Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Lay It On The Line
February 25, 2000 | Cowboy Basketball
Feb. 25, 2000
No. 10/9 (22-3, 11-2 Big 12)
Oklahoma State Cowboys
at
No. 17/18 (23-4, 11-2 Big 12)
Iowa State Cyclones
Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000
OSU Radio Network * ESPN Plus
Ames, Iowa * 3 p.m.
James H. Hilton Coliseum (14,044)
Saturday's Game
Oklahoma State visits Iowa State on Saturday with sole possession of the Big
12 lead on the line. With three games to play, the Cowboys and Cyclones are
tied atop the conference chart, with Texas one game behind. The game also
matches two of the top contenders for Big 12 Player of the Year honors in
OSU's Desmond Mason and Iowa State's Marcus Fizer.
OSU-Iowa State: The Series
OSU leads the all-time series 49-48, and although Iowa State owns a 30-11
advantage in Ames, the Cowboys have won three of the past four meetings in
Hilton Coliseum. OSU has won four straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings,
and Eddie Sutton is 15-4 lifetime against the Cyclones, 14-4 while at OSU.
OSU Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 10th year at OSU and his 30th
year overall. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament
seven times. Sutton currently owns a career record of 654-255 (71.9 percent)
overall and is 224-91 (71.1 percent) at OSU. Sutton is the only coach to
take four different schools to the NCAA Tournament.
Quick notes
- The winner of Saturday's game heads into the final week of Big 12 play with a one-game lead in the league and clinches a bye in the conference tournament. OSU can clinch the tournament's top seed with victories over Iowa State and Oklahoma, the Cyclones can clinch the top spot with wins over OSU and either Baylor or Texas Tech.
- The Cowboys have earned double-digit league wins for the third consecutive year, the school has not had a similar streak since the 1936-37 through 1939-40 teams each won 10 MVC games during a string that saw OSU win five straight Valley titles.
- Oklahoma State has won 20 games for the third straight season and the eighth time in Eddie Sutton's 10-year OSU coaching career. The Cowboys had won 20 games just twice in 32 years before Sutton took the program's reins in 1990.
- The four Division I teams in the state of Oklahoma are a combined 80-26, the best mark of any state in the country, and Tulsa and Oklahoma join OSU in the AP Top 25.
- OSU is 8-2 on the road this season, no other Big 12 team has won more than five road contests this year. The eight away victories are OSU's most since 1957-58, when Eddie Sutton was a senior and helped lead OSU to an 8-5 road mark.
- OSU is 22-3, its best record through 25 games since the 1950-51 squad, OSU's only team to earn a No. 1 AP ranking at any time, started 24-1 on its way to a Final Four appearance.
Probable Oklahoma State Starters
Pos No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 30 Brian Montonati 6-10 220 Sr. 12.7 7.6 Double-doubles in the past two games, eight this seasonF 34 Desmond Mason 6-5 215 Sr. 18.6 6.9 25 points, nine rebounds at Missouri
C 12 Fredrik Jonzen 6-10 230 So. 8.6 6.3 14 points, career-best 13 rebounds, 10-13 from line vs. Oklahoma
G 44 Doug Gottlieb 6-1 180 Sr. 6.0 *8.9 Tied for 13th in NCAA Division I history in career assists (877)
G 35 Joe Adkins 6-1 190 Sr. 10.6 *4.5 Scored 19 of his 21 points at Missouri in the second half
* - Assists per game. Probable OSU starters based on most recent game.
Probable Iowa State Starters
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 5 Marcus Fizer 6-8 265 Jr. 21.7 7.9 F 23 Stevie Johnson 6-4 225 Sr. 7.7 5.0 G 4 Kantrail Horton 6-1 225 Jr. 9.5 3.9 G 11 Jamaal Tinsley 6-3 175 Jr. 10.1 *6.5 G 53 Michael Nurse 6-1 175 Sr. 12.4 2.6
In the polls
Ranked 10th by Associated Press and ninth by USA Today/ESPN, the Cowboys
reached a season high of eighth in the AP list last week. OSU has not been
higher in the AP poll since the 1991-92 team climbed to No. 2 after winning
its first 20 games. The .Cowboys have reached the top 10 for the first time
since the 1993-94 team also reached the No. 8 level in early December. OSU
has been ranked in 16 consecutive AP polls, the longest streak since the
1990-91 and 1991-92 teams were ranked for 24 consecutive polls, including
all 18 in 1991-92, just the fifth time in its history and the first since
1957-58 that an OSU team had gone wire-to-wire in the polls.
