Eight of Oklahoma State's league games will be televised nationally on one of ESPN's family of networks, released today as the Big 12 Conference announced the composite schedule for the 2010-11 season.

The Cowboys will open the league portion of the schedule on Sat., Jan. 8, as OSU hosts Kansas State in a noon tipoff on ESPN2. Following a pair of road contests at Texas A&M and Colorado, both televised by the Big 12 Network, the Pokes will host Iowa State on Wed., Jan. 19, in a game televised by ESPNU.

Update provided by Oklahoma Sis tate media relations. Find more at Okstate.com.

Other nationally televised games include home games against Texas on Jan. 26 (either ESPN or ESPN2), Missouri on Feb. 2 (ESPN2), Texas A&M on Feb. 19 (ESPNU) and Baylor on March 1 (ESPN2). Nationally broadcast road contests are at Texas on Feb. 16 (ESPN2) and at Kansas on Feb. 21 (ESPN's Big Monday).

Both Bedlam matchups will be played on Saturdays one month apart and will both be televised on the Big 12 Network. Oklahoma State hosts the Sooners on Feb. 5, and Oklahoma will return the favor in Norman on March 5.

OSU has also finalized its exhibition games to start the season. The Cowboys will host a pair of NAIA teams, with Oklahoma City coming to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday, Nov. 1, and Campbellsville (Ky.) on Friday, Nov. 5. OSU coach Travis Ford began his coaching career at Campbellsville and spent three years leading the Tigers.

Oklahoma State's 2010-11 Big 12 Conference Schedule
Sat., Jan. 8   KANSAS STATE      12 pm    ESPN2
Wed., Jan. 12  at Texas A&M       7 pm    Big 12
Sat., Jan. 15  at Colorado    12:30 pm    Big 12
Wed., Jan. 19  IOWA STATE         8 pm    ESPNU
Sat., Jan. 22  at Baylor          3 pm    Big 12
Wed., Jan. 26  TEXAS           6:30 pm    ESPN/ESPN2
Sat., Jan. 29  at Texas Tech      3 pm    Big 12
Wed., Feb. 2   MISSOURI           8 pm    ESPN2
Sat., Feb. 5   OKLAHOMA       12:30 pm    Big 12
Sat., Feb. 12  at Nebraska         TBA    TBA
Wed., Feb. 16  at Texas           8 pm    ESPN2
Sat., Feb. 19  TEXAS A&M          8 pm    ESPNU
Mon., Feb. 21  at Kansas          8 pm    ESPN
Sat., Feb. 26  TEXAS TECH   12:30/3 pm    Big 12
Tue., Mar. 1   BAYLOR             6 pm    ESPN2
Sat., Mar. 5   at Oklahoma        3 pm    Big 12

Oklahoma State Cowboy Basketball fans can purchase season tickets for as little as $375 for the upcoming season, and with the suspension of the historic giving requirement for this season, there are prime locations available that may be difficult to get in the future.

For $375 per ticket, fans have the opportunity to watch 15 home games inside Gallagher-Iba Arena, one of the most revered collegiate basketball facilities in the country. Seats are also available in both the 100 and 200 level with a $575 per ticket price and donation requirements as little as $200 per seat.

Football ticket sales continue to climb and OSU fans have the following options to catch the action this fall: season tickets for as little as $300 for seven home games; the Three-Pack, which includes games against Tulsa, Texas A&M and Baylor for just $225; group tickets for all groups of 30 or more; and single-game tickets. Please note that no single-game tickets will be available for the Oklahoma game on Nov. 27.

Road game tickets are available for purchase on-line at <www.okstate.com/tickets>. The Cowboy football team has road games at Lafayette, La., Lubbock and Austin, Texas, as well as Manhattan and Lawrence, Kan., this season.

Tickets for Oklahoma State's Homecoming game against Nebraska on Oct. 23 are going fast. The best locations are available when purchased as part of a season ticket.

Lastly, season tickets will be sent out in the near future and should arrive approximately two weeks prior to the season opener on Sept. 4.

For more information, contact the OSU Athletic Ticket Office at 877-ALL-4-OSU or locally at (405) 744-5745.

Oklahoma State's basketball team has signed a home-and-home contract with Gonzaga, it was announced today by head coach Travis Ford. The Cowboys will travel to Spokane, Wash., for a New Year's Eve contest with the Bulldogs this winter in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

"We are excited to schedule this home-and-home series with Mark Few and his Gonzaga Bulldogs," Ford said. "Gonzaga has a great program with a lot of tradition. We look forward to starting this series with the Bulldogs, and giving us one of the better non-conference schedules."

