test of the season Thursday.
OSU-LSU: The Series
Thursday's game will mark the third meeting between the schools, with all
three games taking place on neutral floors. The Cowboys are 1-1 against the
Tigers, losing 71-68 in December 1993 at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena and
winning 111-67 the following December at Tulsa. Eddie Sutton is 9-8 in his
career against LSU.
OSU Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 10th year at OSU and his 30th
year of collegiate coaching. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to the
NCAA Tournament seven times. Sutton currently owns a career record of
642-252 (71.8 percent) overall and is 212-88 (70.7 percent) at OSU. Sutton
is just the seventh coach to reach 600 coaching victories in 28 or fewer
seasons.
No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-0, 0-0 Big 12)
vs.
LSU Tigers (11-0, 0-0 Southeastern)
Thursday, Dec. 30, 1999 * 9 p.m. * OSU Radio Network * Fox Sports Net
New Orleans, La. * New Orleans Arena (18,500)
Probable Oklahoma State Starters
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 30 Brian Montonati 6-10 220 Sr. 12.9 8.2 Four double-doubles this year, double-figure scoring every game F 34 Desmond Mason 6-5 215 Sr. 20.9 6.9 31 points, one off career high, at Washington C 45 Alex Webber 6-10 270 Sr. 7.4 4.2 20 points, nine for 11 from the field vs. Wichita State G 35 Joe Adkins 6-1 190 Sr. 10.4 *4.2 13 points, three-for-four beyond arc vs. Washington G 44 Doug Gottlieb 6-1 180 Sr. 6.9 *11.0 25th in Division I history with 764 assists* - Assists per game.
Probable LSU Starters
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 2 Brian Beshara 6-8 220 Jr. 13.3 5.6 F 4 Stromile Swift 6-9 225 So. 20.0 8.4 C 52 Jabari Smith 6-11 250 Sr. 14.3 7.2 G 3 Torris Bright 6-4 200 Fr. 10.6 *5.1 G 21 Jermaine Williams 6-6 180 So. 6.8 3.9
1999-2000 OSU Schedule/Results
Wednesday, Nov. 10 Athletes First (Exh.) W 93-80 Wednesday, Nov. 17 Global Sports (Exh.) W 91-63 Friday, Nov. 19 Appalachian State& W 87-75 Saturday, Nov. 20 Idaho& W 81-50 Tuesday, Nov. 23 at Arkansas-Little Rock W 93-64 Saturday, Nov. 27 North Texas W 103-65 Wednesday, Dec. 1 Wichita State W 68-56 Saturday, Dec. 4 Texas-San Antonio W 87-66 Sunday, Dec. 12 vs. San Diego State% W 97-63 Wednesday, Dec. 15 Alcorn State W 79-53 Saturday, Dec. 18 at UNLV# W 89-75 Tuesday, Dec. 21 at Washington W 84-72 Thursday, Dec. 30 vs. LSU@ 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5 Langston 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8 Texas Tech* 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15 at Baylor* 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19 Texas* 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22 at Texas A&M* 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 at Kansas State* 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30 Baylor* 12 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Texas Tech* 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5 Texas A&M* 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7 Kansas* 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 at Oklahoma* 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16 at Texas* 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 Nebraska* 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21 at Missouri* 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at Iowa State* 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 1 Colorado* 7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 4 Oklahoma* 8 p.m. Thur.-Sun., March 9-12 Big 12 ChampionshipAll times CST, * - Big 12 Conference games, & - America's Youth Classic, Stillwater, Okla., % - game played in Oklahoma City, # - Las Vegas Showdown, Las Vegas, Nev., @ - Sugar Bowl Classic, New Orleans, La.
Cowboys again off to fast start
Prior to the 1997-98 season, OSU men's basketball teams had started their
seasons with at least six victories just once since 1969-70. Now, the
Cowboys have done so for the second time in three years. OSU is 10-0, tying
for the fourth-best start in school history, and a victory Thursday would
tie for the third-best start. It's the third strong start in the Eddie
Sutton era for the Cowboys, who went 20-0 in 1991-92 and 11-0 in 1997-98.
