Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Aggies in Big 12 Action
July 24, 2003 | Cowboy Basketball
Saturday's Game
Oklahoma State, looking to bounce back from three losses in four games, will try to give head coach Eddie Sutton the 600th victory of his career when the Cowboys play host to Texas A&M on Saturday. A victory would get the Cowboys back to the .500 mark in conference play heading into Monday's showdown with Oklahoma.
OSU-Texas A&M: The Series
The Cowboys own an 11-7 advantage in the series, and OSU's only two Big 12 road victories have both come at the hands of the Aggies, including this year's 100-65 win Jan. 3. The Cowboys have won two of the schools' three games played in Stillwater. Cowboys coach Eddie Sutton owns a 24-5 career record against the Aggies, with 24 of those 29 games coming while he was coaching at Arkansas.
OSU Head Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) is in his eighth year at OSU and his 28th year of collegiate coaching. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times. Sutton currently owns a career record of 599-237 (71.7 percent) overall and is 169-73 (69.8 percent) at OSU. Only three coaches - Dean Smith, John Wooden and Bobby Knight - won more games in their first 27 years than Coach Sutton.
1997-98 OSU Schedule/Results Tuesday, Nov. 11 California All-Stars (Exh.)...W 97-83 Saturday, Nov. 15 Texas-Pan American............W 103-71 Tuesday, Nov. 18 Buducnost (Exh.)..............W 114-52 Saturday, Nov. 22 Creighton.....................W 86-70 Tuesday, Nov. 25 Southern Utah.................W 79-58 Saturday, Nov. 29 North Texas...................W 98-60 Tuesday, Dec. 2 Oral Roberts..................W 73-66 Saturday, Dec. 6 Washington....................W 81-66 Wednesday, Dec. 10 vs. Arizona State*............W 79-68 Saturday, Dec. 20 Jackson State.................W 60-58 Tuesday, Dec. 23 Arkansas State................W 78-62 Tuesday, Dec. 30 at TCU (Ft. Worth Local)......W 82-81 Saturday, Jan. 3 at Texas A&M*.................W 100-65 Wednesday, Jan. 7 Nebraska*.....................L 62-67 Saturday, Jan. 10 Texas Tech* (ESPN)............W 66-63 Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Missouri*..................L 64-70 Saturday, Jan. 17 at Baylor* (Big 12 TV) (2 OT) L 95-97 Saturday, Jan. 24 Texas A&M*...................12:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at Oklahoma* (ESPN)...........8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 at Texas* (Big 12 TV)........12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 Colorado*.....................7:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 Baylor* (Big 12 TV)..........12:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 at Iowa State* (ESPN2)...........8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 Oklahoma* (Big 12 TV)........12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Texas Tech*...................7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 at Kansas State*..............7:05 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 Texas* (Big 12 TV)...............8 p.m. Sunday, March 1 Kansas* (ABC)................11:30 a.m. March 5-8 Big 12 Championship (Big 12 TV)....TBA * - Big 12 Conference games * - Game played in Oklahoma City
About the Aggies
Texas A&M is 6-9 and has lost its last six games, although the Aggies' non-conference season yielded a 6-4 record with narrow losses to some tough opponents, including Arizona State. Shanne Jones leads the team in scoring (16.3 ppg), while Calvin Davis averages 13.8 ppg and a team-high 7.1 rpg.
