Oklahoma State University Athletics
Know Your Foe: Pepperdine
November 09, 2017 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER – The Mike Boynton era will begin on Friday night when Oklahoma State hosts Pepperdine from the West Coast Conference. Let's take a look at the Waves, who are entering the 2017-18 season optimistically after injuries derailed their season a year ago.
• Life-Long Wave
Pepperdine head coach Marty Wilson is a life-long Wave. In his seventh year as the head coach, Wilson has compiled a two-decade resume in Malibu. His tenure began as a player in 1985, and in fact, he played against Oklahoma State in the 1987 meeting in GIA (6 points, 2 rebounds in 27 minutes). Wilson then transitioned to an assistant coach for the Waves in 1991. He returned to Firestone Fieldhouse as Pepperdine's associate head coach in 2009 before taking the reigns of the program before the 2011-12 season. Overall, this is his 21st season with Pepperdine hoops. He's compiled an 82-103 record in his six seasons in charge.
• Recapping 2016-17
Pepperdine is coming off an injury-plagued 9-22 season highlighted by a 99-83 win over BYU in Malibu, but lost the services of First Team All-West Coast Conference selection Lamond Murray, Jr., who averaged 21.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a senior last season. Murray also earned NABC All-District honors after scoring 1,492 career points, which ranks 13th in program history. Forward Chris Reyes, a grad transfer for the Waves last season, averaged 13.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds and earned All-WCC honorable mention status.
• Potent Young Big Man
Forward Nathan Taylor, a sophomore from Keller, Texas, is Pepperdine's highest returning scorer at 7.1 points per game. Taylor, who checks in at 6-7, 250 pounds, started 20 games for the Waves and established himself as one of the WCC's promising young big men. His scoring average jumped to 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in conference play.
• Preseason Prediction
After finishing eighth last season, the 2017-18 West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll tabbed Pepperdine to finish seventh in the league, just ahead of Pacific, Portland and Loyola Marymount. St. Mary's was picked to win the WCC with nine first-place votes. Gonzaga, which made a magical run to the NCAA championship game last season, was picked second, while BYU was third.
• The Series Against The Waves
Oklahoma State leads the overall series against Pepperdine, 5-1, including a 3-0 mark in Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU has won the last five meetings after Pepperdine won the initial matchup, 79-61, in Malibu. The average margin of victory in OSU's five wins has been 12.6 points.
• Against The West Coast Conference
The Cowboys are 19-11 against current members of the West Coast Conference. Here's the breakdown in order of the 2017-18 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.
St. Mary's (2-0), Gonzaga (0-6), BYU (3-4), San Francisco (1-0), Santa Clara (1-0), San Diego (1-0), Pepperdine (5-1), Pacific (1-0), Portland (1-0), Loyola Marymount (4-0).
• Life-Long Wave
Pepperdine head coach Marty Wilson is a life-long Wave. In his seventh year as the head coach, Wilson has compiled a two-decade resume in Malibu. His tenure began as a player in 1985, and in fact, he played against Oklahoma State in the 1987 meeting in GIA (6 points, 2 rebounds in 27 minutes). Wilson then transitioned to an assistant coach for the Waves in 1991. He returned to Firestone Fieldhouse as Pepperdine's associate head coach in 2009 before taking the reigns of the program before the 2011-12 season. Overall, this is his 21st season with Pepperdine hoops. He's compiled an 82-103 record in his six seasons in charge.
• Recapping 2016-17
Pepperdine is coming off an injury-plagued 9-22 season highlighted by a 99-83 win over BYU in Malibu, but lost the services of First Team All-West Coast Conference selection Lamond Murray, Jr., who averaged 21.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a senior last season. Murray also earned NABC All-District honors after scoring 1,492 career points, which ranks 13th in program history. Forward Chris Reyes, a grad transfer for the Waves last season, averaged 13.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds and earned All-WCC honorable mention status.
• Potent Young Big Man
Forward Nathan Taylor, a sophomore from Keller, Texas, is Pepperdine's highest returning scorer at 7.1 points per game. Taylor, who checks in at 6-7, 250 pounds, started 20 games for the Waves and established himself as one of the WCC's promising young big men. His scoring average jumped to 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in conference play.
• Preseason Prediction
After finishing eighth last season, the 2017-18 West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll tabbed Pepperdine to finish seventh in the league, just ahead of Pacific, Portland and Loyola Marymount. St. Mary's was picked to win the WCC with nine first-place votes. Gonzaga, which made a magical run to the NCAA championship game last season, was picked second, while BYU was third.
• The Series Against The Waves
Oklahoma State leads the overall series against Pepperdine, 5-1, including a 3-0 mark in Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU has won the last five meetings after Pepperdine won the initial matchup, 79-61, in Malibu. The average margin of victory in OSU's five wins has been 12.6 points.
• Against The West Coast Conference
The Cowboys are 19-11 against current members of the West Coast Conference. Here's the breakdown in order of the 2017-18 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.
St. Mary's (2-0), Gonzaga (0-6), BYU (3-4), San Francisco (1-0), Santa Clara (1-0), San Diego (1-0), Pepperdine (5-1), Pacific (1-0), Portland (1-0), Loyola Marymount (4-0).
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
