Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Basketball adds several newcomers for 2003-04
October 03, 2003 | Cowboy Basketball
Allen was the second-leading scorer on the squad last season, averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc. McFarlin averaged 10.7 points per contest and 7.8 rebounds per game, leading the Cowboys in that statistical category. He also shot nearly 55 percent from the floor.
Allen, a 6-4 senior from Chicago, was a two-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week honoree last season, and was named the conference Newcomer of the Year by both the Associated Press and the league coaches. Both McFarlin and Allen were listed on the honorable mention All-Big 12 squad. McFarlin is a 6-8 post player that is listed as a senior, but could receive another year of eligibility should he graduate by August of 2004.
Two other players that saw significant action last season return in guard Janavor Weatherspoon and forward Jason Miller. ‘Spoon is a 6-1 combo guard that can play the point or the two-guard. He played in all 32 games last season coming off the bench. Miller started four games last season and played in all 32, but struggled while recovering from a knee injury the year before. Both could see significant action this season after quality offseasons.
Also returning for the Cowboys after seeing game action last year are 7-2 center Frans Steyn and 6-7 post Onye Ibekwe.
Oklahoma State has five players that redshirted the 2002-03 season that will see significant game action. Terrence Crawford, a 6-6 guard/forward combo, sat out last season after rupturing his achilles' tendon during preseason drills. Although he played most of his first two seasons on the perimeter, he has since moved into the post area and can provide an inside/outside presence the Cowboys lacked a year ago.
Three other players will step on the court for the first time as a Cowboy this season after transferring from other Division I schools a year ago. Daniel Bobik, a 6-6 wing player, averaged just over 18 minutes per game his last season at BYU. A deadly long-range shooter, Bobik shot 41.9 percent from beyond the three-point line his sophomore year.
Another duo that transferred in last season are twins Joey and Stephen Graham. Both started all 29 games for Central Florida two years ago, averaging 13.3 and 12.0 points per game, respectively. Joey, who stands 6-7, is primarily a post player that can easily go outside and guard smaller opposing players. Stephen, slightly shorter at 6-6, can play any position from point guard to small forward. Both have a good chance of starting this season.
While four of the five redshirts will technically be newcomers this season, there are several players that are truly new to the program. OSU has gained the services of two freshmen, a junior-college transfer, and a Division I transfer that will be immediately available.
John Lucas, the starting point guard at Baylor last season, elected to transfer from the Big 12 school following last summer's unfortunate events. He averaged 13.3 points and 4.4 assists for the Bears last season, and was ruled immediately eligible by both the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference. Lucas was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last year.
Tremaine Fuqua, a 6-9 post player from Skyline College in Oakland, Calif., signed with the Cowboys nearly a year ago, and lived up to expectations his sophomore year. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest last season, and should provide some much-needed help in the Cowboys' frontcourt. He was also second in the league in blocked shots last year, averaging nearly 2-1/2 deflections per game.
A pair of freshmen have also joined the OSU squad. Marcus Dove, a 6-7 wingman from Long Beach, Calif., signed with the Cowboys last November. He followed that with a senior season in which he averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game. He's an extremely athletic player, very similar in the mold of the Graham twins.
David Monds, a freshman from Macon, Ga., spent last year at a prep school in Florida to improve his basketball skills. His senior season, David averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds per contest. He's a skilled 6-9 post player much like a young Ivan McFarlin.
With an abundance of versatile players, the Oklahoma State coaching staff could send several different lineups on the the floor at any moment. An early season starting five could see Lucas, Allen, Stevie Graham, Joey Graham and McFarlin for the opening tip.
Other options could be to see Stephen Graham at the point, with Allen and Joey Graham on the the perimeter, and McFarlin and Miller in the post. Early indications show that Fuqua and Crawford could also be in the mix in the paint. Expect good things to develop when Weatherspoon and Bobik enter the game.
Along with the top-10 players, others that will see time on the floor are Ibekwe and Steyn, along with Dove and Monds.
The Cowboys' schedule should be challenging, to say the least. The conference schedule alone provides enough difficulties to prepare any team for the postseason. OSU will play home-and-home games with all five South Division opponents. OSU will host Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas from the North Division, and travel to Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri.
The non-conference schedule includes a game vs. Colorado State in Tulsa and a game vs. SMU in Oklahoma City, in addition to seven games in Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU will travel to Salt Lake City to take on BYU, and will play Arkansas in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
A probable milestone that will occur this season is Coach Eddie Sutton's 300th win at Oklahoma State. He enters the season with 294 wins and only 124 losses in his 13 years at his alma mater.
McFarlin, who has averaged 344 points in his first two seasons as a Cowboy, needs just 312 points this season to reach the 1,000-point milestone. With three additional rebounds, he would also become the eighth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his first three years as a Cowboy.
