Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State hosts Kansas on Big Monday
February 12, 2006 | Cowboy Basketball
Kansas (17-6, 8-2) at
Oklahoma State (13-11, 3-7)
Monday, February 13, 2006 • 8:05 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena [13,611] • Stillwater, Okla.
Television — ESPN’s Big Monday
Play-by-Play • Ron Franklin
Analyst • Fran Fraschilla
Reporter • Holly Rowe
Stillwater
Cox Communications Ch. 31
Heartland Wireless Ch. 3
Oklahoma City
Cox Communications Ch. 29
Tulsa
Cox Communications Ch. 25
Heartland Wireless Ch. 30
Radio — Cowboy Sports Network
Dave Hunziker & Tom Dirato
Flagship Station - KSPI 93.7 FM (Stillwater)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio — Channel 117
internet - www.okstate.com
Cowboys Host Jayhawks
Oklahoma State will host the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday, Feb. 13, at 8:05 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN as part of its Big Monday package. The Cowboys are 13-11 overall and 3-7 in Big 12 Conference action following a disappointing 46-44 loss at Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon. The Jayhawks are 17-6 overall, 8-2 in league play and fresh off an 88-75 win over Iowa State at home Saturday afternoon. KU has won seven in a row while OSU has lost six of its last seven games.
On Television
Monday’s game will be broadcast live as part of ESPN’s Big Monday package. Ron Franklin will handle the play-by-play duties, while Fran Fraschilla will provide expert analysis and Holly Rowe will serve as the sideline reporter. This game will mark Oklahoma State’s 68th appearance on ESPN, and the Cowboys’ are 18-11 all-time on Big Monday. OSU is 3-3 all-time vs. Kansas on Big Monday. The last OSU-KU game on Big Monday was Feb. 9, 2004, when the Cowboys ran away with an 80-60 victory on their way to a Final Four appearance.
About the Jayhawks
Kansas is 17-6 overall this season and 8-2 in Big 12 Conference action, sitting in sole possession of second place in the league behind Texas. The Jayhawks have won seven-straight games after back-to-back losses against Kansas State at home and at Missouri in overtime. Despite a 3-4 start to the season, the ‘Hawks have been on a roll since a 69-56 win over California, winning 14 of their last 16 games. KU is led by freshman phenom Brandon Rush who is averaging 14.4 points and six rebounds per game. He is shooting 51 percent from the floor, including 52.3 percent from three-point range. Freshman Mario Chalmers, who is the only other player averaging double figures at 10.7 points per contest, also leads the team with 92 assists. Of Kansas’ six losses, only one has been by more than four points. That was a 12-point loss to Arizona in the Maui Invitational. Coach Bill Self, in his third year at Kansas, has a 64-22 record at the school. He is 271-127 in his 13th year as a head coach, with stops at ORU, Tulsa and Illinois on his resumé.
Series History with KU
Kansas leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State by a 98-51 margin. KU also leads the series in Stillwater, 32-29. OSU won the last meeting with the Jayhawks, a 78-75 win in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City. The Pokes also won the last meeting in Stillwater, an 80-60 victory on Big Monday in 2004. Kansas began Big 12 Conference play by winning five straight against the Cowboys. Since the new millennium, the series is tied at four games each.
OSU-KU Ties
Kansas head coach Bill Self is a 1985 graduate of Oklahoma State and also earned his master’s degree in Stillwater. After a one-year stint as a volunteer assistant at KU, Self returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Leonard Hamilton and then Eddie Sutton. Self spent three years under the legendary basketball coach, including his last as the No. 1 assistant. Coach Sutton’s youngest son, Scott, was an assistant under Self at Oral Roberts. Tim Jankovich, Self’s top assistant at KU, was an assistant coach along with Self on OSU’s 1992-93 squad. Chris Theisen, Kansas’ Assistant AD for Media Relations, is an OSU graduate. KU has two players on its roster from the state of Oklahoma. Jeremy Case, from McAlester, Okla., is the son of former Cowboy Win Case. Darnell Jackson is a native of Oklahoma City, Okla., and attended Midwest City High School. OSU has one player on its roster from Kansas. Senior Luke Byler is a native of Wellington, Kan., and spent two years at Pratt CC.
Sutton Moves into Sixth Place
Despite Coach Eddie Sutton’s absence at Saturday’s game at Texas A&M, it is still recorded as his 1,104th career game as a head. That moved him into sole possession of sixth place on the all-time most games coached list. He was tied with Mr. Henry Iba for the sixth-most games coached in Division I history. Sutton began his career in 1969 at Creighton with an 84-64 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Close Calls
Oklahoma State has had seven games this season that came down to the last possession. OSU is 2-5 in those games, with wins over Texas A&M at home and Kansas State on the road. Here is a summary of those games:
• L 62-64 vs. Gonzaga — Adam Morrison hit a prayer of a three pointer off the glass with three seconds remaining.
• W 79-77 vs. Texas A&M — Acie Law missed a three-point attempt with three seconds remaining as OSU secured the win.
• L 78-80 vs. Colorado (OT) — OSU missed three shots in the last six minutes of regulation and two more in the last 12 seconds of the extra period.
• L 90-92 at Texas Tech (OT) — Jarrius Jackson hit a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in regulation, and OSU turned the ball over after a missed free throw at the end of overtime.
• L 57-59 vs. Nebraska — Jamel White rebounded an airball by Wes Wilkerson and layed it up at the buzzer.
• W 63-61 at Kansas State — Mario Boggan hit 1 of 2 free throws with three seconds remaining to secure the win.
• L 44-46 at Texas A&M — Joseph Jones hit a jumper with 1.1 seconds left for the win.
OSU in the RPI
• Six of OSU’s 11 losses have come to teams ranked in the top 50 of the RPI. Three of those losses were by two points.
• Oklahoma State defeated Tennessee in the All-College Classic. The Volunteers are currently the No. 2 team in the country according to the RPI.
• OSU has the third-toughest schedule in the league behind Iowa State and Oklahoma. ISU’s schedule ranks 23rd nationally, while OU’s strength of schedule ranks 32nd. OSU’s ranks 38th. Texas’ schedule ranks 40th, while Kansas’ ranks 46th.
Up Next
Oklahoma State stays in Stillwater for over a week and will host the Texas Longhorns (21-3 overall, 9-1 Big 12) on Sunday, Feb. 19. That game, televised by ABC Sports, will air at 12:30 p.m. The Pokes will head to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones (14-9, 4-6) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, inside Hilton Coliseum. Tipoff for that game will be at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