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@ L 53-63 Wednesday, Jan. 5 Langston W 125-65 Saturday, Jan. 8 Texas Tech* W 55-47 Saturday, Jan. 15 at Baylor* W 56-41 Wednesday, Jan. 19 No. 14 Texas* W 73-65 Saturday, Jan. 22 at Texas A&M* L 59-64 Wednesday, Jan. 26 at Kansas State* W 71-56 Sunday, Jan. 30 Baylor* W 67-51 Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Texas Tech* W 63-59 Saturday, Feb. 5 Texas A&M* W 87-55 Monday, Feb. 7 No. 20 Kansas* W 86-53 Saturday, Feb. 12 at No. 16 Oklahoma* W 74-71 Wednesday, Feb. 16 at No. 17 Texas* L 57-68 Saturday, Feb. 19 Nebraska* W 94-55 Monday, Feb. 21 at Missouri* W 84-72 Saturday, Feb. 26 at No. 17 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.
Inside the numbers
Here's a statistical look at Saturday's opponents with Big 12 rank in
parentheses.
All Games Big 12 Games
OSU ISU OSU ISU
Overall Record 22-3 (1) 23-4 (2) 11-2 (1) 11-2 (1)
Scoring Offense 78.9 (3) 79.2 (2) 71.2 (7) 77.8 (3)
Scoring Defense 61.0 (1) 65.2 (4) 58.2 (1) 70.6 (6)
Scoring Margin +17.9 (1) +14.0 (2) +13.0 (1) +7.2 (4)
Field-Goal Pct. 49.2 (1) 48.7 (2) 47.1 (1) 46.2 (2)
Field-Goal Pct. Defense 37.7 (1) 41.3 (5) 37.0 (1) 44.1 (7)
Free-Throw Pct. 70.6 (2) 69.4 (5) 71.4 (3) 72.8 (2)
Rebound Margin +4.0 (4) +6.2 (2) +2.2 (4) +1.0 (6)
Three-Point FG Pct. 38.3 (2) 37.3 (4) 40.1 (2) 34.0 (7)
Three-Pointers Per Game 6.4 (5) 4.9 (9) 6.5 (4) 5.1 (10)
Turnover Margin +3.4 (2) +2.3 (4) +1.0 (7) +3.2 (2)
OSU rediscovers an important weapon: the three
After OSU's shocking loss at Texas A&M on Jan. 22, the Cowboys ranked an
uncharacteristic last in the Big 12 in three-pointers per game (3.5) and
10th in three-point percentage (25.9) in conference games. Since then,
however, the Cowboys have re-established themselves as a strong perimeter
shooting team. In the past seven games, OSU has hit 56 of 117 (.479)
three-point attempts. The Cowboys have climbed to second in the Big 12 in
all-games three-point percentage (38.3) and are fifth in three-pointers per
game (6.4). Three OSU players -- Joe Adkins, Desmond Mason and Glendon
Alexander -- rank among the school's all-time top 10 in three-pointers made.
Cowboys back to doing it with defense
The OSU teams of the first half of the 1990s made their name with defense,
holding opponents well below 45 percent in the vast majority of games. That
trend shifted in the second half of the decade -- remarkably, OSU was last
in the Big 12 in field-goal defense in 1996-97 -- although OSU did improve
its ability to force turnovers. This season, OSU seems to have married the
best of both trends, the Cowboys have held 14 opponents under 40 percent
field-goal shooting and have forced more 20 or more turnovers in eight
games. OSU leads the Big 12 in field-goal percentage defense (37.7) and
three-point field-goal percentage defense (30.3). Here's a statistical look
at OSU defense in Eddie Sutton's first five years at OSU and in each of the
past five seasons:
Year(s) FG defense TO forced 1990-95 41.3 13.3 1995-96 45.1 17.3 1996-97 44.7 12.7 1997-98 44.4 17.4 1998-99 42.3 16.3 1999-2000 37.7 17.6
Cowboys hold on for wild, rare victory in Columbia
Oklahoma State dominated Missouri early in the second half Monday and rolled
to a 20-point lead with eight minutes left. The lead was 69-52 with four
minutes left when the Tigers mounted a furious comeback. Missouri hit five
three-pointers over the next three minutes and went on a 20-7 run, cutting
the margin to four points with 51 seconds left. But OSU finished the game
with eight straight points and left the Hearnes Center happy for the just
the third time in 29 trips to the building.
