Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Men's Basketball Faces Wichita State Wednesday Night
December 04, 2000 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 4, 2000
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OSU Cowboys (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) at
Wichita State Shockers (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000 - 7:05 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. - Levitt Arena (10,527)
OSU Radio Network
Wednesday's Game
Oklahoma State continues its toughest nonconference stretch of the season
Wednesday when the Cowboys visit Wichita State in a regional battle. The
Cowboys began a tough three-game stretch Saturday with an overtime victory
over UNLV, and after Wednesday's important visit to Levitt Arena, OSU faces
No. 25 Arkansas on Saturday in Tulsa.
OSU-Wichita State: The Series
These former Missouri Valley Conference rivals are meeting for just the
fourth time in the past 27 years. OSU owns a 28-6 advantage in the series
after narrowly avoiding an upset in Stillwater last season. In that game,
the Cowboys scored the last 16 points of the game to overcome a late deficit
and escape with a 68-56 victory on Dec. 1, 1999. The Cowboys' last victory
in Wichita came Jan. 14, 1958, although the teams have met on WSU's home
court just once since then, on Dec. 8, 1991.
OSU Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 11th year at OSU and his 31st
year overall. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament
eight times. Sutton currently owns a career record of 662-259 (71.9 percent)
overall and is 232-95 (70.9 percent) at OSU. Sutton is the only coach to
take four different schools to the NCAA Tournament.
A quick look at Wednesday's game
OSU is in the middle of the toughest stretch of its nonconference schedule.
The Cowboys defeated UNLV this past Saturday, visit Wichita State on
Wednesday and play Arkansas in Tulsa this coming Saturday ... The Cowboys
are looking to go 4-0 for the fourth straight season ... Last year, Alex
Webber scored a season-high 20 points and OSU was fortunate to escape the
Shockers with a 68-56 victory in Stillwater. In that game, WSU held OSU
without a three-pointer for the first time since January 1992, a span of 250
games.
About the Cowboys
On the heels of an Elite Eight season that ended with the graduation of
seven Cowboy seniors, OSU's 2000-01 roster includes 10 newcomers, the most
since 1991-92. Oklahoma State returns just 17.4 percent of its scoring from
last season, the smallest amount since 1992-93, the year after the senior
class of Byron Houston, Sean Sutton and others.
Cowboys blow lead, recover to beat UNLV
Oklahoma State lost a 13-point second-half lead, but Victor Williams hit a
pair of free throws with 5.0 seconds left in regulation to send the game
into overtime, and OSU defeated UNLV 77-69 in Oklahoma City on Saturday. The
Cowboys hit just 11 of 20 second-half free throws while UNLV hit 15 of 17,
allowing the Rebels to get back into the game. In overtime, Fredrik Jonzen
and Maurice Baker combined for 11 points as the Cowboys pulled away to
defeat the Rebels for the fourth straight time over the past five seasons.
Baker explodes for 47 in two games
After leading OSU in scoring (19.5 ppg) in the Cowboys' exhibition games,
junior guard Maurice Baker officially opened his O-State career a bit
sluggishly with just three points against UMKC. But Baker -- who nonetheless
had seven rebounds and seven assists in the season opener -- brought his
scoring back to life in the next two games, scoring 24 points at North Texas
and 23 against UNLV. He hit 10 of 12 field-goal attempts, including all
eight of his two-pointers, to lead the Cowboys to an easy triumph over the
Mean Green. Against UNLV, Baker scored six points in overtime to help the
Cowboys overcome the Runnin' Rebels.
Jonzen renews scoring touch
Swedish import Fredrik Jonzen, whose breakout performance in last year's
postseason earned him All-East Region honors in the NCAA Tournament, was
expected to be a key figure in the 2000-01 season, and his performance in
the team's opener did not disappoint. Jonzen hit eight of 10 field-goal
tries and recorded game highs of 17 points and nine rebounds against UMKC.
