Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Wildcats in Regular-Season Finale
March 08, 2013 | Cowboy Basketball
March 8, 2013
No. 13 Oklahoma State vs No. 9 Kansas State
12:45 pm | Saturday, March 9, 2013
Stillwater, Okla. | Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Television — Big 12 Network
Mitch Holthus | play-by-play
Bryndon Manzer | analyst
Cox (OKC) — 11
Cox (Tulsa) — 10
Suddenlink — 11
direcTV — *
Dish — *
AT&T U-Verse — *
* check local listings
Radio — Cowboy Radio Network
Dave Hunziker | play-by-play
John Holcomb | analyst
Satellite Radio — Sirius 136 • XM 195
Game Notes vs Kansas State in PDF format.
Game Information
Oklahoma State hosts Kansas State in the final game of the regular season this Saturday. Tipoff is set for 12:45 pm and the game will be televised by the Big 12 Network. Mitch Holthus will handle the play-by-play duties, while former Cowboy Bryndon Manzer will provide expert analysis.
About Oklahoma State
OSU is 22-7 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 action following a 78-65 win over Texas on Saturday. The Cowboys are in third place in the Big 12 Conference standings, one game behind Kansas and Kansas State. OSU is ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and 14th in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Cowboys are No. 13 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
Markel Brown leads OSU offensively, averaging 15.6 ppg while shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Marcus Smart is second with his 14.9 ppg, while Le'Bryan Nash is chipping in 13.9 ppg. Smart leads the Pokes in assists (124) and steals (87), both school records for a freshman. Michael Cobbins and Philip Jurick are leading the team in rebounding, averaging 6.3 and 5.9 boards per game, respectively. Phil Forte is also averaging double figures in scoring at 10.6 points per contest and shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line.
The Cowboy defense is limiting its opponents to just 62.1 points per game and 39 percent shooting from the floor. OSU has held 22 opponents under 70 points this year, and is second in league-games only in scoring margin (+7.4 ppg) and turnover margin (+2.4), and is fourth in rebounding margin (+1.1 rpg). Five Cowboys have blocked 18 or more shots this season: Michael Cobbins has 36, Jurick has 31, Brown has 24, Smart has 21 and Kamari Murphy has blocked 18 shots.
About Kansas State
Kansas State is 25-5 overall this season and 14-3 in league play, ranked No. 9 nationally. The Wildcats are led by senior guard Rodney McGruder who is averaging 14.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg. Sophomore guard Angel Rodriguez is chipping in 11.5 ppg and a team-high 5.5 assists per contest. As a team, KSU is allowing just 60 points per game — leading the Big 12 Conference — while scoring nearly 70. The Wildcats are shooting 44.3 percent from the floor, including 36.6 percent from beyond the arc. They are averaging a league-high 16.6 assists per game. Kansas State is coached by Bruce Weber, in his first season with the Wildcats. He has an all-time record of 338-160 in his 15th season as a head coach.
Cowboy Quick Hits
• Oklahoma State will recognize senior center Philip Jurick, student manager Austin Keathly, and student athletic trainer Kayla Crissman in a pregame ceremony for Senior Day.
• Junior guard Markel Brown needs just one steal to become the sixth player in school history with 100 steals and 75 blocked shots in a career. The previous five are: Leroy Combs (103 steals and 167 blocks), Marcus Dove (140 & 101), Byron Houston (159 & 222), Desmond Mason (158 & 92) and Ivan McFarlin (170 & 156). He will also become the second player in school history to record 200 assists, 100 steals and 75 blocked shots in a career. Byron Houston is the only other player to accomplish that feat (he had 209 assists in his career).
• Marcus Smart holds the school record for most assists (previous record was 104) and steals (previous record was 67) by a freshman, and his 78% free-throw percentage is the highest ever by a Cowboy freshman with at least 75 free-throws made.
• Forte's 63 three-pointers made tie Keiton Page for the second-most by a freshman in school history. James Anderson holds the record with 67.
• Michael Cobbins is averaging 6.33 rebounds per game this season, higher than any other sophomore in the Big 12 Conference.
• OSU has won 12 conference games for the ninth time in school history and just the third time since 1965.
• The Cowboys have played in four overtime games this season, tying for the most in a single season in school history (1964-65, 1990-91, 2000-01, 2006-07).
• OSU's defense is allowing just 62.1 points per game this season, the lowest average since 1968-69; the low mark by the Cowboys since the shot clock was introduced in 1985-86 was 62.3 ppg allowed in 1999-2000.
• Since the beginning of the 1988-89 season, the Cowboys have a 327-47 record in Gallagher-Iba Arena, good for a .874 winning percentage.
vs Ranked Opponents in GIA
For the third time this season, Oklahoma State will host a ranked opponent inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys lost to No. 10 Gonzaga 69-68 on Dec. 31. and to ninth-ranked Kansas 68-67 in two overtimes on Feb. 20. OSU is 25-16 (.610) over the last 15 seasons against ranked teams, including 8-9 (.471) against top-10 foes.
