Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Face Longhorns in Austin
February 08, 2013 | Cowboy Basketball
Feb. 8, 2013
No. 22 Oklahoma State at Texas
12:45 pm | Saturday, February 9, 2013
Austin, Texas | Erwin Center (16,734)
Television -- Big 12 Network
Dave Armstrong | play-by-play
Reid Gettys | analyst
Kaylee Hartung | reporter
Cox (OKC) -- 11
Cox (Tulsa) -- 10
Suddenlink -- 11
direcTV -- *
Dish -- *
* check local listings
Radio
Dave Hunziker | play-by-play
John Holcomb | analyst
Satellite Radio -- Sirius 137 • XM 192
Game Notes vs Texas in PDF format
Game Information
Oklahoma State travels to Austin, Texas, this weekend to face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 12:45 pm in the Erwin Center. The game will be televised by the Big 12 Network, with Dave Armstrong handling the play-by-play duties and Reid Gettys providing color commentary.
About Oklahoma State
OSU is 16-5 overall and 6-3 in Big 12 action following a 69-67 overtime win against Baylor on Wednesday night. The Cowboys are currently ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, 24th in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 18 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
Markel Brown leads OSU offensively, averaging 15.3 ppg while shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. Marcus Smart is second with his 14.2 ppg, while Le'Bryan Nash is chipping in 13 ppg. Smart leads the Pokes in assists (98) and steals (62). Philip Jurick is the team leader in rebounds, averaging 7.1 per game. Phil Forte is also averaging double figures in scoring at 11.6 points per contest and shooting 36.6 percent from long range.
The Cowboy defense is limiting its opponents to just 60.6 points per game and 38.9 percent shooting from the floor. OSU has held seven opponents under the half-century mark this year, a feat which has not been accomplished since the 1962-63 season. Five Cowboys have blocked 16 or more shots this season: Jurick and Michael Cobbins both have 23, Brown has 18, Kamari Murphy has 17, and Smart has blocked 16 shots.
About Texas
Texas is 10-12 overall and 2-7 in league play following a 60-58 loss at West Virginia on Monday. The Longhorns are led by soph guard Sheldon McClellan who is averaging 14.8 points per game. He's had 136 attempts at the free-throw line and connected on 79.4 percent. Soph guard Julien Lewis is averaging 11.5 points, the only other UT player averaging double figures. Freshman guard Javan Felix leads the `Horns with 5.7 assists per game and is scoring 8.2 ppg. All 10 of Texas' regulars are either freshmen (six) or sophomores (four). Nine of the Longhorns' 10 wins this season have come at home. Rick Barnes is in his 15th season as head coach at UT and is 352-149.
Cowboy Quick Hits
• OSU has defeated two top-10 teams this season, both away from Gallagher-Iba Arena (#6/6 NC State in Puerto Rico, #1/2 Kansas in Lawrence).
• OSU has defeated three teams ranked in the top-two in the last four seasons.
• Marcus Smart is the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week and was named the national player of the week by ESPN.com.
• OSU is the only team in the Big 12 Conference that has three different players ranked among the league's top 10 in scoring and four among the top 20.
• OSU leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 18th nationally in free-throw percentage at 75.1%.
• OSU also leads the Big 12 and ranks 44th nationally in turnover margin, averaging 2.8 fewer turnovers per game than its opponents.
• Marcus Smart leads the league in steals, ranks sixth in assists, is seventh in scoring, and ranks 14th in rebounding.
• In conference games, Markel Brown ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 16.9 ppg.
• Phil Forte is shooting 86.8 percent from the line in league games only, leading the Big 12.
Series History vs Texas
Texas leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State 45-36, including a 26-11 mark in Austin. UT has won 11 of the last 13 meetings, as well as the last eight in the Erwin Center.
OSU's last win in Austin was on Jan. 24, 2004, when the No. 24 Cowboys defeated the 16th-ranked Longhorns 72-67. Since then, the closest game was a 62-57 UT victory on March 9, 2008.