Jonzen is the only Cowboy to score in double figures in all three games this
season.
Andre Williams' strong game keys UNLV victory
Sophomore forward Andre Williams, one of just three returning lettermen for
OSU, earned his first career start at North Texas and responded with 10
points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots. He came off the
bench against UNLV with one of the best games of his career, hitting 6 of 10
field goals with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Though
he has played just 31 games in his Cowboy career, Williams is already 12th
in school history in blocked shots with 42.
OSU steals an easy victory at North Texas
OSU scored 66 points in the paint and had 18 steals in cruising to a 94-56
victory over North Texas on Nov. 28 in the Cowboys' first true road game of
the season. The 18 steals rank as the third-best total in school history,
four shy of the school record and the best since a Dec. 19, 1988, game
against UMKC produced 19 steals. The Cowboys shot 63.6 percent from the
field, thanks in large part to 28 layups and dunks, while holding North
Texas to 29.0-percent shooting in the first half and 42.0 percent for the
game. Chris Davis, the Mean Green's preseason Sun Belt Conference player of
the year, was held to just one basket in eight attempts.
Victor Williams shines in second game
Transfer guard Victor Williams came into the season as one of just five
scholarship players who were with the team for practice a year ago. The
1998-99 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, who came to OSU
after a year at Illinois State, is expected to be a regular starter in the
Cowboys' backcourt. After a solid but unspectacular effort against UMKC,
Williams had 20 points against North Texas to go along with three assists
and three steals. Williams went to the free-throw line with five seconds
left against UNLV needing to make both charities, he swished both attempts
to send the game into overtime.
Sanders has solid start to season
Junior-college transfer Melvin Sanders has joined Fredrik Jonzen as the most
consistent offensive players in OSU's first four games, counting its two
exhibitions. Sanders scored 10 points against both UMKC and North Texas, he
scored 13 and 14 points in the two exhibition games, making him and Jonzen
the only two Cowboys to score in double figures in the first four contests.
Though he scored just four points against UNLV, he pulled down a
team-season-high 10 rebounds. Sanders leads OSU in steals with nine.
Up next
Oklahoma State squares off against Arkansas at Tulsa's Mabee Center on Dec.
9. It's the first meeting between the Cowboys and Razorbacks since December
1972. OSU returns to the Myriad Center in Oklahoma City on Dec. 16 to face
Northwestern (La.) State.
Head Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 11th year at his alma mater
with a 232-95 record at the school as well as a 662-259 overall mark in his
31st year of collegiate coaching. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to
postseason play in nine of 10 years and has won 20 games or more eight
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 one active coach (Tarkanian) ranks ahead of Sutton in both victories and winning percentage, and Sutton is the 26th person overall and the fifth active boss to coach 900 NCAA games. 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.
GIA sells out, but tickets available
The new Gallagher-Iba Arena isn't even complete yet -- it's due to open for
Commencement on Dec. 16 -- and it's already sold out for men's basketball.
The OSU POSSE office announced this week that all 13,611 seats in the
building are spoken for, and it has started a waiting list for fans still
hoping to purchase ducats for the 2000-01 and future seasons. Interested
parties may call the POSSE office at (405) 744-7301 or (877) 2-B-POSSE.
However, plenty of tickets are available for all OSU nonconference games, including Dec. 2 against UNLV in Oklahoma City, Dec. 9 against Arkansas in Tulsa and Dec. 16 against Northwestern (La.) State in Oklahoma City. Because OSU students will be on holiday break, general-admission tickets to the first three games in Gallagher-Iba Arena -- Dec. 19 vs. UALR, Dec. 22 vs. Lamar and Jan. 3 vs. Texas-San Antonio -- are also available.
On the air
OSU games are 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 10th year as the
Cowboys' basketball radio team, Dirato is calling OSU men's basketball for
the 24th 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.
Player Thumbnails
15 - David Anderson - F - 6-7 - 190 - Fr.