Gonzaga will return the favor during the 2012-13 season, marking the Bulldogs' first-ever appearance inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. A date has yet to be determined.

"Our goal is to schedule quality non-conference opponents every season," Ford said. "This not only prepares our team for the grueling Big 12 schedule, but it also gives our fans an opportunity to see some very good teams inside one of the best basketball venues in America.

"We've got the ball rolling in the right direction. We're working on getting a marquee opponent to come into Gallagher-Iba Arena every single season. We want to challenge our players with a difficult non-conference schedule and give our fans the opportunity to see these marquee teams."

The Cowboys have Stanford of the Pac-10 Conference coming to Stillwater this season as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. That game is scheduled for Tues., Dec. 21.

Oklahoma State is 0-3 all-time against Gonzaga, with all three meetings taking place on neutral courts. OSU and the Bulldogs faced each other in the 2004 All-College Classic in Oklahoma City, and played the following fall in Seattle at Key Arena. The most recent meeting between OSU and the Zags was in the 2008 Old Spice Classic in Kissimmee, Fla.

Oklahoma State's men's basketball team ranked No. 7 nationally in average attendance increase among Division I schools last season, it was announced today by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Oklahoma State's average attendance rose from 10,031 during the 2008-09 season to 11,585 in 2009-10, an increase of 1,554 per game. That increase ranked third among Big 12 schools and seventh overall. OSU's average attendance of 11,585 ranked fifth among all Big 12 schools and 35th nationally.

"The fact that our average attendance grew by more than 1,500 from the previous season is exciting," said head coach Travis Ford. "Oklahoma State has some of the best fans in college basketball, and we're determined to display an exciting brand of basketball that will make them return in record numbers. Our goal is to sell out and fill Gallagher-Iba Arena for every single game."

Oklahoma State had the nation's highest increase in average attendance in 2001 when average attendance went from 5,907 in 2000 to 12,044, an improvement of 6,137. That was the year that Gallagher-Iba Arena expanded from 6,381 to 13,611 seats. OSU had the sixth-highest increase in average attendance in 2005, improving from 10,625 in 2004 to 12,241 immediately following the Cowboys' Final Four appearance.

Nick Sidorakis, a senior on Oklahoma State's Cowboy Basketball team, has been named a team captain for the 2010-11 season, it was announced today by head coach Travis Ford.

"Nick has done an outstanding job since the end of this past season in stepping up as a team leader," Ford said. "He has done a terrific job of leading the team both vocally and in leading by his actions. He has been handed this honor deservedly."

Notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations.

Sidorakis, a native of Jenks, Okla., has played a major role in OSU's resurgence on the basketball court. As a freshman, the Cowboys missed the NCAA Tournament for the third-consecutive season. Now, entering his senior year, the Pokes have made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Ford said he is still looking for one or two more players to step up and prove that they desire a captain's role. Not only do they need to be someone who leads by example, but they also need to speak up and be vocal when leading the team.

"We're looking for someone who holds himself accountable, as well as someone who motivates and holds others accountable," Ford said. "We're looking forward to possibly naming one or two others who could show these same qualities."

Three of the first four captains during Ford's tenure have been seniors. Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris were selected by Ford and his staff during his initial season in 2008-09, and last year, Obi Muonelo and junior James Anderson took on those roles.

"The team captain certainly doesn't have to be a senior," Ford said. "Nick is a senior, but he has proven to us that he's willing to not only lead by example, but to speak up and be a solid leader vocally. We need another player to do the same thing and join Nick as a team captain."

 James Anderson has been named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, it was announced today. The Cowboy junior garnered 27 first-team votes and received the sixth-most points in the voting. Story provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Find more at OkState.com.

Anderson is the 12th player in Oklahoma State history to garner All-America status from the Associated Press, and the first since Joey Graham was named a third-team pick in 2005.

Anderson becomes the first Cowboy to be named a second-team selection by the AP since 1992 when Byron Houston received the same honor. This marks just the fourth time since the Associated Press began naming All-America teams in 1948 that OSU has had a second-team selection. Bob Harris (1949) and Gale McArthur (1951) were AP second-team All-Americans as well.

The 2010 first team consisted of Ohio State's Evan Turner (64 first-team votes, 323 total points), Kentucky's John Wall (62, 319), Wes Johnson (45, 280) of Syracuse, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (32, 243), and DeMarcus Cousins (26, 205) of Kentucky. Anderson had 27 first-place votes, but finished with 197 total points.