Last year's victory was the 12th OSU win since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97. The Cowboys have won eight times in Stillwater, twice in Austin, and twice in the Big 12 Championship. OSU's 105-103 triple-overtime victory in Stillwater on Jan. 16, 2007, is considered one of the most exciting games in school history.
Current Cowboys vs Texas
• Markel Brown is averaging 10.3 points and six rebounds in four games (three starts) vs the `Horns. He had three blocks in Austin in 2011.
• Michael Cobbins started both games last season and averaged 10.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 4.5 bpg. He nearly recorded a double-double in Austin last season with 10 rebounds and nine points.
• Philip Jurick played in both games last season, starting in Austin.
• Le'Bryan Nash started both games last season and scored 12 in Austin and 18 in Stillwater. He shot 52.6 percent from the field.
• Brian Williams started both games last season and averaged 12 points, including 16 in Austin. He recorded career highs with six steals and three blocked shots in Stillwater.
Last Time vs the `Horns
Keiton Page scored a career-high 40 points, the most ever by a Cowboy against Texas, and OSU defeated the Longhorns 90-78 in Stillwater. Page was 20-of-20 from the line, the second-most attempts without a miss in school history, four behind the NCAA record set by Arlen Clark in 1959. Page also connected on 4-of-8 threes.
The Cowboys attempted 56 free throws in the game, a school record, and made 43, one shy of the school mark. OSU outscored UT 51-39 in the first half, and the match was all square in the second period, thanks to 22 points by Myck Kabongo and 20 by J'Covan Brown.
Le'Bryan Nash added 18 points for the Cowboys while Michael Cobbins and Markel Brown each chipped in 12. Brown also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, recording his third double-double of his career.
Brian Williams recorded career highs in both steals (six) and blocked shots (three), while Cobbins added four blocks of his own. Williams' six steals are the most ever by a Cowboy against Texas.
Back in the Polls
Following victories over Iowa State and No. 1/2 Kansas, Oklahoma State is back in the Associated Press poll this week at No. 22. The Cowboys have also re-entered the USA Today Coaches poll at No. 24. OSU was ranked for seven-consecutive weeks following a tournament title at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off earlier this season, but fell from the rankings after consecutive losses to two teams currently ranked in the top 15: sixth-ranked Gonzaga at home and at No. 13 Kansas State. Oklahoma State was ranked as high as No. 15 during the week of Nov. 26.
Close Games
The last three games have been nailbiters for the Oklahoma State contingent. All three came down to the last play of the game and all resulted in Cowboy victories.
Against Iowa State, OSU was down four with 2:15 remaining in the game. Three free throws by Phil Forte and another by Michael Cobbins tied the game at 76-76 with 45 seconds left. Marcus Smart made a layup with 3.1 seconds left in the game, and after a pair of botched inbounds plays, the game eventually ended with a 78-76 Cowboy victory.
In Lawrence, Oklahoma State led by as many as 14 points in the first half. The Cowboys still led by eight with just over a minute left, but a furious KU rally cut he lead to one when an Elijah Johnson layup cut Kansas' deficit to 81-80 with less than 20 seconds left. Phil Forte hit a pair of free throws to put OSU up 83-80, and a steal by Marcus Smart led to a Forte layup as the buzzer sounded.
Against Baylor on Wednesday, the game appeared over when OSU took a 13-point lead with just under seven minutes left in the contest. But, a 14-1 run by the Bears tied the game at 57-57 with just under two minutes left in regulation, and overtime ensued. Down three with less than two minutes remaining in the extra period, Phil Forte tied the game with a trey from the top of the key with a little over a minute to play. A turnover by Pierre Jackson and a missed layup by Marcus Smart gave Baylor possession and a chance to win it. A.J. Walton drove the lane, but Michael Cobbins blocked his shot, and the ball landed in Markel Brown's lap. The Cowboy junior raced down the court and hit a layup with 0.2 seconds left, giving OSU its fourth-straight victory.