OSU has hosted at least one ranked opponent inside Gallagher-Iba Arena for 34 consecutive seasons. The game against Kansas will gave the Cowboys two ranked foes at home for the eighth-straight year. It also marks the eighth-consecutive season that OSU has had a top-10 foe in GIA and the second-straight season that three top-10 teams have visited Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowboys have defeated at least one ranked opponent at home in each of the past 14 seasons. Since 1989, OSU has defeated at least one ranked foe in 23 of the last 24 home slates. The Cowboys are 40-23 (.635) against ranked foes during that span in Stillwater.
More National Ranking Notes
• Oklahoma State is 13-5 as a ranked team this season. That gives the Cowboys a 320-122 (.724) all-time mark as a ranked squad.
• Oklahoma State is 2-2 this season against top-10 teams, including a 76-56 win over No. 6/6 N.C. State, a 69-68 loss to No. 10/10 Gonzaga, the 85-80 win at No. 1/2 Kansas and a 68-67 2OT loss to the No. 9 Jayhawks in Stillwater.
• OSU is 41-104 (.283) all-time against top-10 teams, including a 3-13 (.186) mark against teams ranked No. 9 at tipoff, Kansas State's current ranking.
Series History vs Kansas State
Kansas State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State 73-48, although the Cowboys are 29-24 all-time against the Wildcats in Stillwater. KSU has won the last three meetings, including a 66-58 victory the last time inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97, OSU is 13-6 against K-State, including 10 of the first 11 contests. Since 2008, the Wildcats are 5-3 vs the Cowboys.
Saturday's game will mark just the fourth time in the 122 meetings between these two schools that both teams are ranked in the top 25. It's the first time since 1951 that both teams are ranked in the top 15, when OSU was No. 2 and Kansas State was ranked fourth. KSU won the game, 68-44, in Kansas City, Mo.
Last Time vs the Wildcats
Rodney McGruder scored 26 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, propelling Kansas State to a 73-67 win over Oklahoma State in the conference opener for both teams.
OSU's Marcus Smart scored a team-high 25 points, including 9 of 12 at the free-throw line, and Markel Brown added 19. However, the Wildcats outrebounded the Cowboys 39-29 and outscored OSU on 2nd-chance points, 18-4.
OSU took a two-point lead into halftime 32-30, but shot just 39 percent after intermission, including one three-pointer. The Cowboys did connect on 16 of 17 free throws in the second half, leading to an 83 percent shooting effort from the line.
McGruder was unstoppable, connecting on 11 of 19 shots from the floor, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Veteran Cowboys vs Kansas State
• Markel Brown has played four games and started three against Kansas State. He is averaging 12 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 43.2 percent (16 of 37) from the floor. He has made 15 of 21 free throws, good for 71 percent. He scored 19 points vs KSU earlier this season.
• Michael Cobbins has played three games and started both games last year against KSU, averaging 4.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He had eight points and eight rebounds against the Wildcats last season in Stillwater, and recorded five assists in Manhattan a year ago.
• Philip Jurick has played three games and started two against the Wildcats. He is averaging 3.3 rebounds vs K-State. He suffered his injury in Manhattan last season.
• Le'Bryan Nash has played and started two games vs Kansas State. He missed the game in Manhattan last season due to injury. He has scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Wildcats.
• Marek Soucek played in both games last season, averaging nine minutes per outing vs Kansas State.
• Brian Williams started both games last season, but did not play earlier this year in Manhattan. Last year, he averaging nine points, 2.5 rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes per game. He also had two blocks and two steals.
Cowboys in the Polls
Oklahoma State moved up two spots to No. 13 in this week's Associated Press poll and four spots to No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches poll following a pair of victories last week. The No. 13 ranking is the highest for the Cowboys this season and the highest since Jan. 13, 2007, when OSU was also ranked 13th. Oklahoma State has been ranked in 12 of the 18 weekly rankings this season, including seven-straight weeks from Nov. 19-Dec. 31 and the current five-week string.
Balanced Scoring
Oklahoma State is the only team in the Big 12 Conference that has two players ranked in the league's top five in scoring and three in the top eight. No other school has more than one player in the top eight. Markel Brown ranks third (15.6 ppg), Marcus Smart ranks fifth (14.9 ppg), and Le'Bryan Nash ranks eighth (13.9 ppg) in the Big 12 scoring ranks. Those three are combining to average 44.4 points per game. Iowa State and Kansas each have two players ranked in the top 10. Not surprisingly, all three of the Cowboys who rank among the league's best scorers are also among the Big 12's top-10 free-throw shooters (Smart ranks sixth, Brown 10th and Nash 11th in free-throw percentage).