Inside the Numbers
Here's a look at how OSU and Texas A&M compare statistically (number in parentheses represents Big 12 rank):
All Games Big 12 Games OSU A&M OSU A&M Overall Record 12-3 (2) 6-9 (12) 2-3 (6) 0-5 (12) Scoring Offense 80.4 (3) 78.2 (6) 77.4 (4) 63.8 (12) Scoring Defense 68.1 (3) 73.8 (9) 72.4 (5) 80.0 (10) Scoring Margin +12.3 (2) +4.4 (6) +5.0 (3) -16.2 (12) Field Goal Pct. 48.2 (2) 42.4 (10) 45.2 (6) 6.9 (12) FG Pct. Defense 43.0 (8) 42.0 (7) 44.8 (8) 49.8 (11) Free Throw Pct. 68.3 (5) 58.3 (12) 75.2 (2) 49.4 (12) Rebound Margin +4.7 (5) +3.2 (6) -1.6 (9) -2.0 (10) 3-Point FG Pct. 31.4 (10) 26.9 (12) 37.2 (3) 24.3 (11) 3-Pointers Per Game 5.1 (9) 4.7 (10) 7.0 (4) 3.6 (11) Turnover Margin +2.7 (1) +2.2 (2) +2.2 (2) +2.0 (3)
Sutton nears victory No. 600
Cowboy coach Eddie Sutton needs just one victory for the 600th win of his career and just one home win for his 100th coaching victory in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The road victory over Texas A&M was Sutton's 598th, moving him past one-time rival Abe Lemons into 21st place on the all-time list, and his 599th (against Texas Tech) moved him into 20th place all-time among primarily Division I coaches. Assuming he crosses the 600-win plateau this season, he would be the 20th coach in Division I history to reach that mark, and he would be 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.
Among active coaches, Sutton ranks 14th in winning percentage and ninth in victories. Only three active coaches (Crum, Knight and Tarkanian) rank ahead of Sutton in both victories and winning percentage. 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.
Peterson reaches career milestone
Junior guard Adrian Peterson, the fourth-leading scorer in the league in Big 12 games, scored his 1,000th point in the Baylor game. Peterson is the 20th OSU player to reach that milestone and just the 13th in school history to do so in three seasons or less. He is now ranked third in school history in three-pointers made (120) and is the only OSU player to score in double figures in every game this year.
Cowboys getting the ball up the floor
OSU averaged 69.4 points per game in 1996-97, making last season's team the lowest-scoring Cowboys in 20 years, and they were out-scored by their combined opponents for the first time since 1988. But this season, OSU is averaging 80.4 points per game and out-scoring its opponents by an average of 12.3 points. The Cowboys have reached the century mark in two games this season (including the first Texas A&M contest) after failing to score 100 in each of the past two years. The Pokes have already had more 80-point games this season (seven) than they had in all 32 games last year (four).
OSU tries to reverse 1997's road blues
OSU tied a school record with 14 victories at home last year, but the Cowboys were just 1-12 on the road and lost their first nine games in unfriendly territory. That's obviously a trend OSU will hope to reverse in 1997-98, and signs are good after the Cowboys opened their road schedule with victories at TCU and at Texas A&M. OSU has already won as many games away from Gallagher-Iba Arena (three including neutral-site contests) as it did in 16 tries last season. Surprisingly, the Cowboys' road three-point shooting percentage (42.2 percent) is much better than their home percentage (26.5).
Late mistakes lead to heartbreaking loss at Baylor
OSU led by 10 with seven minutes to play in regulation and by four with three minutes to go in the first overtime, but Patrick Hunter's 18-foot jumper with 0:00.4 left in the second extra period gave Baylor a 97-95 victory over the Cowboys on Saturday. OSU committed just two turnovers in the first half and held a four-point lead, but the Cowboys committed 15 turnovers after the break and lost despite having the ball with the game tied with 10 seconds left in each period. The game marked OSU's first double-OT contest since March 10, 1991, when Missouri defeated the Cowboys 94-92 in the semifinals of the Big Eight Tournament.
Peterson gets hot as Cowboys reach Big 12 play
Junior guard Adrian Peterson has averaged 16.8 points in OSU's five conference games - and that's just been after halftime. He tied a career high with 27 points at Missouri, hitting a season-best three three-pointers and draining 8 of 9 free throws. He set a new career best with a 29-point effort at Baylor, draining 22 of those points after the break. OSU's leading scorer (17.6 ppg), Peterson has turned his scoring up a notch in conference play and is fourth in the league in scoring in Big 12 games (23.0 ppg).
Peterson has been one of OSU's top scorers over his two-plus seasons at OSU, but he has added a new dimension to his game this season - rebounding. "Pete" pulled down 10 boards to go along with his 27 points against Missouri, and he has the first four double-doubles of his career this season. Peterson's career rebounding high (seven) prior to this year is below his current average (7.4), which ranks 10th in the Big 12.