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. As a starter for the
first time in his career, he is now one of the Cowboys' most consistent
performers. The only Cowboy besides Mason to start every game, he has
recorded double-doubles in each of the past two games, giving him eight this
season, good for fourth in the Big 12. Montonati had 22 points (a career
high against Division I competition) and 12 rebounds against Nebraska on
Saturday and hit the first two three-pointers of his career. Against
Missouri, he recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds despite foul trouble.
Alexander continues to get hot in spurts
Senior guard Glendon Alexander continues to show a knack this season for
scoring bunches of points in short time spans. Alexander scored 10 points in
a two-minute stretch at UNLV, eight points in one minute, 10 seconds at
Washington, 15 points in the last 11 minutes against Texas, all 10 of his
points against Kansas State in a game-turning four-minute stretch, and all
of his 10 first-half points at Oklahoma in a six-minute span. Alexander is
fifth in school history in career three-point percentage (42.1) and, despite
playing just two years, seventh in three-pointers made (109). His
career-high 25 points against Langston included a career-best seven
three-pointers, the most by an OSU player since Randy Rutherford hit a
school-record 11 against Kansas in 1995. Alexander scored 25 points at home
against Texas A&M, going eight-for-nine from the field and six-for-seven
from three-point range. He hit six threes against Nebraska and scored 18
points.
Adkins' scoring prowess returns
Senior guard Joe Adkins has once again become one of OSU's top scoring
threats. In OSU's first six conference games, the Oklahoma City native
averaged just 6.7 points while hitting 28.9 percent of his shots and 28.6
percent of his three-point tries. But in the past five games, he's averaged
15.0 points, hit 34 of 76 (.447) of his field-goal tries and 18 of 40 (.450)
long-range attempts, topped by his vital 21-point efforts against Oklahoma
and Missouri. Against the Tigers, Adkins hit all eight of his free-throw
attempts and scored the Cowboys' last six points of the game. Adkins also
hit four of seven three-point attempts and scored 18 points against Kansas
on Feb. 7. His performance against the Jayhawks made him OSU's 22nd
1,000-point scorer. On the OSU career records lists, Adkins now ranks 20th
in scoring (1,075), sixth in assists (405), seventh in steals (146) and
fourth in three-pointers made (167).
Huskers no match as Cowboys roll in home respite
Playing its only home game in over three weeks, OSU celebrated Saturday by
rolling to its biggest Division I victory of the season with a 94-55 rout of
Nebraska. The victory was OSU's third straight home win of more than 30
points, and it was the Pokes' first home triumph over the Cornhuskers since
Feb. 18, 1995. OSU outshot NU 57 percent to 35 percent and forced 20
turnovers while committing just 10.
Mason continues push for postseason honors
Senior forward Desmond Mason continues to dazzle game in and game out,
continuing a hot streak that began with his 30-point game against Texas on
Jan. 19. After his 31-point effort against Kansas -- Mason shot 10-for-14
from the field (despite missing two dunks) and five-for-five from the
three-point arc -- he is just the sixth player in OSU history to tally 30
points four times in his career. He has averaged 22.4 points in his last
five games against ranked teams.
Mason is making his mark in several areas of the OSU records book. With 1,556 points in his career, he now ranks fifth in OSU career scoring. He also ranks eighth in OSU history in rebounds (743), fifth in steals (151), sixth in blocked shots (81), sixth in three-pointers made (115), fifth in minutes played (3,525), fifth in games started (100), ninth in games played (120) and fourth in double-doubles (21). His current streak of 95 consecutive starts is a school record.
OSU is 24-3 in Mason's career when the Waxahachie, Texas, native leads the Cowboys in scoring. Using at least this reckoning, Mason is one of the most important Cowboys in recent memory. Here is a comparison of the last five players to lead OSU in season scoring. The chart lists the player (his years of competition at OSU), the Cowboys' overall record during his career, the team's record in games when he led it in scoring, the team's record in games when he didn't lead it in scoring, and the difference between the last two numbers.
W-L (Pct.) W-L (Pct.) W-L (Pct.)
Player (Years) Overall Leading Not Leading Diff.
