Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU hosts Texas, ESPN's College GameDay
March 04, 2005 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State (21-5, 11-4)
vs. Texas (19-9, 8-7)
Saturday, March 5, 2005 • 8:05 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena/Eddie Sutton Court [13,611]
Stillwater, Okla.
Cowboys host Longhorns in regular-season finale
Oklahoma State hosts the Texas Longhorns in the regular-season finale for both schools. Tipoff for Saturday night’s game is scheduled for 8:05 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN. The Cowboys are 21-5 overall and 11-4 in Big 12 Conference action after a 69-63 win over Texas A&M Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Texas is 19-9 overall and 8-7 in league play following a 74-58 loss to Oklahoma in Austin on Monday night. The all-time series is tied at 32-32 with UT’s 75-61 victory over OSU back on Jan. 17. The game is the culmination of activities featured on ESPN this weekend.
ESPN’s College GameDay
ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site all day Saturday. Oklahoma State is the only school to host both Football College GameDay and Basketball College GameDay this season. The site will be set up on the northeast corner of Gallagher-Iba Arena, near the Spirit Rider statue. The GameDay crew will feature Chris Fowler, Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and Andy Katz. The show begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, and will be live at 7 p.m. and following the late SportsCenter.
ESPN Launches ESPN U
Friday night, ESPN will launch its new station, ESPNU, which will highlight all types of collegiate sports. For Friday night’s show, using the same setup as College GameDay, Mike Hall, winner of the first Dream Job series on ESPN, will host the show, along with former Cowboy Doug Gottlieb. The show will air from 6 - 8 p.m.
3 Doors Down concert in GIA
As part of ESPNU’s debut show Friday night, ESPN Productions will host a concert in Gallagher-Iba Arena featuring the band 3 Doors Down. The show, part of a pep rally, will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m., with the doors opening at 6 p.m.
Saturday is Senior Day
Saturday will mark the final home game for six Cowboy seniors. Daniel Bobik, Terrence Crawford, Joey Graham, Stephen Graham, John Lucas and Ivan McFarlin will be honored in a brief ceremony prior to the National Anthem on Saturday evening. Managers Evan Henninger and Colin Walker will also be recognized. Following the game, a more lengthy ceremony will be held, including video of each of the seniors plus comments from each. Fans are encouraged to remain in the arena following the game for the festivities.
OSU-Texas on television
Oklahoma State’s home game against Texas will be televised by ESPN in its Saturday night primetime slot. Brad Nessler will handle the play-by-play duties, while Dick Vitale will provide color analysis and Erin Andrews will provide sideline commentary. It is the last of 13 nationally televised games for the Cowboys this season, and 23rd of 27 games broadcast this year. Six games have been on ESPN, four more on ESPN2, two on CBS and one on ABC.
Last game
John Lucas scored a season-high 27 points and the Cowboys went 24-of-27 from the charity stripe as OSU defeated Texas A&M, 69-63, Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Lucas and Joey Graham combined to go 17-of-17 from the line, and Lucas and Daniel Bobik were 7-of-11 from beyond the three-point arc. The Pokes had just seven turnovers, forcing the Aggies into 10. A&M did outrebound OSU, 27-26, and shot 46.8 percent from the floor, led by Acie Law’s 22. Graham added 16 points for the Cowboys, while Ivan McFarlin grabbed 10 rebounds. Oklahoma State has now won 11 straight against Texas A&M, and is 17-1 against the Aggies since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97. There were six lead changes, and OSU took the lead for good at the 5:23 mark, after A&M had taken a 52-50 lead with 8:31 to go.
About Texas
Texas is 19-9 overall this season and 8-7 in Big 12 Conference action. The Longhorns are led by freshman point guard Daniel Gibson, who leads the team in points scored per game (14.7), assists (114), steals (50), free-throws made (97), three-pointers made (70) and attempted (171). Three other active players average in double figures in Brad Buckman (12.1) ppg, Jason Klotz (10.9 ppg), and Kenny Taylor (10.5 ppg). P.J. Tucker, arguably Texas’ best returning player, has been out since the last OSU game due to academics. UT leads the Big 12 Conference in rebounding, averaging nearly 40 boards per contest.
Series vs. the Longhorns
With Texas’ 75-61 win over Oklahoma State earlier this season, the series between the two schools is now tied, 32-32. OSU maintains a 14-10 edge in the series in games played in Stillwater, and has won five of the last seven overall contests. The Cowboys defeated the Longhorns, 76-67, in the last meeting in Gallagher-Iba Arena, and has won the last two meetings in Stillwater. Texas leads the series since the Big 12 formed, 13-8.
Down the road
Oklahoma State will travel to Kansas City, Mo., next week to participate in the ninth-annual Phillip 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, held at Kemper Arena. The Cowboys are guaranteed a first-round bye in the tournament, and will not play on Thursday. OSU can finish no better than second in the league and no worse than third. Therefore, the Pokes will play in the second session on Friday night, either at 6 p.m. or 8:20 p.m. The quarterfinal round game will be at 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Undefeated at home a rarity
Oklahoma State will be going for a rare feat on Saturday night. Should the Cowboys defeat the Texas Longhorns, it would mark the second-consecutive perfect season at home. OSU was 15-0 in Gallagher-Iba Arena last season, and is currently 13-0 this year. The last time OSU has gone undefeated in back-to-back seasons was 60 years ago, in 1943-44 and 1944-45. Oklahoma State has only 12 undefeated seasons at home in 96 previous years of basketball. The seniors who transferred on this year’s team (Bobik, the Grahams, and Lucas) have never lost in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Sutton a finalist for Naismith Award
Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton is one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award, presented by Coca-Cola, as the Men’s College Basketball Coach of the Year. The top-20 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. Other Big 12 coaches on the finalist list are Rick Barnes of Texas, Texas A&M’s Billy Gillispie, Kelvin Sampson of Oklahoma and Kansas’ Bill Self. The final ballot will be sent out in March, and the coach of the year will be recognized at the Naismith Awards Banquet on April 8 in Atlanta.
Big 12 Announces Academic All-Big 12 Team
The Big 12 Conference released its 2005 Men’s Basketball Academic All-Big 12 team on Wednesday, and Oklahoma State was well represented. Senior Terrence Crawford and sophomore David Monds earned first team academic all-conference honors, earning at least a 3.20 grade point average. Senior Stephen Graham and Frans Steyn earned second-team honors for at least a 3.00 GPA. OSU had the second-most honorees, as Nebraska had five listed. Kansas finished with three, while Colorado had two. Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas A&M had one honoree each.
