Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Open Big 12 Conference Season at Lubbock
January 09, 2004 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State opens conference play vs.
Texas Tech in the United Spirit Arena
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004 • 3:01 p.m.
United Spirit Arena • Lubbock, Texas
radio - Cowboy Radio Network • internet - okstate.com • TV - ESPN+
OSU faces Tech in league opener
Oklahoma State travels to Lubbock, Texas, this weekend for the Big 12 Conference opener with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tipoff for Saturday's game is set for 3 p.m. OSU is 10-1 overall this season and coming off an 84-52 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night. The Red Raiders are 12-2 overall this season and fresh off an 80-72 victory over Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday. The Cowboys are ranked 24th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, and receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll. Tech is tied for 25th in the coaches' poll and receiving votes in the writers' poll as well.
Last time out
Tony Allen scored a season-high 24 points on just seven shots, and the Cowboys improved their overall record to 10-1 with an 84-52 rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Tuesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU dominated from start to finish, never trailing in the game. John Lucas scored 16 points and dished out five assists, while Stephen Graham scored 12 points off the bench for Oklahoma State. Daniel Bobik nearly had an unusual double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out seven assists without scoring a point. OSU shot 59.6 percent, the ninth time in 11 games this season the Pokes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor. Allen was spectacular, likened to Sidney Moncrief by Coach Sutton following the game. The 6-4 senior guard was 6-of-7 from the floor, 2-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc, and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. He also had seven assists, five steals, four rebounds, a blocked shot and only three turnovers in 22 minutes. The Oklahoma State defense, meanwhile, was stifling, allowing fewer than 60 points for the fifth time in six game, ever since the Cowboys lone loss of the season at BYU. The Islanders shot just 36.2 percent, including 4-of-16 from beyond the arc. OSU also forced 19 turnovers in the game, converting that to 24 points. The Cowboys shot well from the line, connecting on 17-of-24 from the charity stripe.
About Texas Tech
Texas Tech is 12-2 overall this season and currently on an eight-game winning streak. The Red Raiders' only losses of the season came back to back. First, Tech lost to Georgia Tech in the finals of the Preseason NIT. Four days later, the Red Raiders fell to SMU, 62-59, in Dallas. Texas Tech is led by senior guard/forward Andre Emmett, who is leading the league with an average of 21.5 points per game. He is also averaging 7.2 rebounds per contest. The only other double-figure scorer is freshman guard Jarrius Jackson, who is chipping in 10.4 points per contest. As a team, the Red Raiders are averaging 74.7 points per game and outscoring their opponents by an average of 12.4 points per contest. Tech is shooting 46.2 percent from the floor, but just 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Raiders are outrebounding their opponents by just under one board per game, but have forced 5.7 more turnovers per game than they have committed.
Series history
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Texas Tech, 20-9, including a 5-3 mark in Lubbock. However, the Red Raiders have won three of the last five contests, dating back to Coach Knight's arrival in 2001. Coach Sutton is 11-5 vs. Tech since his return to OSU, as is the Pokes' record since Big 12 play began. The Cowboys are 7-3 vs. the Red Raiders in the last 10 contests.
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 82.7 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 of 11 games this season, and lead the league with a +24.2 scoring margin. OSU is shooting 55.1 percent as a team, which leads not only the Big 12 but the country. The Pokes' are connecting on 39.7 percent of their shots from beyond the three-point arc, which leads the league as well. Oklahoma State has 210 assists on 351 made shots, an average of one assist for every 1.67 shots made. Compare that to last year, when the Cowboys had one assist for every 1.96 shots made. Oklahoma State has finished just four seasons in school history averaging 80 points or more per game, and just once in the Sutton Era of Defense.
Working on defense
While Oklahoma State's offense has been quite potent, the defense has also been playing well. The Cowboys are giving up just 58.5 points per game, while allowing 38.1 percent shooting from the floor and 32.5 percent shooting from beyond the three-point arc. The OSU defense has forced 209 turnovers, and scored an average of 21.5 points per game off those miscues. The defense has taken 15 charges as a team, led by Ivan McFarlin's six. Jason Miller has taken four charges, while Joey Graham and John Lucas have taken two each.
Minimizing miscues
Through 11 games of the season, Oklahoma State has improved dramatically in three categories in the Big 12 statistical rankings over last season. Last year, OSU finished the season ranked 11th in the league in assist/turnover ratio, averaging just 0.86 assists for every one turnover. So far this year, the Pokes are leading the league in the same category, averaging 1.37 assists for every turnover. The Cowboys also lead the Big 12 in assists, averaging 19.1 dishouts per game. Oklahoma State was 10th in that category last year, averaging just 12.8 assists per contest. OSU's turnover margin of +5.1 ranks second in the conference behind Oklahoma. OSU has 153 turnovers in 11 games, an average of 13.9 per game, while forcing an average of 19 per contest.