Late Missouri free throw barrage dooms OSU comeback
OSU held Missouri without a field goal over the last 5:58, but the Tigers hit 12 of 14 free throws during that stretch to defeat the Cowboys 70-64 on Jan. 14. OSU set season lows in free throws made and attempted, going 9 of 13, while the Tigers hit OSU opponent highs (excluding the double-OT Baylor game) with their 25-for-33 performance. The Cowboys committed just three second-half turnovers but shot just 35.1 percent in the final period and were unable to get closer than a one-point deficit.
Robisch's consistently strong play continues
Senior center Brett Robisch has recorded five double-doubles in the past nine games after his 17-point, 12-rebound game in OSU's Jan. 10 victory over Texas Tech. Robisch scored a season-high 23 points (hitting 11 of 15 field goals for the third 20-point game in his career) and led OSU in rebounding (10) at TCU, and he despite playing just two seasons, he ranks eighth in school history with eight double-doubles. Robisch leads OSU in rebounding (8.6 rpg, third in the Big 12) and is third on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg, 18th in the Big 12). He is second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.1).
Mason's super sophomore season continues
Sophomore forward Desmond Mason, in a mini-slump of late, returned to form in the past three games, posting double-doubles against Texas Tech and Missouri and scoring 21 points at Baylor. Mason scored OSU's first 11 points of the second half at Texas A&M and finished with 21. He is currently second on the team in scoring (15.9 ppg, 10th in the Big 12) and rebounding (7.9 rpg, sixth in the league).
Adkins' fast start leads to big game at TCU
Sophomore guard Joe Adkins scored 12 of OSU's first 16 points against TCU on his way to a season-high 18 points - and that was just the first half of OSU's 82-81 win Dec. 30. Adkins finished the game with a career-high 26 points, including a career-high four three-pointers, to lead the Cowboys in their road win. Averaging 12.3 points and leading the team in three-pointers made (23), he has made a remarkable improvement from his freshman season, when he averaged 3.8 points and hit just 18 threes all year. Ironically, Adkins, whose two free throws with 18 seconds left sealed the Texas Tech win, had gone to the line with the exact same score (64-63) late in last season's game at Tech and had missed both as OSU eventually lost; in this season's contest, he sank both.
Gottlieb passes his way into the record books
Sophomore guard Doug Gottlieb has so far this season provided the element the Cowboys missed last year - a true point guard. Gottlieb has 108 assists and just 43 turnovers, a 2.51 assist/turnover ratio (second in the Big 12), and he has shown an ability to beat a press on his own on the dribble. Gottlieb had a career-high 12 assists against North Texas, tying for the seventh-best single-game mark in school history, and he is the first OSU player to record double-figure assist totals in three consecutive games. After hitting the game-winning free throw at TCU, Gottlieb had a career-high scoring day at Texas A&M, tallying 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
Alexander records top scoring day of season
Senior guard Chad Alexander has been known for his three-point shooting throughout his Cowboy career, but he struggled early this season. Through seven games, Alexander hit just 3 of 14 threes (21.4 percent), but in the past eight games he has hit 12 of 28 (42.9 percent). He recorded a season scoring high with 11 points at Texas A&M and scored nine at Baylor, including a key second-overtime play in which he missed a three-point attempt, stripped the ball from the Bears' Brian Skinner, stepped back outside the arc and hit his second attempt. Alexander ranks ninth in school history in three-pointers made (79) and in three-point percentage (37.6 percent).
Streak intact as OSU closes non-league home season
OSU's home-court non-conference streak is now nearly 11 years old, and barring a postseason home loss, it will extend to the 1998-99 season. OSU's 78-game non-league win streak at Gallagher-Iba Arena is the longest such current streak in the country; Maryland has the second-longest streak at 58 games. The Cowboys' last non-conference loss in Gallagher-Iba was an 81-75 setback against Missouri Southern on Jan. 7, 1987, and the last Division I non-conference opponent to win in Stillwater was Tulsa in a 67-58 decision Dec. 21, 1985.