Here's a quick look at the Cowboys' best season starts:
Year Start First Loss Finish Notes
1991-92 20-0 Feb. 5 at Nebraska 28-8 Preseason NIT champs, ranked
No. 2 AP at end of streak,
reached NCAA Sweet 16
1950-51 16-0 Jan. 20 at Oklahoma 29-6 Ranked No. 1 for only time in
OSU history, NCAA Final Four
1997-98 11-0 Jan. 7 vs. Nebraska 22-7 Big 12 South champs reached
NCAA Tournament second round
1914-15 10-0 at Tulsa (date n/a) 10-4 Started season with 10
victories, finished it with
four losses, all to Tulsa
1999-00 10-0 ??? ??? Have won first 10 games by
average of 22.9 points
More quick-start and streak info
Oklahoma State and LSU were two of the nation's five unbeaten Division I
teams at the start of the week. OSU, one of just two ranked and unbeaten
teams, has won all 10 of its games by double figures. It's just the second
time in school history that an OSU team has strung together 10 consecutive
double-digit victories. The other instance was during the 1945-46 season,
when OSU, on its way to the nation's first successful NCAA championship
title defense, won 11 straight by 10 or more during an overall 15-game
string.
In the polls
OSU has reached a season-high No. 11 position in both major national polls.
The Cowboys have not been higher during the regular season since the 1993-94
team climbed as high as No. 8 in early December. The No. 11 ranking is
rather ominous, though: The last time the Cowboys reached that level, on
Nov. 30, 1998, OSU lost twice in a row -- the first defeat coming at home
at the hands of Florida Atlantic.
Scouting the Tigers
Like Oklahoma State, LSU has not only won all its games this season but has
dominated in its victories. The Tigers are averaging a scoring margin of
24.7 points and have had just two games decided by fewer than 10 points.
Stromile Swift is one of the SEC's early-season stars, averaging 20.0 points
and 8.4 rebounds.
Inside the numbers
Here's a statistical comparison between Thursday's opponents.
OSU LSU
Overall Record 10-0 11-0
Scoring Offense 86.8 86.6
Scoring Defense 63.9 61.9
Scoring Margin +22.9 +24.7
Field-Goal Pct. 51.2 52.3
Field-Goal Pct. Defense 38.2 38.2
Free-Throw Pct. 70.8 62.8
Rebound Margin +7.4 +11.8
Three-Point FG Pct. 36.5 41.3
Three-Pointers Per Game 5.7 6.3
Turnover Margin +5.5 +3.1
Second-half run again keys Cowboys
For the second straight game, OSU used a big second-half run to turn a
narrow deficit into a big lead as the Cowboys defeated Washington 84-72 in
Seattle on Dec. 21. Trailing 45-43 with 14:30 remaining, OSU scored the next
11 points over a two-minute span and never again led by fewer than seven
points. The Cowboys shot 60 percent in the victory and won despite being
out-rebounded 18-10 in the first half and 32-28 overall.
Mason continues to move up the charts
After a mini-slump in which he averaged "only" 14.3 points in three games,
preseason All-American Desmond Mason appears to be back on track after
scoring 97 points in the Cowboys' past four games, capped by a 31-point
outing, one off his career high, at Washington. The Big 12 Player of the
Week following his 23-point effort against UNLV, Mason has scored 20 or more
points in four consecutive games and in eight of the past 12 contests dating
to last season. His offensive production has been helped by a vastly
improved outside shot: Mason was a 33-percent three-point shooter in his
first three years but is hitting 48.6 percent beyond the arc this season,
and one of his biggest weapons is his 15- to 18-foot jumper.
Mason is making his mark in several areas of the OSU records book. With 1,300 points in his career, Mason now ranks 12th in OSU career scoring. He also ranks eighth in OSU history in rebounds (638), 11th in steals (129), seventh in blocked shots (67), ninth in minutes played (3,004), 10th in games started (85), fourth in consecutive games started (80) and sixth in double-doubles (17). He currently ranks second in scoring and ninth in field-goal percentage (49.0) in the Big 12 and is 22nd in the nation in scoring.
Second-half blitz carries Cowboys past Rebels
Things looked a bit bleak for Oklahoma State at halftime of its Dec. 18 game
against UNLV. The Cowboys had committed 15 first-half turnovers and trailed
the Rebels 40-38, worse, starting big men Brian Montonati and Alex Webber
were in foul trouble while contending with UNLV's physical inside players.
But the Cowboys forced the Runnin' Rebels into nine turnovers and 37.1
percent shooting in the second half to pull away for an 89-75 victory, OSU's
third straight over UNLV in the past four seasons. The game featured nine
lead changes and eight ties in the first half, but the Pokes made it a
second-half laugher, outscoring Vegas 51-35.
