Cowboy Basketball Hosting Iowa State Wednesday In Big 12 Opener

• Game Center
Opponent: RV/RV Iowa State (10-2, 0-0 Big 12)
Date / Tipoff: Jan. 2, 2019 / 8 p.m. CT
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Tickets: okstate.com/tickets or 877-ALL-4-OSU
Series: OSU leads 65-63 (38-17 in GIA)
TV: ESPNews (Ted Emrich, Bryndon Manzer)
Webcast: ESPN3.com or WatchESPN app
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 106, XM 200

• The Basics
Oklahoma State (6-6) opens Big 12 play riding a two-game win streak, and will play host to Iowa State (10-2) on Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. This will be the 129th meeting between these two programs in a rivalry that dates back to 1927. Games between the Cowboys and Cyclones always seem to come down to the wire, which explains the narrow 65-63 series edge for OSU. In fact, eight of the last 12 meetings have been decided by nine points or less. Last season, the Cowboys took both regular season meetings against the Cyclones - a first since 1995. Iowa State is led by Marial Shayok, who enters Wednesday's game as the Big 12's leading scorer at 20.1 per contest.

• On the Air
The matchup will air on ESPNews at 8 p.m. Central. Ted Emrich and Bryndon Manzer will handle the on-air duties. The webcast is available at ESPN3.com or via the WatchESPN app. Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb will have the Cowboy Radio Network call, which can also be heard on TuneIn Radio or on satellite radio Sirius 106 and XM 200.

• Beyond The Box Score
At first glance, Curtis Jones' averages of 12.3 points on 37.9 percent shooting and 4.3 rebounds per game aren't going to turn many heads. But a dive into the plus/minus data shows that Jones has a massive impact on the game. In the last two games combined, OSU is +32 with Jones on the floor (50:37) and -13 without him (29:23), and 72.4 percent of the team's assists have come with Jones in the lineup. Last week, the junior earned Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors alongside Oklahoma's Miles Reynolds for his 23 point game against Central Arkansas. Andy Katz named Jones one of the nation's top-15 transfers heading into the 2018-19 season. The Richmond, Virginia native appeared in 40 games for Indiana over the previous two seasons. The junior shot 35.0 percent (21-of-60) from beyond the arc in 2016-17, and scored 3.5 points in 11.2 minutes per game as a true freshman. Jones was a standout at Huntington Prep and a consensus top-100 recruit prior to his time in Bloomington.

• The Yor Effect
Yor Anei uses his 6-10 frame and 7'0 1/2" wing span to block 2.42 shots per game, which ranks fifth nationally among freshmen and 20th overall. Anei has almost half of OSU's 59 team blocks. On top of those blocks, Anei alters countless additional shots in the paint. The new NCAA LiveStats scoring software (which OSU uses at home and it was also used at Minnesota) has the ability to chart where shots are attempted, and according to that program OSU opponents in those games shot a combined 53.5 percent in the paint - including layups and dunks. For example, Minnesota shot just 48.4 percent in the paint, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shot just 40.9 percent and UTSA was held to 45.7 percent.

• caM-V-P
Junior captain Cameron McGriff leads the Cowboys in scoring and rebounding, and he's shooting a respectable 38.6 percent from 3-point. So, it's not surprising that as McGriff goes, so go the Cowboys. OSU is 5-1 when McGriff scores 14 points or more (10-2 for his career). In wins this season, McGriff is averaging 17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds on 46.7 percent shooting. In losses, those numbers dip to 9.0 points and 7.0 rebounds on 28.6 percent shooting. McGriff has three double-doubles this season - all three in victories - and nine double-digit scoring performances.

• The Series With The Cyclones
Oklahoma State took both regular season meetings with Iowa State in 2018, which gave the Cowboys their first sweep of the Cyclones since 1995. It was just the ninth sweep by the Cowboys since the two teams began their Big Eight rivalry in 1958. Oklahoma State now leads the all-time series, 65-63, including a 38-17 edge in Stillwater. Prior to last season, the Cyclones had won the previous 10 meetings. Even still, the two squads have split their last eight meetings in GIA.

• Always A Nailbiter
Regardless of record or venue, Oklahoma State and Iowa State always seem to play down to the wire. Eight of the last 12 meetings between these two schools were determined by nine points or less, including five by five points or fewer and three in overtime. Last year's meeting in Stillwater went into overtime thanks to a Kendall Smith runner with five seconds on the second half clock. OSU pulled away in the extra frame for the 96-87 win.

• Iowa State Snapshot
Iowa State is off to a 10-2 start to the season, and recently returned to full strength with the return of Lindell Wigginton and Solomon Young from injury. The Cyclones enter Big 12 play after a 12-day holiday break. They are led offensively by Marial Shayok, who ranks second in the Big 12 with 20.1 points per game. ISU averages 83.6 points per game, which ranks 29th nationally, and shoot 49.4 percent from the floor as a team, which ranks 23rd.

Cowboy Basketball Hosting Iowa State Wednesday In Big 12 Opener

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Players Mentioned

Yor Anei

Curtis Jones

Cameron McGriff

Kendall Smith

Oklahoma State University Athletics