Top Big 12 Defenses Square Off When Texas Visits GIA Tuesday

• Game Center
Opponent: Texas (10-4, 2-0 Big 12)
Date / Tipoff: Jan. 8, 2019 / 6 p.m. CT
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Tickets: Start at $5 at okstate.com/tickets or 877-ALL-4-OSU
Series: UT leads 50-43 (OSU leads 23-14 in Stillwater)
TV: ESPNU (Jon Sciambi, Stan Van Gundy)
Webcast: ESPN3.com or WatchESPN app
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 205, XM 200
OSU Game Notes

• The Basics
Oklahoma State turned in another solid defensive performance, but fell to 0-2 in Big 12 play after a 74-64 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday. The Cowboys held the Sooners to 36.2 percent shooting, which was their lowest mark of the season. In fact, it was the second straight game in which OSU held its opponent to its worst shooting performance of the year. Now the Cowboys turn their attention to a red-hot Texas squad that is off to a 2-0 start to league play for the first time since 2011. The Longhorns are led by the trio of Kerwin Roach II (12.9 ppg), Matt Coleman III (10.5 ppg) and Dylan Osetkowski (10.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg). Including Texas, OSU's Big 12 opponents are a combined 5-1 in league play.

• On the Air
The matchup will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Central. Jon Sciambi and Stan Van Gundy will handle the on-air duties. The webcast is available at ESPN3 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 205 or XM 200.

• Defense-First Approach
The Cowboys employ a high-pressure, up-the-line defense that speeds up opponents and makes it hard for them to run their sets. OSU held Iowa State to 36.4 percent shooting and Oklahoma to 36.2 percent from the floor, which were both season lows for those opponents. That means OSU is holding its Big 12 opponents to a combined 36.3 percent shooting, which is tied with Texas for the best in the conference.

• caM-V-P
With nine points and eight rebounds at Oklahoma, junior captain Cameron McGriff just missed his third consecutive double-double, which would have been a first by a Cowboy since Desmond Mason in 1999-00. McGriff leads the Cowboys in scoring (13.1) and rebounding (8.0), and has 14 of the team's 22 charges taken on the year. McGriff is one of just three players averaging a double-double in Big 12 play, joining Kansas' Dedric Lawson and OU's Christian James. OSU is 5-2 when McGriff scores 14 points or more (10-3 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 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds on 30.0 percent shooting. McGriff has four double-doubles this season and 10 double-digit scoring performances.

• Weather(s) Man
Michael Weathers is an outstanding athlete and a top-notch driver of the basketball, and freeing up space that allows him to get to the rim has been a priority for the Cowboys over the last few weeks. Weathers leads the Cowboys in scoring in league play at 12.5 points per game, and he's also hauling in 5.5 rebounds per Big 12 game, which ranks eighth. He is shooting 48.4 percent on 2-point field goal attempts on the year, but is 7-of-20 (.350) inside the arc in Big 12 play.

• Stepping Up
OSU needs Calloo to be a force in the paint and on the glass, and a renewed focus in practice is starting to pay off for the freshman and the Cowboys. Calloo posted eight points - including his first two dunks of the season - and a career-high seven rebounds at Oklahoma. On the year, the Windsor, Ontario native is shooting 50.0 percent on 2-point field goal attempts.

• The Series With The Longhorns
After splitting the season series in each of the past two years, Oklahoma State and Texas are meeting for the 93rd time in a hoops rivalry that dates back to 1918. The Longhorns lead the all-time series, 50-43, but the Cowboys hold the edge in Stillwater, 23-14. OSU has won the last two and six of the last seven in Gallagher-Iba Arena, which is the most prosperous stretch for the Cowboys since winning seven of eight meetings in GIA from 1925-1964.

• Staging A Thriller
Both of the meetings in 2018 were absolute thrillers. In fact, they were both decided in the final 10 seconds and both had the same final score, 65-64, with the home team winning each time. A Tavarius Shine tip-in with six seconds remaining gave OSU the win in Stillwater, while Kerwin Roach's driving bucket with 1.2 on the clock gave the Longhorns in the win in Austin. Lindy Waters was terrific in both meetings, and averaged 12.0 points on 62.5 percent shooting from the floor and 57.1 percent from 3-point.

• Longhorns From A Distance
The Longhorns are off to a 2-0 start to Big 12 play after taking down Kansas State (67-47) in Manhattan and West Virginia (61-54) in Austin. Texas is playing solid team defense, and is tied with Oklahoma State for the best defensive field goal percentage in Big 12 play at 36.3 percent. Offensively speaking, UT is led by Kerwin Roach II and his 12.9 points per game, while Matt Coleman III and Dylan Osetkowski are also averaging double-figure at 10.5 points and 10.1 points, respectively.

Top Big 12 Defenses Square Off When Texas Visits GIA Tuesday

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Players Mentioned

Cameron McGriff

Tavarius Shine

Oklahoma State University Athletics