Desmond Mason (1996-2000) 84-36 (70.0) 24-3 (88.9) 60-33 (64.5) +24.4
Jerome Lambert (1995-96) 17-10 (63.0) 9-2 (81.8) 8-8 (50.0) +31.8
Bryant Reeves (1991-95) 99-37 (72.8) 42-10 (80.8) 57-27 (67.9) +12.9
Byron Houston (1988-92) 86-43 (66.7) 50-19 (72.5) 36-24 (60.0) +12.5
Adrian Peterson (1995-99) 79-43 (64.8) 24-24 (50.0) 55-21 (72.4) -22.4
Jonzen turns in career performance against Sooners
Swedish native Fredrik Jonzen has started the past 12 games after replacing
an ailing Alex Webber, and although he has played well since joining the
starting five, the best performance of his career came Feb. 12 in OSU's
victory at Oklahoma. The Swedish import scored 14 points and pulled down a
career-high 13 rebounds, most seeming to come at critical junctures in the
game, to help lead the Cowboys to their Bedlam victory. He hit a career-best
10 free throws -- the most by an OSU player since Bryant Reeves hit 10
against Nebraska on Feb. 18, 1995 -- on 13 attempts, including four in the
game's final three minutes. Jonzen, who had 10 rebounds at Texas for his
second straight double-digit-carom game, averaged 2.3 points and 2.7
rebounds as a freshman, hitting 46.9 percent of his field-goal attempts and
42.9 percent of his free-throw tries. This season, he's at 8.6 points, 6.3
rebounds, 55.8 percent from the field and 71.7 percent from the line. He
leads OSU in rebounding in conference games with 7.0 per game.
Gottlieb nears all-time top 10 in assists
Senior guard Doug Gottlieb led the nation last season in assists and
recorded the 13th-best single-season assist total in NCAA Division I
history. This year, he is threatening his school-record assist average from
last season. Gottlieb is currently averaging 8.9 assists this season, and
with 877 assists in his career including one season at Notre Dame, Gottlieb
ranks 13th in Division I history (next on the list is Frank Smith, who
recorded 883 assists at Old Dominion in the late 1980s). His current career
average of 7.63 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.
Gottlieb's OSU career total of 723 assists is a Big 12 record, and he owns
three of the top four single-season assist totals in the league's history,
his 223 assists this season already rank third on the conference chart and
in OSU history.
Other Cowboys can dish it, too
In addition to Gottlieb's prowess as a passer, as well as Adkins' -- this
season marks the only time in school history that two active players have
300 or more career assists -- 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 69.0 percent of the Cowboys'
field goals have been assisted. OSU dished out a school-record 36 helpers
against Langston (including assists on the first 15 baskets) and is fourth
in the nation with 19.6 assists per game, a school-record pace.
Head Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his 10th year at his alma mater
with a 224-91 record at the school as well as a 654-255 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 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 two active coaches (Knight and Tarkanian) rank ahead of Sutton in both victories and winning percentage, and Sutton is the 26th person overall and the sixth 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.
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 1991-2000 Oklahoma State (10th) 224-91 .711 92-53 12-7 Totals 30th year (909 games) 654-255 .719 279-112 29-20
Sutton at Oklahoma State
Year Record Conf./Finish NCAA Final 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 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 1999-00 22-3 11-2 Third straight 20-win season
Quotes on the Cowboys
"They're the best team we've played this year. People are talking about
Final Four and all that, and they're really good because they defend you so
well. They're terrific. Give them credit. There is not a lot of mystery to
what happened tonight: They are a really good team."
-- Missouri coach Quin
Snyder after OSU's 12-point victory in Columbia.
"Joe Adkins had one of the outstanding games he's had. A lot of times, if
Desmond doesn't have a terrific scoring game, we struggle. ... For the first
17 minutes, we can't play any better than we did today."
-- Sutton after
OSU's victory at Oklahoma.
"He's played with some great players before. He's just realizing that he's a
great player himself and the more confidence he gets, the better he gets and
the more it helps our team."
-- OSU senior Brian Montonati on teammate
Fredrik Jonzen after the Swede had 14 points and 13 rebounds against
Oklahoma.
"He is a great player. He is definitely, I think, one of the top 10 players
in the country."
-- Kansas forward Nick Bradford on Desmond Mason, who
scored 31 against the Jayhawks.
"They were as a good a team as I've ever seen or played against. They're a
(heck) of a team, and they showed it tonight."
-- Kansas forward Nick
Collison after OSU's victory.
"Tonight, they were the NBA and we were high school."
-- Kansas coach Roy
Williams.