Free-Throw Shooting
Oklahoma State ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and 25th nationally in free-throw percentage at 74.7 percent. Five different Cowboys are shooting better than 74 percent from the line: Phil Forte (90%), Marcus Smart (78%), Michael Cobbins (76.5%), Markel Brown (76.0%) and Le'Bryan Nash (74.2%). Oklahoma State has shot 74 percent or better as a team just seven previous times in a single season in school history, and just twice since 1978.
Scoring Margin
Oklahoma State ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and 29th nationally with a +10.6 scoring margin, trailing only the Kansas Jayhawks' +14.6 scoring margin in the league. The Cowboys have had a scoring margin of +10.0 or higher just eight times since 1950, and this year's scoring average is the highest since 2004-05. OSU has ranked among the nation's top-25 teams every season that the Cowboys have had a +10.0 or greater scoring margin since 1950, finishing as high as fifth nationally in both 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Turnover Margin
Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 Conference in turnover margin and ranks 37th nationally, averaging 2.69 fewer turnovers per game than its opponents. The Cowboys are forcing an average of 15.2 turnovers by their opponents, also tops in the league. Their 12.5 turnovers committed per contest ranks fourth in the Big 12. The current turnover margin for OSU would rank sixth in school history. Oklahoma State has had a positive turnover margin greater than 2.0 just seven times (the statistic has been kept by most teams since 1965-66), including the school record +3.5 turnover margin created during the 1997-98 season.
FG Percentage Defense
OSU's defense is limiting its opponents to success on just 39% of their shots from the floor. That percentage ranks third in the Big 12 Conference and 31st nationally. It is also the second-lowest FG% defense by a Cowboy squad since 1964-65. The only other times OSU has maintained a field-goal percentage allowed under 40% since 1964-65 was in 1999-2000 (38.8%), 1994-95 (39.3%) and 2002-03 (39.4%).
Defensive Pride
Statistically, Oklahoma State is one of the top defensive teams in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys rank second in steals (7.6 spg), third in scoring defense (62.1 ppg), third in blocked shots (4.7 bpg), third in FG percentage defense (39.0%), third in defensive rebound percentage (69.8%), and third in defensive rebounds (25.6 rpg). The only defensive statistical category OSU doesn't excel in is three-point FG percentage defense, where the Pokes rank seventh.
Not since 1968-69 has an OSU squad allowed fewer than 62 points per game in a full season. This year's team is allowing just 62.1 ppg through 29 contests. OSU has held 14 teams below 60 points this season in regulation, including seven games in conference play. Baylor (59) and Kansas (57) were both held below 60 in regulation at home, but the games went into overtime.
Half-Century Ceiling
Oklahoma State has held its opponent under the half-century mark eight 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.
Big-Time Turnaround
Last season was difficult for the Cowboy Basketball team. It was the first time OSU had finished sub-.500 since the 1987-88 squad finished 14-16. However, the turnaround this season has been extraordinary. OSU was 14-15 through 29 games last season, and is currently 22-7, an eight-game improvement. The difference in winning percentage is even more amazing. Oklahoma State had a .455 winning percentage last season, but has improved to .759 this year through 29 games. That leads to a +30.4% improvement, which ranks as the third-best improvement over last season by any team in the NCAA among leagues ranked in the top 10 of the RPI. Santa Clara of the West Coast Conference went from 8-22 last season to 19-10 so far, a 38.9% improvement. Arizona State of the Pac-12 went from 10-21 last year to 20-10 so far this season, an improvement of 34.4%. None of the other schools above Oklahoma State on the list come from conferences ranked among the RPI's top 10.
What Can (Markel) Brown Do For You?
Junior guard Markel Brown has steadily improved over his first three seasons at Oklahoma State. During the offseason, he worked hard on improving his shooting percentages, and it has shown. As a freshman, he averaged 6.4 ppg, and that improved to 10.5 ppg as a sophomore. This season, he is averaging 15.6 ppg overall and 16.6 ppg in league play.
Markel shot 39.4% as a freshman (26.2% from three-point range) and as a sophomore, his numbers improved to 42.6% FG and 31.9% 3pt-FG. This season, he's shooting 44.0% from the floor and 37.9% from long range. His numbers even improve within the course of the season, evidenced by his improved numbers in league-games only.
The Stat Sheet Stuffer
Marcus Smart fills the stat sheet better than anyone else in the league. He is the only player in the Big 12 Conference who ranks among the league's leaders statistically in all five major categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks). Smart leads the league in steals, is fifth in scoring, sixth in assists, and 15th in rebounding. He is also sixth in minutes played, sixth in free-throw percentage, ninth in assist-turnover ratio, and 10th in defensive rebounds. That's eight different statistical categories in which he ranks among the Big 12's best.
