Cowboy Basketball Hosting CAA Champs Charleston Sunday

Sunday, November 18

Stillwater, OK

3 p.m.

Oklahoma State University

Charleston

Buy Tickets

Image Taken at the Oklahoma State Cowboys vs UTSA Roadrunners Basketball Game, Wednesday, November 14, 2018, Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, OK. Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

November 16, 2018 | Cowboy Basketball

• Game Center
Opponent: College of Charleston (3-0, 0-0 CAA)
Date / Tipoff: Nov. 18, 2018 / 3 p.m. CT
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Series: Tied 1-1 • Last: CofC won 66-58 on Nov. 29, 2002
Tickets: Start at $5 at okstate.com/tickets or 877-ALL-4-OSU
TV: FSOK (Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer, Allison Gappa)
Webcast: FoxSportsGo.com
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: None
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
OSU Game Notes

• The Basics
Oklahoma State used explosive veteran play and got scrappy freshman performances to take down UTSA, 82-60, in the home opener on Wednesday night. Cameron McGriff recorded his first double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Thomas Dziagwa knocked down 4-of-5 3-point attempts for 16 points. Now the Cowboys turn their attention to the reigning Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament champions, Charleston, which has recorded back-to-back 25-plus win seasons. The Cougars are led by Grant Riller, who ranks 34th nationally with an average of 23.0 points per game on 55.3 percent shooting.

• On the Air
The matchup between the Cowboys and Cougars will air on Fox Sports Oklahoma at 3 p.m. Central. Mike Wolfe and former Cowboy guard Bryndon Manzer will handle the on-air duties. Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb will have the Cowboy Radio Network call.

• Defense-First Mindset
Oklahoma State has always been about defense, and the 2018-19 Cowboys are no exception. OSU's high-pressure defense ranks 21st nationally in turnovers forced per game at 20.0 and the team's turnover rate of 27.9 percent ranks 11th nationally according to KenPom. The Cowboys are holding opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 42.7, which ranks 35th nationally. Mr. Henry Iba (1935-70) was known as the "Iron Duke of Defense" thanks to his swinging gate principles and shot-blocking phenom Bob Kurland. Eddie Sutton revived that tradition with All-Americans like Bryant "Big Country" Reeves and Tony Allen.

• McGriff Poised For Breakout
Last season, Cameron McGriff was either one rebound or one bucket away from a double-double six times, but on Wednesday night he busted out for 20 points and 10 rebounds to earn his first career double-double. At 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, the junior is now the only Big 12 player averaging at least 18 points and 8.0 rebounds, and he's one of just three Big 12 players with a 20-point, 10-rebound game under his belt. In 2017-18, McGriff showed flashes of this capability. He led OSU to road wins at Kansas and West Virginia with 20 points and nine rebounds in each contest, and bullied Oklahoma with 18 points and nine rebounds in the Big 12 Championship opener.

• Dizzy-ing Pace
Thomas Dziagwa, nicknamed "Dizzy" by his teammates, is proving that a summer challenge from head coach Mike Boynton is paying off. Boynton challenged Dziagwa to make 25,000 3-pointers on his own time. He not only topped that goal but almost reached 26,000. So, no one in the Cowboy locker room is shocked that Dziagwa is 9-of-15 (.600) from 3-point. His 4.5 makes per game leads the Big 12 and ranks 19th nationally, while his 3-point percentage of 60.0 ranks second in the conference and 47th nationally. KenPom ranks Dziagwa 34th nationally in "True Shooting Percentage".

• The Series Against the Cougars
This is just the third meeting between Oklahoma State and the College of Charleston, and the first since the two faced off in the semifinals of the Great Alaskan Shootout on Nov. 29, 2002. That day, the Cougars took down a star-studded Cowboy squad led by All-American Tony Allen. That OSU squad would go on to post a 22-10 record and the bulk of that lineup would return the following year to advance to the 2004 Final Four. That Charleston squad would go on to win 25 games, the SoCon South Division title and advance to the second round of the NIT.

• Magical Season For Charleston
Charleston is coming off an incredible 2017-18 season that saw the Cougars win the CAA regular season and tournament titles en route to a 26-8 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the No. 13 seeded Cougars nearly took down No. 4 seed Auburn in the NCAA Midwest Region opener in San Diego, but fell to the Tigers, 62-58, in a thriller. Charleston held Auburn to 35.6 percent shooting but turned the ball over 21 times. Jarrell Brantley led the Cougars with a game-high 24 points in the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999.

• The Man in Charge - Earl Grant
Now in his fifth season in charge in Charleston, Earl Grant is responsible for the makeover of the CofC program. Only the second coach to lead Charleston to the NCAA Tournament, Grant is the 2017 CAA and NABC All-District coach of the year. He and the Cougars have won at least 25 games in each of the last two seasons.

• Preseason Polls
Charleston was tabbed to finish second in the CAA preseason coaches poll, just behind Northeastern. Jarrell Brantley and Grant Riller were named to the CAA Preseason All-Conference First Team after helping the Cougars win 25-plus games in each of the last two campaigns.