Cowboy frosh of 1997 are top sophs in 1998
Much was made of OSU's freshman class last season, and although three of the five freshmen suffered season-ending injuries, the remaining two - Adkins and Mason - showed promise, particularly at the end of the year. Both have played well as sophomores, and they are currently the second- and third-ranked sophomore scorers in the Big 12, with Mason averaging 15.9 points and Adkins 12.3.
Individual Analysis: Cowboys vs. Aggies
Here's a look at how OSU's current players have fared in past games against Texas A&M:
Name G-GS FG-A Pct. 3G-A Pct. FT-A Pct. RPG PPG Hi Pts. Adkins 3-1 7-13 .538 3-6 .500 0-0 --- 1.7 5.7 15 Alexander 3-0 6-15 .400 4-9 .444 7-8 .875 3.3 8.0 11 Gottlieb 1-1 6-9 .667 0-2 .000 0-0 --- 0.0 12.0 12 Johnson 1-0 1-1 1.000 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 0.0 2.0 2 Laster 1-0 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 0.0 0.0 0 Mason 3-1 8-17 .471 3-8 .375 9-12 .750 4.0 9.3 21 Montonati 1-0 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 0.0 0.0 0 Peterson 3-3 17-30 .567 8-13 .615 13-13 1.000 3.3 18.3 25 B. Robisch 3-3 10-18 .556 0-0 --- 9-12 .750 7.0 9.7 14 Warner 1-0 0-0 --- 0-0 --- 1-2 .500 0.0 1.0 1 Webber 1-0 3-4 .750 0-0 --- 1-1 1.000 2.0 7.0 7
Looking ahead
Saturday's game is the Cowboys' only home game in a five-game stretch. OSU visits in-state rival Oklahoma on Monday in an 8:30 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN. The Cowboys will visit Texas, one of two teams to sweep OSU a year ago, Jan. 31 for a 12:45 p.m. Big 12 TV game. The Cowboys' next home game is Feb. 3, when OSU plays host to Colorado.
Head Coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1958) has coached for seven-plus years at his alma mater with a 169-73 record at the school as well as a 599-237 overall mark in his 28th year of collegiate coaching. Sutton began the 1997-98 season ranked ninth in total victories and 15th in winning percentage among active Division I coaches with at least five years' experience. Under his guidance, OSU has advanced to postseason play in six of the last seven years and has won 17 games or more each season. Only three coaches - Bobby Knight, Dean Smith and John Wooden - won more games than Eddie Sutton in 27 years as head coaches.
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 1991-98 Oklahoma State (eighth) 169-73 .698 62-43 10-5 Totals 28th year (836 games) 599-237 .717 249-102 27-18
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 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 12-3 2-3 3rd-best start in OSU history (11-0)
Coaches vs. Cancer
Cowboy coach Eddie Sutton is joining his NABC colleagues in participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer program this season. The Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Three-Point Attack is a fund-raising program that recruits fans to help fight cancer. Fans can contribute by making a one-time donation or by pledging any amount from $.01 to $10 or more for every three-point basket the Cowboys make during the season. For information, fans may call the Men's Basketball Office at 405-744-5845.
Cowboy Radio Network
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the OSU Radio Network with Tom Dirato and Bill Teegins providing commentary. Dirato and Teegins are in their seventh year as the Cowboys' basketball radio team, and Dirato is calling OSU men's basketball for the 21st season in 1997-98. And the "600 watch" doesn't end with Coach Sutton; Saturday's game will mark Dirato's 600th OSU broadcast as well.
Dirato and Teegins were unable to make the Cowboys' trip to Columbia last week due to icy weather in central Missouri. However, they were able to perform their game duties from Stillwater by watching the game on satellite TV in OSU's Educational Television Services building. Engineer Joe Riddle, on site in Columbia, combined the on-air commentary with the actual sounds of the game in Hearnes Center, and the broadcast proceeded without a hitch.
Television coverage
There is no television coverage of Saturday's game. Monday's contest at Oklahoma will be televised on ESPN, with Ron Franklin and Dan Bonner calling the action.
Postgame procedure
The Oklahoma State locker room is closed to the media. However, selected OSU players and head coach Eddie Sutton will be available for postgame interviews. If you have any questions, please contact OSU coordinator of athletic media relations Will Hancock.