Alexander's quick scoring triggers key second-half runs
Senior guard Glendon Alexander has made a career out of his quick-release
three-point shot, but this season applying the word "fast" to his game has
another more important meaning. The Cowboys' sixth man has displayed an
uncanny ability to score points in bunches, evidenced by his vital
performances at UNLV and Washington. In both games, with OSU trailing, his
rapid-fire scoring keyed game-turning runs for the Cowboys. Against the
Runnin' Rebels, he scored 10 points in two minutes to lead a 14-0 run that
gave OSU the lead for good, in Seattle, he hit for eight in one minute and
10 seconds as OSU scored 11 straight to defeat the Huskies. Alexander has
hit 17 of 30 (56.7 percent) three-point attempts in the past five games.
Adkins' scoring touch returns
Senior guard Joe Adkins has struggled to get his shooting untracked this
season, but he has shown signs in the past two weeks of returning to form.
Adkins hit all four of his three-point attempts against San Diego State two
weeks ago, and although he hit just two of 11 long-range attempts in the
next two games, he scored 12 points at UNLV and then hit three of four treys
and tallied 13 points at Washington. Currently ranked 28th in OSU history in
scoring, Adkins needs 85 points to become OSU's 22nd 1,000-point scorer.
Montonati continues consistent offensive output
Senior forward Brian Montonati made a name for himself as a super sub last
season, scoring in double figures 11 times off the bench and doing so five
times in games when he played less than 20 minutes. Although he's stepped
into a starting role -- and parlayed it into four double-doubles and
10-points-plus scoring in every game -- he continues to show a knack for
scoring points in small amounts of playing time. He hit 13 of 16 field-goal
attempts and averaged 14.0 points in the Cowboys' tour of the west despite
playing just 44 total minutes due to foul trouble.
Jonzen's aggressive second half a key factor vs. Rebels
Sophomore forward Fredrik Jonzen had one of the best games of his young OSU
career in Las Vegas -- in the second half alone. Jonzen scored 10 points and
had six rebounds in the period and was a key factor with Montonati and
Webber in foul trouble. He finished the game with 12 points and a
career-high-tying nine rebounds. A 42.9-percent foul shooter a year ago,
Jonzen hit a career-best six of eight attempts against UNLV and is now at 69
percent this season.
Williams steps up with other big men in foul trouble
Freshman forward Andre Williams, already a crowd favorite in Stillwater with
his spirited, athletic style of play, solidified that standing with his
performance against Alcorn State. Williams set career highs in minutes (20)
as well as points (11), rebounds (12), blocked shots (four) and dunks
(three). Earlier this season, Williams became the first freshman in school
history to record double-digit rebounds in an OSU season opener. The Kansas
City native had 10 caroms in the Cowboys' lid-lifting victory over
Appalachian State.
Williams has missed the past two games while OSU and NCAA officials sort out an eligibility issue relating to his involvement with an AAU team in the Kansas City area. OSU director of athletics Terry Don Phillips released the following statement late last week: "Andre Williams is being withheld from participation pending reinstatement of his eligibility. The eligibility issue concerns his involvement with an AAU team in the Kansas City area. We feel very confident, based upon the facts, that his eligibility will be restored quickly by the NCAA and that he will be able to return to competition." Williams' status remains uncertain heading into the Sugar Bowl Classic.
Gottlieb continues to dish it out
Senior point guard Doug Gottlieb led the nation last season in assists and
recorded the 13th-best single-season assist total in NCAA Division I
history. Already this year, he is well ahead of his school-record assist
average from last season. Gottlieb has 110 assists in the first 10 OSU games
of the year, with 764 assists in his career, Gottlieb ranks 25th in Division
I history. His current career average of 7.64 per game ranks 13th on the
NCAA D-I chart. Duke's Bobby Hurley holds the total career assists record
with 1,076, and Avery Johnson of Southern set the D-I record for career
average with 12.00 per game.
Other Cowboys can dish it, too
In addition to Gottlieb's prowess as a passer, the entire OSU team has made
a name for itself as a strong passing team in the past couple of seasons.
The NCAA statisticians' manual states that as a rule of thumb, 50 to 60
percent of field goals should be accompanied by assists. But in 1998-99,
OSU's assist/field-goal ratio was 67.9 percent, compared with 60.7 percent
in 1997-98. This season is little different, as 68.4 percent of the Cowboys'
field goals have been assisted. OSU dished out 31 assists, one shy of the
school record, while hitting 37 field goals against San Diego State. OSU is
third in the nation in assists per game (21.3).
Breaking out the orange
When OSU came on the floor in orange uniforms for the Nov. 20 game against
Idaho, it marked the first time in Eddie Sutton's OSU tenure that the
Cowboys had eschewed the traditional white or black unis. The Cowboys also
wore orange in victories over Wichita State and San Diego State as well as
in the UNLV game.