Stop, Thief!
Marcus Smart has 87 steals this season, establishing a school record by a freshman. The previous record was 67 by Byron Eaton. With five thefts at Iowa State, he moved past Cornell Hatcher and into second place on the OSU single-season list. Smart already owns the school and Big 12 record for most steals in league play with 56 (the previous OSU record was 35 by Tony Allen in 2003-04 and the Big 12 record was 53 by Mario Chalmers in 2005-06).
Smart is averaging 3.00 thefts per game, which leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks third nationally. That average would be the highest in school history, surpassing the current record held by Brooks Thompson, who averaged 2.91 spg as a senior in 1993-94. Smart is tied for second on the Big 12 freshman steals list, tied with Nebraska's Cookie Belcher (87) and trailing Kansas' Mario Chalmers (89), who currently holds the record for most steals by a Big 12 frosh. The Big 12 record for most steals in a season, regardless of class, is 102 by Belcher in 1998-99, his junior season.
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 is tied for ninth in the Big 12 Conference in steals, averaging 1.24 per contest. Between the two of them, Smart and Forte have 123 steals, an average of 4.24 per game. The Baylor duo of A.J. Walton and Pierre Jackson have combined for 96 steals, while Josh Gray and Jaye Crockett of Texas Tech have also totaled 96 steals.
Top Sixth Man?
Phil Forte has been an instrumental part of the Cowboys' successful play this season. Despite starting just one game this season, he sees a lot of court time. In fact, in the Big 12 Conference, he averages more minutes per game than 22 players who have started at least 50 percent of their teams' games. He's actually averaging more minutes per game than 11 of 12 players who have started for West Virginia and nine fo the 10 players who have started for Texas Tech. Forte is averaging more minutes per game than 56 of the 88 players who have started for any Big 12 team this season, including four on the Cowboys' squad.
Block Party
As a team, Oklahoma State is averaging 4.72 blocked shots per game, good for third in the Big 12. That average currently ranks as the fifth-highest average in school history.
Three current players also rank among the top-12 shot blockers in school history. With a deflection at TCU, Michael Cobbins now has 84 career blocks, good for 10th place on the school list. He is averaging 1.47 blocks per game in his career, which ranks fifth in school history. With two blocks against Texas, Philip Jurick has 78 in his career and ranks 11th. With one deflections against Texas, Markel Brown had 76 career blocks, good for 12th place on the career list and the most ever by a Cowboy guard.
Cobbins ranks sixth, Jurick is ninth, and Brown ranks 12th in the Big 12 Conference for blocked shots this season.
Team Rebounding
Six Cowboys are currently averaging at least four rebounds a game. Michael Cobbins leads the team with 6.3 rpg, while Philip Jurick is grabbing 5.9 rpg. Marcus Smart is averaging 5.7 rpg and Markel Brown is averaging 4.5 rpg. Le'Bryan Nash is averaging 4.1 rpg and Kamari Murphy is averaging four rebounds per game.
OSU has grabbed at least 40 rebounds in 12 of 29 games this year. Last season, the Cowboys recorded 40 or more rebounds in a game just five times. The last time OSU had at least 40 rebounds in 12 games was 2003-04 when the Pokes grabbed 40 or more boards in 13 contests. Since 1994-95, Oklahoma State has had three-consecutive games with 40 or more rebounds on only five occasions, including three times this season.
Potential Postseason Accolades
Oklahoma State has several candidates for the Big 12 postseason awards, with the league coaches awards announced on Sunday. OSU has two viable candidates for Player of the Year in junior Markel Brown and freshman Marcus Smart. The Cowboy duo rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in scoring during Big 12 Conference action, with Brown averaging 16.6 ppg and Smart chipping in 16.0 ppg. They both rank among the top-15 players in the league in assists (Smart sixth, Brown ninth), field-goal percentage (Brown 12th, Smart 15th), free-throw percentage (Smart sixth, Brown eighth), and assist-to-turnover ratio (Brown fifth, Smart 11th).
Smart is also a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year (leads the Big 12 Conference in steals), the All-Big 12 Team, the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and Freshman of the Year.
Freshman guard Phil Forte is a nominee for the Big 12 All-Rookie Team as well as the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year.
Brown, sophomore forward Michael Cobbins and sophomore guard/forward Le'Bryan Nash are also candidates for the All-Big 12 Team. Cobbins, who ranks fifth in the Big 12 in blocked shots, is a nominee for the Big 12 All-Defensive squad.
Up Next
Oklahoma State will head to Kansas City, Mo., for the 2013 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships at the Sprint Center. Depending on Saturday's outcomes, OSU will play as either the No. 3 seed against sixth-seeded Baylor on Thursday at 8:30 pm or as the No. 4 seed against Iowa State on Thursday at 11:30 am.
