Cowboy Basketball Honors Its Senior Class

March 4, 2015

By Harry Endicott

STILLWATER - Tonight's Oklahoma State men's basketball game against TCU marks the last time six seniors-- Alex Budke, Michael Cobbins, Anthony Hickey, Le'Bryan Nash, Christien Sager and Marek Soucek--will suit up and take the floor for the Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

"It's a great night to honor people who have put in a lot of time, a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat and a lot of juggling academics," Cowboy basketball coach Travis Ford said. "It takes a lot to get to that point. They've been through a lot and it's an honor to be able to recognize these guys."

The Cowboy basketball senior class of 2015 has shared 77 wins together, as well as two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The crop of seniors has scored a combined 3,629 career points and includes three current starters--Nash, Cobbins and Hickey.

Nash has been a cornerstone of the Cowboy basketball team all four of his years in Stillwater.

"I have memories from every year, especially out on this court," Nash said of his time at Oklahoma State. "I feel like beating Kansas was the biggest achievement. Winning. That's the biggest thing. We've had a winning program through the years I've been here, and that's the biggest key."

A 2011 McDonald's All-American and a highly-recruited prospect coming out of high school, the Dallas native chose to play his college ball in Stillwater for Travis Ford and the Cowboys. Nash's talent was evident to fans during his freshman season at Oklahoma State, when he averaged 13.3 points per game, the second-highest average ever by a Cowboy freshman. As a freshman, Nash led the Cowboys over the second-ranked Missouri Tigers with 27 points. He reached the 21-point mark on three other occasions, including a 21-point outburst and a game-winning shot to sink Iowa State in Gallagher-Iba.

Nash averaged 14 points per game in his sophomore season and 13.9 points per game in his junior season, each of which ended in an NCAA Tournament appearance. Nash was named third-team All-Big 12 by the coaches in both seasons as well. He scored his 1,000th career point during his junior year against Colorado.

This season, Nash is averaging a 16.9 points per game, a career-high average and good for second among Big 12 scorers. He is collecting 5.4 rebounds while also contributing two assists and one rejection per contest. Nash currently sits in fifth place on the Oklahoma State career scoring list with 1,764 points. The 27 20-plus point games he has recorded during his career in Stillwater is tops among all active players in the Big 12, and Nash's 610 career rebounds are good for 13th on OSU's career list. At the end of the season, he will become the seventh player in Oklahoma State history to average double figures in all four seasons, and the first since Ivan McFarlin in 2005.

"I think (Le'Bryan Nash) will go down as one of the great players to play here," Ford said. "You look at his stats, and what he's accomplished from his freshman year to his senior year, from his points and rebounds, and different things that he's done. He's really progressed from his freshman year to his senior year. I think that makes any coach proud when a guy improves, and I don't think there is any question he has improved a great amount."

Michael Cobbins came to Oklahoma State from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas. Throughout his career, Cobbins has made a name for himself around the Big 12 as an elite paint protector, rejecting any jump shot or layup that he can get a hand on.

"I've had an awesome time here," Cobbins said. "The fans are great. I've enjoyed everything about Oklahoma State. I've had great teammates that have gone on to be my brothers, and I'm still in contact with them. Just the memories. The memories will last a lifetime."

After redshirting the 2010-11 season, Cobbins played in all of the Cowboys' 33 games as a redshirt freshman the following year and started 24 contests. The big man showed his talent for playing in the paint early on in his career. Cobbins collected 7.2 rebounds per game in conference play, the fifth-highest average in the Big 12. He finished the season with 49 blocked shots, good for fifth in the Big 12 in that category.

Cobbins came into his own as a sophomore, and was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team while also receiving All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Cobbins's 29 blocks in league games rank as the fourth-most by a Cowboy since the Big 12 formed, just two behind his total of 31 as a freshman. He recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds against Texas Tech.

