Oklahoma State University Athletics
Ivan McFarlin Enjoyed Scandinavian Tour
August 27, 2002 | Cowboy Basketball
Aug. 27, 2002
Aug. 27, 2002
While most college students are wrapping up the summer and returning to school in early August, Cowboy Basketball star Ivan McFarlin was preparing for something else ... a 12-day tour of Scandinavia with the Big 12 All-Stars. It would be an opportunity to see different cultures while getting some workouts in a different environment. It did just that.
"Overall, it was a great trip," said McFarlin after a few days back in Stillwater. "It was good learning about different things and about different cultures. I enjoyed getting to know all the players on the team. I got to play with a great bunch of guys and it was an awesome two weeks."
Ivan started the first game for the All-Stars, who defeated the 08 Stockholm club team, 101-68. In a game that saw the leading scorer chip in just 13 points, McFarlin scored six on 3-of-6 shooting, and added two rebounds, two assists, two blocks, three steals and no turnovers.
Ivan's second game might have been his most impressive. Despite coming off the bench, he recorded the first double-double of the tour (KSU's Pervis Pasco had one later on) with 16 points and 10 boards. He connected on 7-of-9 shots from the floor, and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe. The All-Stars won, 95-77, over the Sodertalje Kings.
"We played a much better team tonight," said Baylor Coach Dave Bliss, leader of the All-Star tour. "The best adjustment we made was in playing the more physical international game. That was particularly true with three of our post men in Ivan McFarlin, (Missouri's) Travon Bryant, and Pervis Pasco. Those three players excelled."
Another start in the third game of the trip saw Ivan score nine points on 4-of-6 shooting as he also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists vs. the Norwegian Nationals. It was a convincing 92-69 win for the Big 12 All-Stars.
One day later, the two teams met again, and this time it was much closer as the All-Stars won, 89-79. Ivan scored in double figures for the second game of the trip with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from the line. He also grabbed five boards, blocked a shot and had one steal.
After cruising to Denmark, the All-Stars faced the Bakken Bears, and improved their record to 5-0 with a 98-80 victory. Six players scored in double figures, including McFarlin, who scored 12 on 6-of-7 shooting and had five rebounds.
A return trip to Sweden and the Big 12 All-Stars faced their final game of the tour. It was fitting that they defeated the Swedish club team, I.K. EOS, in commanding fashion, 121-48, as McFarlin scored a tour-high 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting. He also had a tour-high four steals in the game, and added four rebounds. The win ended an undefeated tour, the first in five tries by the Big 12 All-Stars.
For the trip, Ivan was the second-leading scorer (12.3 points per game) and second-leading rebounder (5.2 rebounds per contest). He also had a team-high 70.8 percent shooting from the floor, and a team-high 10 steals. Ivan finished with five blocks (second to Pasco's eight), five assists and only three turnovers.
"Ivan McFarlin just does a little bit of everything," said Bliss. "He competes from one end of the floor to the other - plays really well at both ends. He's great at getting junk baskets around the offensive boards, and he's tough on the defensive boards."