New athletic trainer joins OSU staff
Brian Luinstra, who had previously served on the staff at Wichita State,
joined the OSU athletics department Dec. 13 as an athletic trainer working
primarily with the men's basketball program. Luinstra, a University of
Kansas graduate, did his graduate work at Wichita State as well. He was on
the Shockers' bench for their Dec. 1 game at OSU.
Up next
OSU returns home for its first Stillwater game in three weeks when the
Cowboys host Langston on Jan. 5. The Big 12 season begins Jan. 8 as the
Cowboys welcome Texas Tech to Gallagher-Iba Arena, and OSU heads to Baylor
on Jan. 15 before hosting nationally ranked Texas on Jan. 19.
Notable quotes
"He's a man. How many guys do you have to defend in all three areas? He's
got a strong, strong post game, he can hit the three, and he's got a great
shot from medium range. What else can you say?" -- Washington coach Bob
Bender on Desmond Mason, who scored 31 points and hit 11 of 17 field-goal
attempts against the Huskies.
"In the back of my head, it was like, 'Score! Score! Score!' The first half, it was like I was there but I wasn't there. But in the second half, my teammates got me the ball and I was feeling it. I knew every shot I put up had a chance to go in." -- OSU senior guard Glendon Alexander after scoring 15 second-half points to lead OSU past UNLV.
"UNLV's going to be a really hard game, Washington's going to be a good game, going into New Orleans [to face LSU on Dec. 30] is going to be a really good game. I think for now, we have to get our heads screwed on. We can't do some of the things we did tonight [against Alcorn State], or we're going to lose on the road. It's just going to happen. We have to play solid. We have to finish a complete game. We have to play defense for 40 minutes. I think we're still learning as a team, and everyone's growing together. Even though we have seven seniors, we still learn every day. I think that's what's going on. We have a chance to be a really good team down the road." -- OSU senior forward Desmond Mason.
Head Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 10th year at his alma mater
with a 212-88 record at the school as well as a 642-252 overall mark in his
30th year of collegiate coaching. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to
postseason play in eight of nine years and has won 20 games or more seven
times. Sutton is the 20th coach in Division I history to reach the
600-victory mark, and he is just the seventh coach to reach it in 28 years
or less, joining Denny Crum, Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Jerry
Tarkanian and John Wooden.
Only two active coaches (Knight and Tarkanian) rank ahead of Sutton in both victories and winning percentage, and only one other coach -- TCU's Billy Tubbs -- joins OSU's boss in having won coach-of-the-year awards in four different leagues. Sutton, who previously coached at Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky, is the only coach in NCAA history to lead four different schools to the national tournament. With Sutton and Henry P. Iba among the 600-win club, OSU is one of only three schools -- joining Illinois and Kentucky -- with two coaches among the all-time top 20.
Years School (No. of Years) Record Pct. Conf. NCAA 1970-74 Creighton (five) 82-50 .621 --- 2-1 1975-85 Arkansas (11) 260-75 .776 139-35 10-9 1986-89 Kentucky (four) 88-39 .693 48-24 5-3 1991-99 Oklahoma State (10th) 212-88 .707 81-51 12-7 Totals 30th year (894 games) 642-252 .718 268-110 29-20
Sutton at Oklahoma State
Year Record Conf./Finish NCAA AP Notes
1990-91 24-8 10-4/First 2-1 14th OSU's second Big 8 championship
1991-92 28-8 8-6/T-Second 2-1 11th Second straight Sweet 16
1992-93 20-9 8-6/T-Second 1-1 23rd Big Eight Coach of the Year
1993-94 24-10 10-4/Second 1-1 19th NCAA Second Round
1994-95 27-10 10-4/Second 4-1 14th Final Four/Nat'l Coach of the Year
1995-96 17-10 7-7/T-Fourth --- ---
1996-97 17-15 7-9/T-Sixth --- --- First career NIT appearance
1997-98 22-7 11-5/T-Second 1-1 --- Big 12 Coach of the Year
1998-99 23-11 10-6/T-Fifth 1-1 --- NCAA Second Round
'99-00 10-0 Fourth-best start in school history
On the air
OSU games will be broadcast on the OSU Radio Network with KWTV's Bill
Teegins handling play-by-play duties and Tom Dirato, OSU coordinator of
radio & TV, providing commentary. Dirato and Teegins are in their ninth year
as the Cowboys' basketball radio team, and Dirato is calling OSU men's
basketball for the 23rd season. The OSU radio network can be accessed
through the Internet (www.okstate.com) or on Teamline. Fans wishing to use
Teamline should call (800) 846-4700 and use team code No. 1750. Use of
Teamline requires a Visa or MasterCard. Thursday's game will air nationally
on Fox Sports Net. It's the Cowboys' second national TV audience this season
after OSU defeated UNLV on ESPN earlier this month.