Victory in Lawrence
The victory in Lawrence, Kan., on Feb. 2 has so many ramifications. It is not only a resumé building win, but it also gave Oklahoma State some momentum heading into the final one-third of the regular season. It ended a 16-game losing streak in Allen Fieldhouse, an arena in which Oklahoma State had not won since 1989.
It also marked OSU's first road win over a top-five team since 1958, when the Cowboys defeated the No. 2 Jayhawks 52-50 in overtime. The team Oklahoma State defeated on Saturday was ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/Coaches poll and No. 2 in the Associated Press poll.
Oklahoma State has now defeated a team ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 at game time for the third time in the last four seasons. The Cowboys defeated the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Feb. 27, 2010, and defeated the No. 2 Missouri Tigers on Jan. 25, 2012.
Scheduling Glitch?
The Big 12 Conference schedule is computer generated, with a few modifications. However, it's interesting to note that six of OSU's weekend opponents this season got or will get an extended break prior to playing the Cowboys. When OSU played Oklahoma on Jan. 12 following a game on Wednesday, the Sooners had been off since the previous Saturday. When OSU played Kansas on Feb. 2 following a game on Wednesday, the Jayhawks had been off since their Big Monday game. This Saturday, when the Cowboys face Texas after their game on Wednesday, the Longhorns have been off since Monday. This coincidence will occur three more times this season. OSU plays Wednesday/Saturday for the remainder of league play, while their opponents on Feb. 16 (Oklahoma) and Feb. 23 (West Virginia) both play on the prior Monday, and their opponent on March 9 (Kansas State) will have been off since the previous Tuesday.
Weekly Honors for Smart
After his performances in two games last week, freshman Marcus Smart has been named the player of the week by several organizations. He is the first freshman to be named the conference player of the week by the league office, either Big Eight or Big 12. He is the 20th different Cowboy in school history to receive the accolade. Smart was also named the national player of the week by Andy Katz at ESPN.com. He averaged 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, five assists and 4.5 steals in the two wins while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and 84.6 percent from the line. He made the game-winning shot against Iowa State with 3.1 seconds remaining, and made a steal in the final five seconds to preserve the victory over KU.
Balanced Scoring
Oklahoma State is the only team in the Big 12 Conference that has three different players ranked among the league's top 10 in scoring and four among the top 20. Markel Brown ranks third (15.3 ppg), Marcus Smart ranks seventh (14.2 ppg), Le'Bryan Nash ranks 10th (13.0 ppg) and Phil Forte ranks 16th (11.6 ppg) in the Big 12 scoring ranks. Baylor has two scorers ranked among the top 10, while the Bears, Kansas and Iowa State each have three among the top 20. Not surprisingly, all three of the Cowboys who rank among the league's 10 best scorers are also among the Big 12's top free-throw shooters (Nash ranks sixth, Smart ninth and Brown 11th in free-throw percentage).
Free-Throw Shooting
Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 18th nationally in free-throw percentage at 75.1 percent. The next-closest team in the league is Oklahoma at 72.5 percent. Four different Cowboys are shooting better than 75 percent from the line: Phil Forte (86.8%), Le'Bryan Nash (78.6%), Marcus Smart (77.1%) and Markel Brown (75.3%). Oklahoma State has shot better than 75 percent as a team just three previous times in a single season, and just once since 1958. The Cowboys shot 78 percent from the line in 2004-05.
Turnover Margin
Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 44th nationally in turnover margin, averaging 2.8 fewer turnovers per game than its opponents. Kansas State is second with a +2.5 turnover margin. The current turnover margin for OSU would rank fourth in school history. Oklahoma State has had a plus turnover margin greater than 2.0 just eight times in school history, including the school record +3.5 turnover margin created during the 1997-98 season.
Defensive Pride
Statistically, Oklahoma State is one of the top defensive teams in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys rank third in FG percentage defense, third in blocked shots, third in steals, third in defensive rebound percentage, fourth in rebounding defense, fourth in scoring defense, and fifth in defensive rebounds. The only defensive statistical category OSU doesn't excel in is three-point FG percentage defense, where the Pokes rank eighth.