Anderson is joined on the second team by Kansas' Sherron Collins, Greivis Vasquez of Maryland, Duke's Jon Scheyer and Da'Sean Butler of West Virginia.

The AP All-America third-team members were Greg Monroe of Georgetown, Kansas' Cole Aldrich, Damion James of Texas, Notre Dame's Luke Haragody and Darington Hobson of New Mexico.

There isn't an Oklahoma team left in the Big 12 tournament but Kansas has two! K-State eliminated OSU Thursday night and moved to the semi-finals of the tournament. See the entire schedule, including TV times and channels. 

Wednesday, March 10
G1	(9) Texas Tech 82, (8) Colorado 67 Big 12 Network 11:30 a.m.
G2	(12) Nebraska 75, (5) Missouri 60 Big 12 Network 2:00 p.m.
G3	(7) Oklahoma State 81, (10) Oklahoma 67 Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.
G4	(6) Texas 82, (11) Iowa State 75 Big 12 Network 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 11
G5	(1) Kansas 80, Texas Tech 68 ESPN2 11:30 a.m.
G6	(4) Texas A&M 70, Nebraska 64 Big 12 Network 2:00 p.m.
G7	(2) Kansas State 83, Oklahoma State 64 Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.
G8	(3) Baylor 86, Texas 67 ESPN2 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 12
G9	Kansas vs. Texas A&M Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.
G10	Kansas State vs. Baylor Big 12 Network 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13
G11	G9 Winner vs. G10 Winner ESPN 5:00 p.m.

 

Donald Sloan scored 19 points as No. 23 Texas A&M led from start to finish in a 76-61 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. The Aggies (21-8, 10-5 Big 12) used 3-point shooting to take an early lead and a 14-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half to keep it against the Cowboys, who were coming off Saturday's big win over then-No. 1 Kansas. Texas A&M had its 18-point lead cut to eight before outscoring the Cowboys 11-3 to stretch the cushion to 70-54 with about three minutes left. Sloan, a senior playing in his last home game, and B.J. Holmes both had 3s during that spurt. James Anderson led the Cowboys (20-9, 8-7) with 27 points.

Oklahoma State is 20-8 overall this season and 8-6 in Big 12 action following an 85-77 win over top-ranked Kansas on Saturday. The Cowboys are tied with Texas for sixth place in the Big 12 Conference and just one game out of third place. OSU has four victories over top-25 opponents this season. James Anderson lead the Big 12 in scoring at 22.6 points per game. Three Cowboys rank in the top 20 in the league in rebounding -- Marshall Moses (5th at 8.7), Matt Pilgrim (9th at 6.8) and James Anderson (14th at 6.1). In league-games only, OSU leads in three-pointers made per game (9.1) and ranks third in the league in free-throw percentage (73.2%). OSU ranks No. 26 in the RPI ratings.

Notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Find more at Okstate.com

About Texas A&M
Texas A&M is 20-8 overall this seasonand 9-5 in league play following an 74-58 win over Texas on Saturday. The Aggies are ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll and 24th in the ESPN/Coaches poll. Texas A&M is led by senior guard Donald Sloan who is averaging 18.1 points per game. Senior center Bryan Davis is chipping in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds per contest. In league games only, the Aggies lead the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing just 66.9 points per game. They're allowing just 64.9 ppg over the course of the season. A&M is ranked No. 13 in the RPI ratings.

Individual Notes
James Anderson has 811 career points against Big 12 teams and needs just 19 to become the OSU career scoring leader in Big 12 games only -- Adrian Peterson owns the record with 829 points ... Obi Muonelo moved past Peterson and into second place on the OSU all-time list for career three-pointers made ... Marshall Moses has 251 career rebounds against Big 12 foes, needing three to move past Peterson and into 5th place on the school list ... Matt Pilgrim is averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds over his last seven games while shooting 85.7% (36 of 42) from the floor ... Keiton Page is averaging 16.8 points and 3.7 assists in the last six outings ... Page has connected on 21 consecutive free throws and 37 of his last 38 (97.4%).

Team Notes
Oklahoma State is playing its fourth-straight ranked opponent and is 2-1 during the stretch ... OSU is shooting 46.7% from long range in the last five games, making 58-of-124 ... the Cowboys have won 31 of their last 34 games (91.2%) when shooting 50% from the floor ... Oklahoma State is 35-1 in the Ford era when shooting better than their opponent ... OSU is 4-3 against top-25 foes this season ... the Cowboys are 0-4 on the road at Big 12 South Division opponents this season.