National Rankings
Here's a look at Oklahoma State's week-by-week appearance in the Associated Press and USA Today polls, Jeff Sagarin's basketball ratings and the unofficial RPI compiled by Jim Sukup:
Week AP USAT Sag. RPI Preseason (64) --- 48 Nov. 17 (61) 59 Nov. 24 (65) (60) 52 Dec. 1 (56) (44) 50 Dec. 8 (36) (45) 24 Dec. 15 (37) (45) 17 25 Dec. 22 (34) (34) 27 Dec. 29 (33) (32) 25 32 Jan. 5 (26) (28) 10 16 Jan. 12 25 (27) 18 17 Jan. 19 (43) (29) 37 38
Here's how the other Big 12 teams stack up in the current rankings:
Team AP USAT Sag. RPI Baylor (47) --- 76 54 Colorado --- --- 174 123 Iowa State --- --- 131 98 Kansas 3 3 6 2 Kansas State --- --- 59 85 Missouri --- --- 101 77 Nebraska --- (48) 47 21 Oklahoma (34) (43) 78 78 Texas --- --- 118 109 Texas A&M --- --- 168 188 Texas Tech --- --- 105 112 Big 12* 7 6 * - Ranked among the nation's 31 conferences.
The Record Books Career Scoring 1. Byron Houston, 1989-90-1-2 2,379 17. Richard Dumas, 1988-9-90 1,112 18. Royce Jeffries, 1987-8-9-90 1,032 19. K.C. Kincaide, 1973-4-5 1,021 20. Adrian Peterson, 1996-7-Pres. 1,017 Career Three-Pointers Made 1. Randy Rutherford, 1993-4-5 279 2. Brooks Thompson, 1993-4 170 3. Adrian Peterson, 1996-7-Pres. 120 8. John Potter, 1990-91 91 9. Chad Alexander, 1995-6-7-Pres. 79 Double-Doubles (Pts.-Reb. Only) 1. Byron Houston, 1989-90-1-2 51 6. Richard Dumas, 1988-9-90 10 7. Raymond Crenshaw, 1981-2-3-4 9 8. Brett Robisch, 1997-Pres. 8 Best OSU Season Starts Year Start Finish 1991-92 20-0 28-8 1950-51 16-0 29-6 1997-98 11-0 ---
Current Big 12 Standings Through Jan. 23 Big 12 All Games W L Pct. W L Pct. Kansas 5 1 .833 21 3 .875 Oklahoma 5 1 .833 14 5 .737 Baylor 5 1 .833 10 6 .625 Nebraska 3 2 .600 12 6 .667 Missouri 3 3 .500 10 7 .588 Oklahoma St.2 3 .400 12 3 .800 Colorado 2 3 .400 8 7 .533 Texas Tech 2 3 .400 8 7 .533 Iowa State 2 3 .400 9 9 .500 Kansas St. 2 4 .333 11 5 .688 Texas 2 4 .333 8 9 .471 Texas A&M 0 5 .000 6 9 .400 Around the Big 12 Wednesday, January 21 *at Texas Tech 79, Kansas State 76 *at Oklahoma 64, Iowa State 63 *at Texas 105, Nebraska 91 *at Colorado 84, Baylor 71 Saturday, January 24 Iowa at Missouri, 11 a.m. *Texas A&M at Oklahoma State, 12:45 p.m. *Oklahoma at Baylor, 12:45 p.m. *Iowa State at Nebraska, 12:45 p.m. *Texas Tech at Kansas, 3 p.m. Texas at Fresno State, 3 p.m. Sunday, January 25 *Colorado at Kansas State, 3 p.m. Missouri at Wake Forest, 3 p.m. Monday, January 26 *Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 27 *Texas at Iowa State, 8 p.m. Home non-league streaks Active streaks School No. Next home game Oklahoma State 78 Finished Maryland 58 Temple 2/28 North Carolina 48 Finished Kentucky 39 Finished All-time streaks School No. Years UCLA 97 1966-77 Duke 95 1983-95 Marquette 81 1967-73 DePaul 81 1942-56 Oklahoma State 78 1987-Present Statistical Leaders Here's a look at where the Cowboys rank among the Big 12's and NCAA's statistical leaders: Big 12 (All Games) Scoring 6. Adrian Peterson 17.6 10. Desmond Mason 15.9 18. Brett Robisch 13.8 24. Joe Adkins 12.3 Rebounding 3. Brett Robisch 8.6 6. Desmond Mason 7.9 10. Adrian Peterson 7.4 Field Goal Pct. 2. Desmond Mason .577 4. Brett Robisch .535 10. Adrian Peterson .449 Free Throw Pct. 4. Adrian Peterson .819 15. Desmond Mason .676 Assists 1. Doug Gottlieb 7.2 Steals 7. Desmond Mason 1.9 8. Joe Adkins 1.8 14. Doug Gottlieb 1.6 Adrian Peterson 1.6 Three-Point FG Made 14. Joe Adkins 1.5 Assist/Turnover Ratio 2. Doug Gottlieb 2.51 Offensive Rebounds 2. Brett Robisch 4.1 13. Adrian Peterson 2.6 Defensive Rebounds 5. Desmond Mason 5.3 8. Adrian Peterson 4.8 12. Brett Robisch 4.5 NCAA Individuals (through Jan. 19) Assists 7. Doug Gottlieb 7.2