Lucas dishing the rock
Junior John Lucas leads the Big 12 Conference in both assists per game and assist/turnover ratio. The 5-10 guard has 62 assists and just 17 turnovers in 11 games this season, an average of 5.64 assists per game and 3.65 assists for every turnover. 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 eight games this season. In the last four games, he has 28 assists and just three turnovers. He leads the team in free-throw shooting at 91.3 percent. John made ESPN Sportscenter's top plays of the week for his midcourt heave against Arkansas just before halftime.
Ivan ranks among school's best
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 currently has 576 caroms in his three-year career, ranking 12th all-time. He needs just 25 boards to move into 11th place on the school career list and become the 12th player in school history to grab 600 career rebounds.
I-Mac moving up other career lists
With 13 points vs. SMU in his last outing, McFarlin became the 40th player in school history to record 800 points in an OSU career. He now has 817 points in his career, ranking 38th 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. He has 90 career blocked shots, ranking him ninth all-time in school history. Ivan recorded a career-best six blocks against Southeastern State, and needs three blocks to move past Desmond Mason (92 blocked shots) and into seventh place. Johnny Pittman sits in eighth place with 91.
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 last weekend. He is averaging 9.1 points per game this season, and is shooting 61.4 percent from the field. His long-range accuracy is just as impressive. He has made 18-of-35 shots from beyond the arc this season, good for 51.4 percent. That includes a 5-of-7 effort against Southeastern State and a 4-of-5 outing against SMU. He is third in the Big 12 Conference in three-point field-goal percentage, and ninth in three-point field goals made. Daniel has 41 assists in 11 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.
It's Tony time
Senior guard Tony Allen is one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference. The 6-4 Chicago, Ill., native is currently ranks fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 16 points per game. He's also averaging 4.2 rebounds per contest and 3.3 assists per game. Tony has made more shots than anybody else on the team at 65, and is shooting just over 54 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.
Joey stepping up
Junior Joey Graham has stepped in impressively for the Cowboys this season. The 6-6 guard/forward has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, and has started the last four contests. He's averaging 11.2 points per game this season, and is shooting 56 percent from the field. That includes a 17-of-24 effort in his last three games, or 70.8 percent. Joey's also averaging 4.2 rebounds per game.
Miscellaneous Notes
Saturday's meeting with Texas Tech marks Oklahoma State's sixth conference opener in eight years on the road since Big 12 play began in 1996-97 ... OSU is 4-3 in Big 12 Conference openers, and 5-2 in league road openers since the Big 12 formed ... in the Eddie Sutton era, the Cowboys are 6-7 in conference openers and 7-6 in their road league opener ... OSU has won at least 10 conference games in each of the past six seasons. The only Big 12 season the Pokes have not won 10 games was the inaugural year in 1996-97, when OSU went 7-9.
National rankings
As of Jan. 5, Oklahoma State ranks in the top-30 nationally in eight statistical categories. OSU is No. 1 in the country in field goal percentage at 54.7 percent. The Cowboys are fourth in scoring margin at +23.5 points per game. OSU is 11th in assists per game, averaging 18.8 assists per contest. The Pokes are 15th in win-loss percentage at 90 percent. Oklahoma State is 20th in scoring offense, averaging 82.6 points per game, and 24th in scoring defense, giving up 59.1 points per contest. OSU is 26th in rebound maring, averaging 6.9 more boards per contest than the opponents. The Cowboys are 27th in field-goal percentage defense, allowing a 38.3 percent shooting by opponents. OSU has two individuals ranked in the national statistics. Junior guard John Lucas is 33rd in the country in assists per game, averaging 5.7 per contest. Senior forward Ivan McFarlin is ranked 36th nationally in blocked shots per game, averaging 2.3 deflections per contest.
Coming up
Oklahoma State will host bedlam-rival Oklahoma (10-0) next Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN Regional. The Cowboys will then travel to Manhattan, Kan., next Saturday to play the Kansas State Wildcats (7-3). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
On television
Saturday's game against Texas Tech will be televised by ESPN Regional as part of the Big 12 Conference's television package. Brill Doleman will handle the play-by-play duties, while Paul Splittorff will provide color commentary. Next Wednesday's game against Oklahoma will feature Dave Armstrong handling the play-by-play duties and Jon Sundvold providing expert analysis.