Player Thumbnails
#35 - Joe Adkins - 6-1 - 190 - Sr. - G
Needs 85 points to become OSU's 22nd 1,000-point scorer ... team-high 18
points vs. Appalachian State ... 17 points, all in the second half, against
Idaho ... 16 points, four-for-four from three-point range against San Diego
State while playing in Oklahoma City, his hometown ... nine assists at
Arkansas-Little Rock ... career-high eight rebounds against Wichita State
... earned the team's "Mr. Clutch" Award last season by hitting several key
baskets late in several games.
#4 - Glendon Alexander - 6-5 - 215 - Sr. - G
18 points -- 15 in the second half, including 10 in one two-minute span
during OSU's game-breaking run -- against UNLV ... again scored quickly,
hitting for eight points in one minute, 10 seconds, in a 15-point effort at
Washington ... averaging 13.5 points and hitting 57.1 percent from the field
in home games ... 17-for-30 from long range in past five games ... led OSU
in scoring with 19 points against North Texas ... 18 points against
Texas-San Antonio, hitting five three-pointers ... showing no ill effects
from a knee injury that bothered him early in the season ... set a Big 12
Tournament record last season with 16 three-pointers, including five against
Baylor and a career-high six against Oklahoma.
Antoine Broxsie - 6-10 - 240 - Jr. - F
Injured a knee in practice in early November and has been diagnosed with
ligament damage ... played in 57 games in two years for Minnesota, averaging
over four blocks per 40 minutes of playing time ... second on the team in
blocked shots in both 1997-98 and 1998-99 despite averaging 10 minutes of
playing time ... eligible 2000-01.
#42 - Zac Cazzelle - 6-5 - 215 - Jr. - G
A walk-on redshirt last season, Cazzelle saw his first court time in the
Idaho game and scored two points ... tallied five times at Arkansas-Little
Rock and hit three-pointers against Texas-San Antonio and San Diego State
... played at Centenary in 1996-97, averaged 7.7 points in 27 games, playing
over 20 minutes per contest ... scored in double figures nine times,
including a career-high 18 in one game.
#11 - Nate Fleming - 6-0 - 180 - Fr. - G
Played the final minute against Idaho, North Texas, San Diego State and
Alcorn State ... lettered three years in basketball under coach Garret
Mantle and four in tennis while at Edmond North ... two-year team captain in
basketball and three-year captain in tennis ... outstanding student who was
class valedictorian and a National Honor Society member ... senator on the
student council ... helped lead Edmond North to a state semifinal appearance
and was a member of the national eighth-place AAU team.
#44 - Doug Gottlieb - 6-1 - 180 - Sr. - G
Leads the nation in assists ... 13 points, 16 assists against North Texas
for his second career points-assists double-double ... his 16 helpers
against the Mean Green rank second in school history to his OSU record of
18, set last December ... holds or shares school and Big 12 records for
assists in a half (11), game (18), season (299) and career (610) ... led the
nation in assists last season with 8.8 per game, an average that ranked 13th
in NCAA Division I history.
#12 - Fredrik Jonzen - 6-10 - 230 - So. - F
Career-best 19 points at Arkansas-Little Rock, hitting seven of eight
field-goal tries and all five (another career high) of his charities, scored
13 in the first half ... 12 points, career-high-tying nine rebounds at UNLV
... 14 points against North Texas, going six-for-six from the field ... 10
points, eight rebounds against Texas-San Antonio ... hit 42.9 percent of his
foul shots as a freshman but is currently at 70.0 percent ... played for the
Swedish club team Sallens, which recently made news by facing Magic
Johnson's team in a game in Sweden ... spent one year at Shawnee Mission
(Kan.) East High School.
#43 - Jason Keep - 6-10 - 290 - So. - C
Played key minutes against UNLV with other big men in foul trouble ... nine
points, seven rebounds in exhibition debut ... injured his left knee against
Global Sports and missed the first three regular-season games, returned to
the lineup for his first regular-season action against North Texas, scored
five points in five minutes ... four points vs. Texas-San Antonio ... has
already become a Gallagher-Iba crowd favorite ... averaged 15 points, nine
rebounds and two blocked shots at North Idaho College in 1998-99, his
freshman season.