#35 * Joe Adkins
6-2 * 185 * So. * G
Career-high 26 points, including 18 in the first half, against TCU ... hit a career-high four three-pointers against the Horned Frogs ... three more threes and 15 points at Texas A&M ... also tied a career high with six assists at Texas A&M while committing just one turnover ... 20 points in losing effort at Baylor ... 17 points and career-best six steals vs. Southern Utah ... six steals ties for fifth-best in school history ... also scored 17 against Arkansas State ... 16 points, 12 of which came in the second half, against Creighton.
#12 * Chad Alexander
6-3 * 193 * Sr. * G
The only remaining letterwinner from OSU's 1995 Final Four team ... season-high 11 points, hitting three three-pointers, at Texas A&M ... 12 for last 28 (42.3 percent) from three-point range ... career-high-tying six rebounds vs. Nebraska ... nine points at Baylor, including key hustle play: missed a three-point attempt but stripped the ball from the BU player who had the rebound; stepped back behind the arc and buried a second three-point attempt ... ninth in school history in three-pointers made and in three-point percentage.
#44 * Doug Gottlieb
6-1 * 190 * So. * G
Seventh in the nation with 7.2 assists per game ... career-high 12 points at Texas A&M ... hit two three-pointers and scored 10 points against TCU, including the game-winning free throw with 8.9 seconds left ... career-high 12 assists, the seventh-best mark in school history, against North Texas ... the first OSU player to record three straight double-figure assist games and just the fifth to record four 10-assist games in a career ... second in the Big 12 with a 2.51 assist/turnover ratio.
#33 * Michael Johnson
6-7 * 220 * Fr. * F
OSU's only true freshman (excluding football player B.J. Tiger) in 1997-98 ... has seen action in seven games, scoring four points vs. UTPA ... was called "Too Much in the Clutch" by the Kansas City Star during his senior year at Shawnee Mission (Kan.) East High School after he hit numerous buzzer-beating shots to win games or send them into overtime.
#25 * Estell Laster
6-2 * 172 * Fr.-RS * G
Career-high 10 points, hitting all five of his field goal attempts, against North Texas ... career highs of three rebounds and seven free throws against Southern Utah ... scored just four points but had an excellent defensive performance against Texas Tech ... medical redshirt in 1996-97 after suffering a broken arm in the fourth game of the year ... showed promise in his small amount of action last year, scoring eight points in his one full regular-season effort and 10 in an exhibition.
#34 * Desmond Mason
6-6 * 207 * So. * F
Career-high 25 points (20 in second half) against Arizona State ... 22 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals vs. North Texas ... 21 points, including OSU's first 11 of the second half, at Texas A&M ... 21 points at Baylor ... 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and a career-high four steals against Washington ... 16 points and career-high 14 rebounds against Creighton for the first double-double of his career (he now has four) ... 25 of his 90 field goals (27.7 percent) have come on dunks, including six dunks vs. UTPA ... second among Big 12 sophomores in scoring (15.9).
