Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys host Red Raiders in Big 12 Basketball action
January 30, 2004 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State (14-2, 4-1) hosts
Texas Tech (16-3, 4-1) in Big 12 Basketball action
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2004 • 8 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena • Stillwater, Okla.
radio - Cowboy Radio Network • internet - okstate.com • TV - ESPN+
Cowboys host Red Raiders
Oklahoma State faces the Texas Tech Red Raiders for the second time this season as the Cowboys host the Raiders on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU is 14-2 overall this season and 4-1 in Big 12 Conference action, coming off a 72-67 win over Texas in Austin last Saturday afternoon. Tech is 16-3 overall, 4-1 in league play after a 62-61 overtime loss to Texas in Lubbock on Monday night. The Red Raiders won the first meeting with Oklahoma State, 83-62.
On television
Saturday’s game will be televised by ESPN Regional, part of the Big 12 Conference’s television package. Dave Armstrong will handle the play-by-play duties, while Matt Doherty will provide color analysis. Specific listings for certain areas can be found elsewhere in this release.
Last time out
Joey Graham recorded his first double-double in a Cowboy uniform, scoring a season-high 21 points and grabbing a season-best 10 rebounds, as OSU defeated No. 16 Texas, 72-67, in the Erwin Events Center. It broke a string of 25-straight wins by UT at home, a streak which started after the Longhorns last lost to Oklahoma State on Feb. 20, 2002. OSU had three other players score in double figures: John Lucas had 13, Daniel Bobik 12 and Tony Allen 11. Graham was 8-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. The Cowboys held the league-leading ‘Horns to just 67 points, 17 below their season average. UT also entered the game with a nation’s-best +11.2 rebounding margin, but the Pokes outrebounded Texas, 38-30. OSU committed 12 turnovers, but only three in the second half and none in the final 6-1/2 minutes of the contest. The Pokes allowed just four offensive boards to the Longhorns in the first 33 minutes of the game, building up an 11-point lead at the eight-minute mark of the second stanza, their largest of the game. Allen also blocked a last-second shot for the second-consecutive Big 12 road contest.
Joey Graham named Big 12’s Rookie of the Week
Junior guard/forward Joey Graham was named the Big 12 Conference’s Rookie of the Week for the period ending Feb. 25. Graham’s heroics in the Cowboys’ 72-67 win over No. 16 Texas in Austin. He recorded his first double-double in an OSU uniform with 21 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Longhorns. He was 8-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc. He had four points and eight rebounds against Colorado in a midweek win last week.
About Texas Tech
Texas Tech is 16-3 overall this season after Monday’s 62-61 overtime loss to Texas. The Red Raiders handed Oklahoma State its second loss of the season, and Tech has also defeated Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M in the process. The Raiders are led by senior guard/forward Andre Emmett, the Big 12 preseason player of the year. He is averaging 21.5 points on 54.8 percent shooting from the floor and 6.5 rebounds per contest. Freshman Jarrius Jackson and junior Ronald Ross are also averaging double-figure scoring, chipping in 10.9 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
Series history
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Texas Tech, 20-10, including an 8-3 mark in Stillwater. However, the Red Raiders have won four of the last six meetings, including last year’s 62-57 stunner in Stillwater. Tech has won the last two meetings, including the game last season and this year’s 83-62 victory in Lubbock. OSU is 11-6 vs. Tech since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97.
Taking advantage of the home court
The Cowboys have been very successful at home so far this season, sporting a perfect 9-0 record. OSU has used its up-tempo offense and stifling defense to be successful. The Pokes are averaging 82.6 points per game in the friendly confines of Gallagher-Iba Arena this season, and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 24.4 points per game. Oklahoma State is shooting 54.1 percent from the field, including 36.9 percent from long range in the historic building. OSU is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 8.5 boards per contest, and the Cowboys have a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio in GIA. The one glaring statistic that has not improved in home games is free-throw percentage. OSU is shooting 64.5 percent from the charity stripe overall this season, but just 63.9 percent in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Offensive dominance
Oklahoma State’s offense has been impressive this season. The Cowboys have scored at least 80 points in nine games this season, and are currently averaging 78.1 points per game, the second-best mark in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys have outscored their opponents by 30 or more points in six games this season, and lead the league with a +17.7 scoring margin. OSU is shooting 51.6 percent as a team, which leads the Big 12. The Pokes’ are connecting on 36.6 percent of their shots from beyond the three-point arc, which is fourth in the league. Oklahoma State has 274 assists on 478 made shots, an average of one assist for every 1.74 shots made. Compare that to last year, when the Cowboys had one assist for every 1.96 shots made.
Defensive pressure
While Oklahoma State’s offense has been quite potent, the defense has also been playing well. The Cowboys are giving up just 60.4 points per game, the second-best mark in the league, while allowing 39.8 percent shooting from the floor and 32 percent shooting from beyond the three-point arc. The OSU defense has forced 297 turnovers, an average of 18.6 per contest (second-best mark in the Big 12) and scored an average of 21 points per game off those miscues. The defense has taken 18 charges as a team, led by Ivan McFarlin’s eight. The Cowboys are second in the league in allowing rebounds, giving up just 31.2 boards per contest. OSU is also second in the league in steals, averaging 9.4 thefts per game.