#3 - Daniel Lawson - 6-3 - 205 - Jr. - G
Made a quick impression in the exhibition vs. Athletes First, scoring a
bucket almost immediately after being inserted in the lineup late in the
game ... got into the game late against Idaho and UALR, tallying his first
OSU points in the latter game ... second-team NJCAA Division II All-American
at Mott (Mich.) CC ... earned Michigan community college player-of-the-year
honors ... helped lead Mott to a 26-6 overall record and a final No. 2
national ranking.
#34 - Desmond Mason - 6-5 - 215 - Sr. - F
Named to the preseason all-conference team by the league's coaches ...
preseason fourth-team All-American according to Blue Ribbon ... 27 points
against Appalachian State ... 28 points, career-high-tying four
three-pointers against UALR ... 23 points, hitting seven of nine field-goal
attempts, vs. Alcorn State ... has started 78 consecutive games, the
third-longest streak in school history and 11 shy of the record ... starred
in the NCAA Tournament with 54 points in two games, ranking third among all
players through the tourney's first two rounds.
#30 - Brian Montonati - 6-10 - 220 - Sr. - F
Started the season with four double-doubles in six games, including a
career-high 22 points against Texas-San Antonio and a career-best 15
rebounds against North Texas ... the 15 caroms against the Mean Green are
the most by an OSU player since Bryant Reeves had 20 against Kansas in 1995
... only Cowboy other than Mason to score in every game this year ... also
scored 14 points against the Mean Green to go along with three assists,
three steals and two blocked shots ... 18 points in exhibition opener ...
scored in double figures 11 times last year, five coming when he played
under 20 minutes.
#24 - Rodney Sooter - 6-2 - 190 - Sr. - G
Saw his first action this year against Idaho, also saw the floor against
Arkansas-Little Rock, North Texas, Texas-San Antonio, San Diego State and
Alcorn State ... walked on to the program last season ... saw his first
action of last year in the UALR game and saw his three-point attempt go in
and then out of the hoop ... also played against Houston Baptist and Baylor
at home ... played for two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, playing for
Coach Lonnie Spencer ... three-time all-conference and -district performer
at Miami (Okla.) High School.
#45 - Alex Webber - 6-10 - 270 - Sr. - C
Went scoreless for the first three games of 1998-99 but would have none of
that this season, scoring OSU's first points of the year 34 seconds into the
Appalachian State game ... 20 points against Wichita State, keeping OSU
close to set up a late run to victory ... hit nine of 11 field-goal attempts
against the Shockers while the rest of the team shot 27 percent ... 12
points, including a five-for-five effort from the field, against North Texas
... scored six points in the first four minutes against Arkansas-Little Rock
... tied a career high with 22 points in the home finale against Texas Tech
last season, scoring 16 in the second half ... led OSU in field-goal
percentage.
#40 - Andre Williams - 6-7 - 210 - Fr. - F
Has become a crowd favorite with his active, spirited play ... career highs
of 11 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, three dunks and 20 minutes against
Alcorn State ... 10 rebounds against Appalachian State, becoming the first
freshman ever to record double-digit rebounds in an OSU season opener ...
seven points, eight rebounds at UALR ... blocked three shots in five minutes
of playing time against Global Sports ... was ranked as the nation's No. 21
power forward by Future Stars out of high school ... the team's best leaper
-- can reach 11-7.
Victor Williams - 5-10 - 170 - So. - G
Illinois State's starting point guard as a freshman and named the top
freshman in the MVC ... began his career with a stellar performance against
Oakland with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven steals ... came into his
own late in the year, averaging 13.4 points and 4.0 assists while hitting
53.1 percent of his three-pointers in the final eight games of the season
... eligible 2000-01.