Although there are still nine regular-season games remaining, this Cowboy defense ranks among the school's best. Not since 1968-69 has an OSU squad allowed fewer than 60 points per game in a full season. This year's team is allowing just 60.6 ppg through 21 contests.
The Cowboys have held seven opponents to less than 36 percent shooting from the floor and two below 30 percent.
Keeping it Under 50
Oklahoma State has held its opponent under the half-century mark seven times this season, the most since 1962-63 when the Cowboys held 10 opponents under 50 points. The Pokes limited South Florida and Missouri State to fewer than 50 points in back-to-back games, and accomplished that same feat against UT Arlington and Tennessee Tech. Three times since 2001-02 has OSU held consecutive opponents to under 50 points, and all three have occurred in the last two seasons.
Stop, Thief!
Marcus Smart has 62 steals through 21 games this season, an average of 2.95 thefts per game which leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks fifth nationally. That average would be the highest in school history, ahead of Brooks Thompson's 2.91 steal-per-game average as a senior in 1993-94, the current school record. Smart's total is the second-most among all-time freshmen in school history. He's on pace to challenge the Big 12 freshman record of 89, set by Kansas' Mario Chalmers in 2005-06 in 33 games (2.70 spg).
Thieving Brothers
With his friend since third grade leading the league in steals, it's only appropriate that Phil Forte has decided to join the mix. The Cowboy freshman ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in steals, averaing 1.52 per contest. Between the two of them, Smart and Forte have 94 steals, an average of 4.48 per game. The Baylor duo of A.J. Walton and Pierre Jackson rank third and fourth, respectively, in the Big 12, and have combined for 75 steals.
Team Rebounding
Six Cowboys are currently averaging at least 4.1 rebounds a game. Philip Jurick leads the team with 7.1 rpg, while Marcus Smart is averaging 5.9 rpg. Michael Cobbins is grabbing 5.8 rpg and Kamari Murphy is averaging 4.5 rebounds per contest. Markel Brown is averaging 4.4 rpg and Le'Bryan Nash is grabbing 4.1 per game.
Since 1994-95, Oklahoma State has had three-consecutive games with 40 or more rebounds on only four occasions, including twice this season. The others were in 1996-97 and 1997-98. OSU has grabbed at least 40 rebounds in 10 of 21 games this year. Last season, the Cowboys recorded 40 or more rebounds in a game just five times.
Block Party
As a team, Oklahoma State is averaging 4.8 blocked shots per game, good for third in the Big 12 and 41st nationally. That average currently ranks as the fourth-highest average in school history.
Three current players also rank among the top-15 shot blockers in school history. With four deflections against Kansas, Michael Cobbins has moved into 11th place on the school list. He is averaging 1.47 blocks per game in his career, which would rank fifth in school history with one more game played (50 minimum). With a team-high 23 on the season, Philip Jurick has 70 in his career and sits in 12th place on the career blocks list. Markel Brown, the top shot-blocking guard in school history, is tied with Jurick for 12th with 70 career blocks.
Cobbins ranks sixth, Jurick ranks ninth and Brown ranks 15th in the Big 12 for blocked shots this season.
The Stat Sheet Stuffer
Marcus Smart fills the stat sheet better than anyone else in the league. He and KU's Ben McLemore are the only players in the Big 12 Conference who ranks among the league's leaders statistically in four major categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks). Smart leads the league in steals, is sixth in assists, seventh in scoring, and 14th in rebounding. He is also sixth in minutes played, sixth in assist-turnover ratio, ninth in free-throw percentage and 14th in defensive rebounds. That's six different statistical categories in which he ranks among the Big 12's top 10 and eight in the top 15.
Smart a Finalist for Cousy Award
Marcus Smart has been named a finalist for the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, it was announced on Thursday by the National Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the only true freshman on the list of 12 finalists for the Cousy Award.
Up Next
Oklahoma State travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-11, 2-7) on Wednesday, Feb. 13, in a 6 pm game that will be televised on ESPNU. The Cowboys will return home to host round two of Bedlam on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 12:45 pm in a game televised by the Big 12 Network.