"I told Roy, as a team we played a little over our heads tonight. But if you
can play like that, you can play with most teams in the country. I thought
our defense was outstanding. It was just a good team victory for us. Mason
had a tremendous game, I think he showed us why he's one of the best players
in college basketball."
-- Eddie Sutton following the KU victory.
"While the polls don't mean much to coaches or the selection committee, the
Cowboys can rest on the fact that they are now one of the challengers for
the Final Four. Oklahoma State proved Saturday that its defense is as
unforgiving on the road as it is in Gallagher-Iba Arena. ... They're playing
unselfish with as much chemistry as any top-five team."
-- ESPN.com writer
Andy Katz in a Feb. 13 column.
"Check out the Cowboys. They're 19-2 after a 33-point rout of Kansas this
week, dealing one of the nation's bellwether programs its worst defeat in a
quarter-century. They're playing the best defense in the Big 12 Conference,
feature one of its best players in forward Desmond Mason, and are closing in
on the Top 10 in both major polls."
-- USA Today's Steve Weiberg in a Feb.
11 column on basketball at Oklahoma's four Division I schools.
"This is [Eddie] Sutton's best team west of the Arkansas River. Better than
the 1991 Big Eight champions. Better than the 1992 Cowboys who started 20-0.
Better than the 1995 Final Four squad. The best of 10 renaissance seasons at
Gallagher-Iba Arena."
-- Daily Oklahoman sports editor Berry Tramel in a
Feb. 20 column.
Up next
The Cowboys return home to close out the season with games against Colorado
(March 1 at 7:05 p.m.) and Oklahoma (March 4 at 8 p.m.).
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 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.
Saturday's game will also be telecast on the ESPN regional network, with John Walters and Paul Splittorff handling commentary duties. The game can be seen in Oklahoma on KJRH (channel 2) in Tulsa and KFOR (channel 4) in Oklahoma City.
Player Thumbnails
#35 - Joe Adkins - 6-1 - 190 - Sr. - G
The 22nd OSU player to score 1,000 points in his career ... 21 points at
Oklahoma, including a vital basket with 32 seconds left ... also scored 21
at Missouri, including OSU's last six points ... 18 points, four
three-pointers against Kansas ... 10 points, eight rebounds, seven assists
vs. Texas A&M ... nine points, nine assists at Kansas State ... six points,
seven assists, eight rebounds, five steals vs. Texas ... team-high 18 points
vs. Appalachian State ... 15 points at Texas Tech ... 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 ...
earned the team's "Mr. Clutch" Award last season by hitting several key
baskets late in several games, has already done so this year against Texas
Tech and Oklahoma.
#4 - Glendon Alexander - 6-5 - 215 - Sr. - G
Career highs of 25 points, seven three-pointers against Langston ... again
tallied 25 against Texas A&M ... 19-for-29 from three-point range in the
past six games, including six-for-10 against Nebraska ... 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 in the next game,
hitting for eight points in one minute, 10 seconds in a 15-point effort at
Washington ... 17 points against Texas, 15 coming in the final 11 minutes
... led OSU in scoring with 19 points against North Texas ... 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 had reconstructive surgery
in January ... 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 ... broke his nose in practice in late December but returned to
practice last week ... 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
Ranked 13th in Division I career assists and currently leads the nation with
an 8.9 assists-per-game average ... career-high 18 points against Langston,
also had 11 assists for his third career points-assists double-double ... 13
points to lead OSU at Baylor ... his 16 assists against North Texas earlier
this year rank second in school history to his OSU record of 18 ... holds or
shares school and Big 12 records for assists in a half (11), game (18),
season (299) and career (723) ... 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 of his charities, scored 13 in the first half
... 14 points, 13 rebounds, 10-for-13 from foul line at Oklahoma ... 10
charities are the most by an OSU player in five years ... 13 points, 11
rebounds at Texas A&M for first career double-double ... 10 rebounds at
Texas ... 15 points vs. Langston ... 12 points, nine rebounds at UNLV,
including 10 points, six rebounds in second half ... 14 points against North
Texas, six-for-six from the field ... 22 points, 13 rebounds in two games
against Texas Tech ... last name is pronounced "yahn-ZEE-in."
#43 - Jason Keep - 6-10 - 290 - So. - C
Averaging just 5.8 minutes per game but is making the most of them ...
nine-for-10 from the field in conference games ... nine points, seven
rebounds in exhibition debut ... seven crucial minutes of floor time against
Texas, with two points, three rebounds, an assist and two steals to go along
with an impressive defensive effort ... scored five points in five minutes
against North Texas ... career-high six points against Langston and against
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.