National Rankings
Here's a look at Oklahoma State's week-by-week appearance in the Associated
Press and USA Today/ESPN/NABC polls as well as Jeff Sagarin's computer
rankings and an approximation of the RPI:
Date AP USAT Sag. RPI Preseason 22 25 Nov. 15 23 Nov. 22 21 23 27 Nov. 29 21 22 21 196 Dec. 6 17 17 22 86 Dec. 13 14 15 27 103 Dec. 20 13 13 8 61 Dec. 27 11 11 4 36
Here's a look at how the rest of the Big 12 and OSU's upcoming opponents stack up in the current rankings:
Team AP USAT Sag. RPI Baylor --- --- 133 117 Colorado --- --- 63 57 Iowa State (39) --- 17 16 Kansas 10 10 10 9 Kansas State --- --- 137 90 LSU (29) (37) 15 73 Missouri --- (46) 44 23 Nebraska --- --- 148 75 Oklahoma 22 22 9 3 Texas 18 15 22 18 Texas A&M --- --- 208 241 Texas Tech --- --- 43 56 Big 12 2 2
Big 12 Coaches' Poll
1. Kansas (6) 116 2. Texas (5) 113 3. Oklahoma State (1) 103 4. Oklahoma 89 5. Missouri 84 6. Iowa State 55 7. Nebraska 54 8. Colorado 50 9. Texas Tech 47 10. Kansas State 42 11. Texas A&M 23 12. Baylor 16
Preseason All-Big 12
Marcus Fizer, Iowa State
Eric Chenowith, Kansas
Eduardo Najera, Oklahoma
Desmond Mason, Oklahoma State
Chris Mihm, Texas
Preseason Player of the Year
Chris Mihm, Texas
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Terry Black, Baylor
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Nick Collison, Kansas
Big 12 Standings
Big 12 All Games
thru Dec. 27 W L Pct. W L Pct.
OSU 0 0 .000 10 0 1.000
Oklahoma 0 0 .000 9 1 .900
Iowa State 0 0 .000 10 2 .833
Kansas 0 0 .000 9 2 .818
Baylor 0 0 .000 7 2 .778
Colorado 0 0 .000 7 2 .778
Texas Tech 0 0 .000 6 2 .750
Missouri 0 0 .000 7 3 .700
Kansas State 0 0 .000 6 3 .667
Texas 0 0 .000 6 3 .667
Nebraska 0 0 .000 5 6 .455
Texas A&M 0 0 .000 3 5 .375
Around the Big 12
Tuesday, December 21at Dayton 81, Texas A&M 68
at Baylor 91, North Texas 74
at Texas Tech 77, Southwest Texas St. 68
at Colorado 76, New Mexico State 53
at Iowa State 89, Idaho State 49
Missouri 78, vs. Illinois 72
OSU 84, at Washington 72
Wednesday, December 22
at Kansas State 68, Old Dominion 64
at Kansas 82, Princeton 67
at Nebraska 80, Oral Roberts 65
at Iowa State 86, Texas A&M-CC 64
Cincinnati 72, at Oklahoma 57
at Utah 79, Texas 73
Monday, December 27
Colorado 79, vs. Villanova 56
Tuesday, December 28
Southern at Baylor, 7 p.m.
Md.-Eastern Shore at Iowa State, 7 p.m.
Niagara at Texas, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 29
Kansas State at Georgia State, 6:30 p.m.
Oral Roberts at Texas Tech, 7 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Mt. St. Mary's, 8:15 p.m.
Colorado vs. Bradley/Hawaii
Texas A&M vs. Santa Clara
Thursday, December 30
Missouri vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Kansas vs. St. Louis, 8:05 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Valparaiso/Arkansas St.
OSU vs. LSU, 9 p.m.
Texas A&M vs. La Salle/Butler
Friday, December 31
Minnesota at Nebraska, 1:05 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Baylor, 7 p.m.
Sunday, January 2
Arkansas State at Iowa State, 6 p.m.
Houston at Texas, 6 p.m.
The OSU Record Books
Career Scoring
1. Byron Houston, 1989-90-1-2 2,379 10. Bob Mattick, 1952-3-4 1,378 11. Corey Williams, 1989-90-1-2 1,320 12. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 1,300 25. Don Johnson/Ed Odom 945 27. Joe Adkins, 197-8-9-2000 915
Career Rebounds
1. Byron Houston, 1989-90-1-2 1,190
6. Leroy Combs, 1980-1-2-3 763
7. James King, 1963-4-5 762
8. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 638
Career Assists
1. Doug Gottlieb, 1998-9-2000 598 7. Corey Williams, 1989-90-1-2 349 8. Brooks Thompson, 1993-4 339 9. Joe Adkins, 1997-8-9-2000 334
Career Steals
1. Brooks Thompson, 1993-4 169
9. Adrian Peterson, 1996-7-8-9 133
Cornell Hatcher, 1991-2 133
11. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 129
12. Joe Adkins, 1997-8-9-2000 126
Career Blocks
1. Byron Houston, 1989-90-1-2 223
5. Johnny Pittman, 1989-90-1 91
6. Andrew Jones, 1977-8 72
7. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 67
Games Started
1. Bryant Reeves, 1992-3-4-5 133
8. Leroy Combs, 1980-1-2-3 89
9. Raymond Crenshaw, 1981-2-3-4 86
10. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 85
Consecutive Games Started
1. Adrian Peterson, 1996-7-8-9 89
2. Darwyn Alexander, 1989-90-1 88
3. Bryant Reeves, 1993-4-5 87
4. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 80
Double-Doubles (Pts.-Reb.)