Played just two minutes against UMKC but scored seven points thanks to a
7-for-8 showing from the line ... earned eight minutes of floor time against
North Texas ... saw his first OSU action in the second exhibition, played
seven minutes and pulled down two rebounds ... originally from Levittown,
Puerto Rico, Anderson moved to the U.S. in summer 1998 ... averaged 18
points for Hargrave Military Academy in 1998-99 ... played with the Puerto
Rican national team in summer 2000 ... McDonald's All-American.
1 - Maurice Baker - G - 6-1 - 175 - Jr.
24 points (10 of 12 from the field), six rebounds, five assists, three
steals vs. North Texas ... 23 points against UNLV, six in overtime ... 27
points, seven assists, six rebounds against Athletes First to lead OSU, 12
points, seven rebounds in the second exhibition ... first-team All-Scenic
West Athletic Conference selection as a sophomore at Dixie (Utah) College
... named by recruiting pundit Bob Gibbons as one of the three best point
guards in the junior-college ranks.
21 - Antoine Broxsie - F - 6-10 - 235 - Jr.
Academically ineligible to start the season but hopes to join the active
roster this winter ... finishing recovery from January reconstructive knee
surgery ... 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.
14 - Terrence Crawford - F - 6-6 - 235 - Fr.
12 points, four assists, three steals vs. North Texas ... received starting
assignment against California All-Stars and had 12 points, seven rebounds
... top recruit in Oklahoma in 2000 ... averaged 21.0 points, 11.9 rebounds
and 3.9 assists per game as a senior while leading McGuinness to a 26-3
record and its third consecutive class 4A state championship ... Tulsa World
Player of the Year and the Gatorade Oklahoma High School Player of the Year.
11 - Nate Fleming - G - 5-11 - 185 - Fr.
Got into the game late against UMKC and scored the first point of his
career, also saw action against North Texas ... played in four games last
season but eventually took a medical redshirt ... lettered three years in
basketball under coach Garret Mantle and four in tennis while at Edmond
North ... helped lead Edmond North to a state semifinal appearance and was a
member of the national eighth-place AAU team.
13 - Guy Ikpah - G - 6-0 - 165 - Fr.
Team captain who helped lead Williamstown (N.J.) HS to the Tri-County
Championship in 2000 ... hit the game-winning shot against Pitman High
School ... scored career-high 37 points in a game as a junior ... averaged
8.0 assists and hit 68 percent of his three-pointers as a senior ... also
competed in cross country for one year ... full name is Kwaghhange Orngu
Ikpah.
12 - Fredrik Jonzen - F - 6-10 - 230 - Jr.
17 points, nine rebounds in season opener ... 19 points, 10 rebounds against
California All-Stars ... earned Big 12 all-improved and all-underrated
honors last year ... also an Academic All-Big 12 first-team honoree and the
only OSU player to earn All-East Region status ... career-high 21 points
against Pepperdine ... 30 rebounds in two Big 12 Tournament games, including
a tourney-record 17 against Iowa State ... last name is pronounced
"zyahn-ZEE-un."
43 - Jason Keep - C - 6-10 - 280 - Jr.
Started for the first time in his career against UMKC, responded with a
career-high 14 points in just 14 minutes ... averaged eight points, seven
rebounds, 13 minutes in exhibition games ... played in 20 games and hit
two-thirds of his field-goal attempts last year ... scored six points twice
-- against Langston and Nebraska ... 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.
24 - Ellis Kidd Jr. - G - 6-4 - 180 - Fr.
Currently rehabbing a sprained knee and is considering a medical redshirt
this season ... Dallas Morning News All-Area selection ... helped lead
Madison HS to a 32-3 record and the Texas 4A championship game ... coached
by his father, Ellis Sr., who led the Trojans to three state-final
appearances in the past five years ... helped his team to a 29-5 record as a
junior, averaging 14.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game,
earning All-District 13-4A honors.