Minimizing miscues
The Cowboys have made some dramatic improvements in their ball-handling skills this year as opposed to last season. In 2002-03, OSU had a +1.97 turnover margin when the season was complete. This year, the Pokes have a +4.13 turnover margin. Last season, Oklahoma State ranked 11th in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 0.86. This year, OSU is second in the league in the same category, averaging 1.19 assists for every turnover. The Pokes are second in the Big 12 in assists, averaging 17.13 dishouts per game. OSU was 10th in that category last year, averaging just 12.8 assists per contest. The Cowboys have 231 turnovers this season, an average of 14.4 per game, while forcing an average of 18.6 per contest.
Ivan ranks among school’s best
Foward Ivan McFarlin, who grabbed double-figure rebounds in back-to-back games against Southeastern State and Arkansas, ranks among the best rebounders of all-time in OSU history. He became the 12th player in school history to record 600 boards when he grabbed eight vs. Colorado. He also moved into 11th place on the all-time rebounding list in that game. He needs 54 rebounds to move past Andre Williams and into 10th place on the school career list.
I-Mac moving up other career lists
With 13 points vs. SMU, McFarlin became the 40th player in school history to record 800 points in an OSU career. He now has 871 points in his career, ranking 34th on the all-time list. Ivan recorded his fourth double-double of the season and the 18th of his career with 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Mustangs. His 18 double-doubles ties him with Joe Atkinson and Don Youman for the fifth most in school history. Ivan has 93 career blocked shots, and sits in sixth place all-time in school history. Ivan recorded a career-best six blocks against Southeastern State. Leroy Combs sits in fifth place with 167 career blocked shots. Ivan needs 74 more deflections before catching the top five.
Lucas improving in all facets of the game
Junior John Lucas was named the Big 12 Conference’s Player of the Week for his efforts in wins over Oklahoma and Kansas State. He leads the league with his 3.28 assist/turnover ratio, and is second in the Big 12 Conference in assists per game, averaging 5.13 assists per contest. The 5-10 guard has 82 assists and just 25 turnovers in 16 games this season. He dished out a career-high 13 assists vs. SMU, recording his second double-double as a Poke. He also had 10 points against the Ponies. Against Southeastern State, he recorded his first double-double with 11 assists and 10 points. He has had double-figure scoring in 11 games this season, including a season-best 22 vs. Oklahoma. In the last nine games, he has 48 assists and just 11 turnovers. He leads the team in free-throw shooting at 87.9 percent. John made ESPN Sportscenter’s top plays of the week for his midcourt heave against Arkansas just before halftime.
Bobik coming up big time
Junior transfer Daniel Bobik has been a pleasant surprise this season. The 6-4 guard from Newbury Park, Calif., was named the MVP of the Touchtone Energy All-College Classic. He is averaging 8.7 points per game this season, and is shooting 52.2 percent from the field. His long-range accuracy is just as impressive. He has made 26-of-56 shots from beyond the arc this season, good for 46.4 percent. That includes a 5-of-7 effort against Southeastern State and a 4-of-5 outing against SMU. He is fifth in the Big 12 Conference in three-point field-goal percentage, and 12th in three-point field goals made. Daniel has 50 assists in 16 games this season, surpassing his single-season best (34) while at BYU. In two seasons with the Cougars, Bobik averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
Allen one of league’s best
Senior guard Tony Allen is one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference. The 6-4 Chicago, Ill., native currently ranks sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game. He’s also averaging 4.8 rebounds per contest and 2.9 assists per game. Tony has made more shots than anybody else on the team at 93, and is shooting 50.5 percent from the field. He scored a season-high 24 points against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and also tied career bests in assists with seven and steals with five in that game. Tony scored 20 or more points for the third time this season with 20 vs. the Sooners, a game in which he connected on 9-of-13 shots from the floor.
Coming up
Oklahoma State will travel to College Station, Texas, to face the Texas A&M Aggies (7-8, 0-4) on Tuesday, Feb. 3, for a 7 p.m. game. The game will be televised by Cowboy Sports Properties. OSU will then travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Feb. 7, for a 12:45 p.m. game with the Iowa State Cyclones (11-4, 2-2). That game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
National rankings
As of Jan. 26, Oklahoma State ranks in the top-30 nationally in seven statistical categories. The Cowboys are second in the country in field-goal percentage, shooting 51.6 percent from the floor. OSU is seventh in scoring margin, outscoring its opponents by an average of 17.7 points per game. The Pokes are 12th in won-loss percentage at 87.5 percent. OSU is 23rd in assists per game, averaging 17.1 per contest. Oklahoma State is 27th in scoring defense, allowing 60.4 points per game. The Cowboys are 34th in scoring offense, scoring 78.1 points per contest, and 37th in field-goal percentage defense, allowing a 39.8 percent shooting average from the floor.
Cowboys picked fifth in preseason
In preseason polls conducted by the Big 12 Conference office, OSU has been predicted to finish fifth in the league by both the conference coaches and writers that regularly cover the area. Individually, Tony Allen received votes for the preseason All-Big 12 squad.
Sutton & Knight: Coaching Legends
Saturday’s game will mark the 11th meeting between coaches Eddie Sutton and Bob Knight on the hardcourt. Both were mentored by the legendary Coach Henry Iba. Coach Sutton played for Mr. Iba at Oklahoma State, while Mr. Iba served as an honorary coach for Knight during the 1984 Olympics.