1. Bryant Reeves, 1989-90-1-2 51
4. Joe Atkinson, 1982-4-5 18
Don Youman, 1979-80 18
6. Desmond Mason, 1997-8-9-2000 17
Three-Point FG Percentage
1. Sean Sutton, 1991-2 44.5
4. Darwyn Alexander, 1989-90-1-2 42.2
5. Randy Rutherford, 1993-4-5 41.8
6. Glendon Alexander, 1999-2000 40.5
Three-Pointers Made
1. Randy Rutherford, 1993-4-5 279
2. Adrian Peterson, 1996-7-8-9 228
3. Brooks Thompson, 1993-4 170
4. Joe Adkins, 1997-8-9-2000 139
Big 12 Stats Leaders
Here's a look at where the Cowboys rank among the Big 12's statistical
leaders (through Dec. 23):
Scoring
2. Desmond Mason 20.9 19. Glendon Alexander 13.0 20. Brian Montonati 12.9
Rebounds
6. Brian Montonati 8.2 17. Desmond Mason 6.8
Field-Goal Percentage
4. Alex Webber 65.2 8. Brian Montonati 57.8 9. Desmond Mason 56.3
Assists
1. Doug Gottlieb 11.00 8. Joe Adkins 4.20
Free-Throw Percentage
2. Glendon Alexander 87.0 4. Joe Adkins 86.2 15. Brian Montonati 75.8
Steals
4. Doug Gottlieb 2.20 12. Joe Adkins 1.70
Three-Point FG Percentage
4. Desmond Mason 48.6 12. Glendon Alexander 44.4
Three-Pointers Made
12. Glendon Alexander 2.00
Blocked Shots
10. Brian Montonati 1.20
Assist-Turnover Ratio
1. Doug Gottlieb 3.06 6. Joe Adkins 1.83
Offensive Rebounds
7. Brian Montonati 3.10
Defensive Rebounds
9. Brian Montonati 5.10 12. Desmond Mason 4.90
National Stats Leaders
Here's how the Cowboys stack up in the national statistical leaders
according to STATS, Inc. (through Dec. 26):
Individual Statistics
Scoring
22. Desmond Mason 20.9
Assists
1. Doug Gottlieb 11.0
Team Statistics
9. Scoring 86.8 3. Assists 21.3 5. Field-Goal Percentage 51.2
The OSU Athletic Center
Oklahoma State will play its home games in a construction zone this year as
massive Gallagher-Iba Arena renovations get into full swing. Here is a quick
look at the facts of the construction:
Facility name: The arena itself will continue to be called "Gallagher-Iba
Arena," but the entire facility is currently known as "The OSU Athletic
Center."
Architects: Gary Sparks Companies
Contractor: Manhattan Construction
Projected capacity: 13,025
Projected completion date: Dec. 1, 2000
For current construction information, see the "Facility Update" section of OSU's web site (http://www.okstate.com).
Box-truss erection nearly complete
Construction of Oklahoma State's new Athletic Center continues with the
second box truss completely in place as of Thursday, Dec. 16. The enormous
metal trusses span the new facility from east to west and will support the
roof structure.
Soon after the box trusses are fully detailed, long-span joists will be put in place. These joists will span the facility from north to south. When the long-span joists are in place, the roof structure and exterior walls can be completed.
Gary Sparks, coordinating architect on the project, says work is progressing very well. "The impressive thing is all the work that is being done inside," Sparks said. "They are almost nine months ahead of schedule on the inside work. The exterior work is also going well."
Training, weight areas relocated
OSU's athletic training facilities and the weight-training facilities are
currently in the process of relocating. When relocation is complete, work on
renovating those existing areas will begin. Those areas, including the
football dressing rooms, are scheduled to be completed by August.
What's next
The most visible work upcoming on the project will be construction of two
more stair towers, one on the north and the other on the south side of the
arena. When those towers are in place, work will begin on the north and
south sides of the concourse.
On Time
The Athletic Center is still on target for completion on Dec. 1, 2000. "I
anticipate no problems making that Dec. 1 deadline," Sparks said. "I fully
expect the arena, dressing rooms, wrestling areas and football coaches
building to be completed by that date."