#30 * Brian Montonati
6-9 * 220 * So. * F
Scored career-high 12 points, hitting 4 of 5 field goals and all four of his free throw attempts, against North Texas in just eight minutes of action ... 12 points and seven rebounds against Buducnost in 21 minutes of action ... hit 4 of 9 from the field and made all four of his free throw attempts ... played the last 12 minutes at Baylor after Robisch and Webber fouled out; did not score but nearly hit a game-tying, miracle shot at the end of the game ... the Grand Rapids Free Press Player of the Year as a high school senior ... transferred to OSU from Fullerton (Calif.) College.
#20 * Adrian Peterson
6-4 * 197 * Jr. * G
Began the season with his 10th career 20-point game, tallying 24 against Texas-Pan American ... now has 14 20-point games, including a career-high 29 at Baylor ... career-high 11 rebounds vs. Arizona State ... fourth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (81.9) ... has four double-doubles this season after having none in his first two years ... has more than doubled his rebounding output, now averaging 7.3 boards per game after his previous career average had been 3.2 rpg ... 20th in career scoring (1,017) and fourth in career three-pointers (120) despite being only midway through his junior year ... 20th 1,000-point scorer in school history and the 13th to do it in three years or less.
#4 * Joe Phears
6-1 * 209 * Jr. * G
Joined the program Jan. 2 after completing the season with the OSU football team ... number three quarterback who saw action in four games in 1997 for the Cowboys ... completed three of three passes for 55 yards, including a 50-yard pass to Tony Lindsay in the Missouri game ... lettered three years in basketball at Pomona (Calif.) HS.
#31 * Brett Robisch
6-11 * 255 * Sr. * F/C
Six double-doubles this season, eight in his career ... ranked eighth in school history in career double-doubles despite playing just 42 games so far ... has been slowed by a groin pull the past two games ... 23-point, 10-rebound effort vs. TCU ... 12 rebounds, team-high 17 points against Texas Tech ... 16 points, career-high 13 rebounds against Arizona State and again vs. Jackson State ... third in the Big 12 in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and second in offensive rebounds (4.1) ... had 10 offensive boards vs. Arizona State and eight vs. Jackson State ... has started 42 straight games - every contest since he officially joined the Cowboys in December 1996.
#40 * Scott Robisch
6-10 * 196 * Fr.-RS * F/C
Career-high eight points in Texas-Pan American game ... out at least until early February with a stress fracture in his right femur ... career-high six rebounds vs. North Texas ... 11 points (hitting all five of his FTs) and seven rebounds vs. Buducnost ... along with Brett, makes up first brother tandem at OSU since Dickey and Houston Nutt, who played in 1980 ... he and Brett are sons of former All-American Dave Robisch, who played at Kansas ... medical redshirt in 1996-97 with tendinitis and a broken hand.
#32 * B.J. Tiger
6-3 * 195 * Fr. * G
Joined the program Jan. 2 after redshirting his freshman season with the OSU football team ... played on both sides of the football at Booker T. Washington HS in Tulsa, passing for 1,785 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions as a quarterback ... all-state and all-district QB for Booker T.
#22 * Tommy Warner
6-0 * 162 * Sr. * G
On scholarship for the first time in his career ... expects to graduate in May and is a hot prospect in area accounting firms ... has played in five games (also had a first-half exhibition stint against Buducnost), scoring two points against Texas-Pan American and one against Texas A&M.
#45 * Alex Webber
6-10 * 257 * So. * F
Eight points (4 for 4 shooting), four rebounds and two steals vs. Arizona State ... seven points, all in the first half, against Texas A&M ... seven points and four rebounds against North Texas ... scoring total vs. the Sun Devils was his best since his 22-point outing against Mississippi Valley State last year ... one of OSU's most promising freshmen last season when a ruptured disk ended his season in mid-January ... had become one of only four OSU freshmen (including Peterson the year before) to start their debuts.