#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 ... a likely medical redshirt ... 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 ... 31 points,
one off his career high, at Washington and against Kansas ... hit all five
of his three-point attempts against the Jayhawks ... 30 points against
Texas, including 17 of OSU's first 21 points and its first eight points of
the second half ... 25 points, nine rebounds at Missouri ... 27 points
against Appalachian State ... 28 points, career-high-tying four
three-pointers against UALR ... 22 points, career-high 15 rebounds against
Langston ... 23 points against Texas A&M ... has started 95 consecutive
games, a new school record ... Wooden Award candidate.
#30 - Brian Montonati - 6-10 - 220 - Sr. - F
Eight double-doubles this season, ranked fourth in the Big 12 ...
double-doubles in the past two games: 22 points, 12 rebounds against
Nebraska, including the first two three-pointers of his career, 16 points,
11 rebounds at Missouri ... career-best 15 rebounds against North Texas ...
the 15 caroms against the Mean Green were the most by an OSU player since
Bryant Reeves had 20 against Kansas in 1995 ... career-high 28 points
against Langston ... 14 points, 14 rebounds against Texas Tech ... 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
Has played in 10 games this season ... walked on to the program last year
... named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll as a junior ... 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
Currently dealing with a bulging disk in his lower back, but acupuncture
seems to be helping ... 10 points against Nebraska in just 18 minutes ...
six points, five rebounds in 16 minutes at Missouri ... 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 ... 11 points against Texas Tech,
hitting five of seven FGs while the rest of the team hit 31 percent from the
field ... 12 points, including a five-for-five effort from the field,
against North Texas.
#40 - Andre Williams - 6-7 - 210 - Fr. - F
Has become a crowd favorite with his active, spirited play ... the Big 12's
leading freshman shot blocker (1.4 per game) and seventh overall ... missed
five games relating to his enrollment at Maine Central Institute but was
cleared Jan. 15 ... career highs of 11 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks,
three dunks and 20 minutes against Alcorn State ... 11 points against Baylor
... 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 ... four blocks against Texas A&M ... 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 Collegiate Basketball News' 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 Jan. 3 16 12 8 39 Jan. 10 14 13 11 30 Jan. 17 12 12 10 21 Jan. 24 15 16 17 45 Jan. 31 13 14 16 26 Feb. 7 14 13 16 27 Feb. 14 8 9 8 12 Feb. 21 10 9 9 18
Here's a look at how the rest of the Big 12 stacks up in the current rankings:
Team AP USAT Sag. RPI Baylor --- --- 141 113 Colorado --- --- 57 58 Iowa State 17 18 22 19 Kansas 23 23 18 12 Kansas State --- --- 156 114 Missouri (41) (41) 36 29 Nebraska --- --- 154 123 Oklahoma 20 20 20 17 Texas 14 15 10 6 Texas A&M --- --- 194 182 Texas Tech --- --- 119 133 Big 12 5 3
Free-Throw Shooting
"in the Clutch"
Here's a look at OSU players' free-throw percentages in clutch situations
(here defined as attempts in the last five minutes of a game when the margin
was in single digits) and overall:
Clutch Overall Player FT-A Pct. Pct. Adkins 13-17 .765 .828 Alexander 12-14 .857 .816 Cazzelle 0-0 --- 1.000 Gottlieb 1-5 .200 .439 Jonzen 10-17 .588 .717 Keep 0-0 --- .455 Mason 3-5 .600 .756 Montonati 10-12 .833 .762 Webber 2-2 1.000 .821 Williams 0-0 --- .438 Team 51-72 .708 .706
Big 12 Standings
Big 12 All Games thru Feb. 23 W L Pct. W L Pct. OSU 11 2 .846 22 3 .880 Iowa State 11 2 .846 23 4 .846 Texas 10 3 .769 19 7 .731 Oklahoma 9 4 .692 21 5 .808 Kansas 9 4 .692 20 7 .741 Missouri 9 4 .692 16 9 .640 Colorado 6 7 .462 16 10 .615 Baylor 3 10 .231 12 12 .500 Nebraska 3 10 .231 10 16 .385 Texas A&M 3 10 .231 7 17 .292 Texas Tech 2 11 .154 11 13 .458 Kansas State 2 11 .154 9 15 .375