Cobbins missed the majority of his junior season after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury; however, in 13 contests, he was big for the Cowboys on the defensive end, averaging 1.5 blocks per game. Cobbins recorded five multiple-block games as a junior, including a season-high four against Louisiana Tech. He recorded his 100th career block against Butler on a would-be game winner by Elijah Brown.

Entering tonight's game with 159 career blocked shots, Cobbins sits in sixth place on Oklahoma State's career list. He ranks 11th on the program career defensive rebounds list with 398, and only needs five more to climb into the top 10. Cobbins is having a fantastic senior year, averaging 7.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and shooting over 60 percent from the field. He is also rejecting 1.9 shots per contest, which is good for second in the Big 12.

"I'm so proud of Michael Cobbins for his determination," Ford said of the Cowboy big man. "He's battled a few injuries, but he has rehabbed so hard to get back. He has great character. He is somebody that I've enjoyed coaching every day because of his personality and because of the type of person he is.

"In five years, I have never seen Michael Cobbins in a bad mood. I've never seen him say something negative. I don't think you could ever find someone to say something negative about Michael Cobbins, and that says a lot about an individual. He's made his mark on this program. He's one of the great shot blockers to play here. He's just a high-character individual."

Cobbins has also inspired many of his teammates, especially Nash.

"Cobbins is always playing through adversity," Nash said. "Even when he gets down, he still plays hard. Through the years, he taught me to keep playing to the best of my abilities. Good things can happen if you just play hard. He's been a mentor to me. He's older than me, and I listen to him because he's a good guy. I've learned a lot from him over the years."

Point guard Anthony Hickey arrived in Stillwater at the beginning of the season after transferring from LSU where he was a three-year starter. Hickey has fit in nicely to the Cowboy rotation this season, averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and two steals per game. His two steals per game are good for tops in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation. Hickey is a dynamic player, ranking fourth among active NCAA players with 272 career steals and 12th among active NCAA players with a 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Hickey scored his 1,000th career point in the Cowboys' game against Maryland, and has come on of late, scoring in double figures in six of Oklahoma State's last eight games and shooting almost 54 percent from three-point range in his last three games.

"(Hickey) has been a part of some big wins for us this year, and he's put in his time," Ford said. "Whether it was here or at LSU, he's been through a lot, so this is a culmination for him of everything he's done in four years. His senior year was played here, but he's been through a lot to get to this point. He's been a part of a lot of positive things for us this year."

Christien Sager came to Oklahoma State from Rider High School from Wichita Falls, Texas and joined the team as a walk-on for the 2011-12 season before being put on scholarship. A defensive-minded guard, Sager has stepped in during key moments during his time as a Cowboy, including a three-point, four-rebound, one-assist performance against North Texas earlier this season.

Sager has excelled in the classroom as well. He is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first-teamer, and was named First-team Academic All-District by CoSIDA each of the last two years. Sager is a CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee this season.

Originally from Brno in the Czech Republic, center Marek Soucek came to Oklahoma State after representing his native country at the FIBA U20 European Championships in 2009 and 2010. As a freshman, Soucek shot 55 percent from the floor and 50 percent from beyond the arc. He saw action in a career-high 22 games as a junior and played a season-high eight minutes against Big 12 foe Kansas.

Alex Budke, son of the late OSU women's basketball coach, Kurt Budke, transferred to Oklahoma State after playing his freshman season at Saint Gregory's. Budke saw minutes in nine games as a sophomore and seven games as a junior. This season, Budke hit a three-pointer in the Cowboys' season opener against Southeastern Louisiana.

Playing their last game on historic Eddie Sutton Court, Alex Budke, Michael Cobbins, Anthony Hickey, Le'Bryan Nash, Christien Sager and Marek Soucek will all move on from the Cowboy basketball team at the end of the season, but the effects of the contributions they have made on the program will remain for years to come.

Even with all the emotions involved in Senior Night, Michael Cobbins says the Cowboys have work to do after the pre-game ceremony is over.

"A lot of emotions are going to be running, but we still have a job to do. We've got to go out there and take care of business."