3 - Daniel Lawson - G - 6-5 - 215 - Jr.
Scored eight points in 13 minutes of backup backcourt play in Enid ...
played twice last year but ended up taking a medical redshirt season ...
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.
55 - Jack Marlow - C - 7-0 - 330 - Fr.
Four points, five rebounds in Cowboy debut vs. UMKC ... earned starting spot
against California All-Stars ... listed by some publications as the No. 2
prospect in Oklahoma, second only to Terrence Crawford ... averaged 17.3
points and 8.4 rebounds a senior, helping Union to a 21-5 record and a state
quarterfinal appearance for the second straight year ... second-team
All-Metro according to the Tulsa World ... averaged 18.1 points and 10.0
rebounds as a junior at Union ... coached by Rudy Garcia.
23 - Ivan McFarlin - F - 6-7 - 210 - Fr.
Will sit out the 2000-01 season as a partial qualifier ... all-state
selection after leading Willowridge to the class 5A state championship, its
third straight ... averaged 15.9 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 3.2
steals ... MVP of the state tournament ... helped Willowridge finish the
year ranked No. 5 nationally by USA Today and No. 2 by HoopsUSA ... named as
a top-40 recruit nationally.
34 - Melvin Sanders - G/F - 6-5 - 205 - So.
10 points, four rebounds vs. UMKC ... 10 points, four assists, five steals
vs. North Texas ... 10 rebounds vs. UNLV ... hit for double figures in both
exhibition games, including a 14-point, seven-rebound effort against the
California All-Stars ... helped lead Seward County Community College to a
23-9 record in 1999-2000 ... first-team All-Jayhawk Conference ... stellar
track athlete who recorded a high jump of 7-2 to go with a 52-foot triple
jump and a 25-foot long jump.
40 - Andre Williams - F - 6-7 - 210 - So.
13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks vs. UNLV ... 10 points, six
rebounds, three blocks, three steals at North Texas ... 12th in OSU history
in career blocks despite playing just 31 games ... averaged 12.5 points, 5.5
rebounds in the two exhibitions ... athletic power forward who showed
flashes of excellent play as a freshman last season ... the Big 12's leading
freshman shot-blocker a year ago.
The OSU Athletic Center
Oklahoma State is slated to open its stay in the new Gallagher-Iba Arena in
mid-December. 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: 13,611
For current construction information, see the "Facility Update" section of OSU's Web site (http://www.okstate.com).
Media Issues
Although press row will be virtually unchanged from the "old" arena -- apart
from its being located on the east side of the court rather than the west as
in past years -- media representatives should be prepared for a few changes
in OSU's press operations. Most importantly, press members will be asked to
wear their passes for press-room security purposes. More details will be
available as we near the arena's completion.
Game Notes
Officials: Scott Thornley, Kelly Self, Mark Whitehead
Attendance: 7,962
OSU squandered a double-digit second-half lead but managed to escape the Runnin' Rebels with an overtime victory. OSU scored the first eight points of overtime and then sealed the victory when Jonzen scored on a dunk from an Andre Williams feed. The Cowboys led by 13 points early in the second half and by 10 with just over eight minutes remaining, but OSU hit just four of its next 10 free-throw attempts, allowing UNLV back in the game. The Rebels took a two-point lead when Brotherson hit two free throws with 7.9 seconds left, but he fouled Victor Williams with five seconds left, and Williams hit both to send the game into overtime ... OSU and the Runnin' Rebels were meeting for the fourth time in five years, and the Cowboys won all four contests ... Sanders' 10 rebounds are the most by a Cowboy this season ... OSU played its first overtime game since a 67-66 loss at Kansas on Feb. 22, 1999. OSU improved to 53-39 all-time, and 11-12 under Eddie Sutton, in OT contests ... Andre Williams' 13 points were one off his career high. His three blocked shots gave him 42 for his career, moving him into 12th in school history though this game was just his 31st as a Cowboy.