Anderson, Pilgrim Garner Big 12 Weekly Awards
For the fifth time this season, players from the same team have received the Big 12 Weekly Player and Rookie of the Week Awards. James Anderson has been named the POW, while Matt Pilgrim has been named the Rookie of the Week. It is the first time in school history that two Cowboys won the awards in the same week. Anderson scored 27 points in leading the Cowboys to an 85-77 win over top-ranked Kansas. Meanwhile, Pilgrim was a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line for 18 points while adding six rebounds.

OSU vs. A&M Notes
• Despite Oklahoma State's commanding 30-13 record in the series with Texas A&M, the Aggies have won five of the last nine meetings, including three of the last four in College Station.
• The Cowboys won 12 straight games with A&M from 2000-06, winning those 12 contests by an average of 14.8 points per game.
• Since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97, Oklahoma State leads the series 22-6, with just one game played in the postseason league tournament.
• The trio of James Anderson, Obi Muonelo and Keiton Page have combined to shoot 44.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc against Texas A&M, connecting on 31-of-69 shots from long range.
• Marshall Moses is averaging 9.3 rebounds in his last three games against the Aggies.
• Oklahoma State shot 57.9 percent from the floor against Texas A&M in the earlier meeting in Stillwater, including 12-of-18 (66.7%) from behind the three-point line. The Cowboys also outrebounded the Aggies 30-19, including a game-high 11 by Moses. No Texas A&M player had more than four rebounds in the game.
• Obi Muonelo scored 24 points in the game, going 9-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. James Anderson dished out a career-high seven assists in the game.

Recap of the Kansas Game
• For just the third time in school history, Oklahoma State defeated the No. 1 team in the country, dropping Kansas 85-77.
• The last time the Cowboys defeated a top-ranked team was on Feb. 4, 1989, when OSU defeated No. 1 Oklahoma 77-73.
• Oklahoma State is now 3-6 all-time against No. 1 teams, including a 3-1 mark in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
• James Anderson scored 27 points against the Jayhawks, despite suffering from severe back spasms during Friday's afternoon practice.
• Matt Pilgrim scored 18 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the floor.
• Obi Muonelo scored 17 points while Keiton Page add 15, including 4-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc.
• As a team, OSU shot 60.4 percent, the highest percentage by the Cowboys against a Big 12 opponent since Jan. 30, 2005, when the Pokes shot 60 percent at Colorado.
• It was the highest shooting percentage that an opponent has shot against a Kansas squad since the 1990 Big Eight Tournament.

Huge Upsets
Oklahoma State has defeated two teams that are currently ranked in the top-five nationally this season, both from the state of Kansas. OSU picked up one of its biggest upsets ever over a ranked opponent on Jan. 23 when the Cowboys defeated No. 10/9 Kansas State 73-69 on the Wildcats' home court. It was the first victory over a top-10 team in a true road game since 1958, when Oklahoma A&M defeated Kansas 52-50 in overtime in Allen Fieldhouse. The Wildcats are currently ranked fifth nationally.

Just last Saturday, OSU defeated the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks 85-77. It was the Pokes' first victory over a No. 1 team since Feb. 4, 1989, when Oklahoma State defeated Oklahoma 77-73 inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. It was also just the third win over a No. 1 team in school history.

Since Travis Ford became the head coach at OSU, the Cowboys have six wins over ranked teams, including three over top-10 opponents. Oklahoma State defeated No. 6 Oklahoma last season in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals. The Cowboys are now 38-92 (29.2 percent) all-time against top-10 teams.

Big 12 Player of the Year?
There's no doubt that James Anderson deserves to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year. He has averaged 19 points or more against every team in the Big 12 this season and is a leader on the youngest team in the league. He's averaging 23.8 points in conference games only, the fifth-highest average by a Big 12 player in league history.

He enters the Texas A&M game with a 17.8 career scoring average, the second-highest average in school history with Byron Houston's 18.7 ppg average the only one ahead of him.

Anderson currently has 1,710 career points, making him the fourth-most prominent scorer in school history. He's also scored more points through his first three years in a Cowboy uniform than any other player in school history. Houston held the top spot for 19 years with 1,691 points.

Only four other players in Big 12 history -- Texas' Kevin Durant (28.9 ppg in 2006-07), Kansas State's Michael Beasley (28.4 in 2007-08), Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (24.8 in 1999-2000) and Oklahoma's Corey Brewer (24.4 in 1997-98) -- have averaged more in league-games only in a single season.

 

Oklahoma State is 19-7 overall this season and 7-5 in Big 12 action following Saturday's 82-75 win over 22nd-ranked Baylor. The Cowboys are tied with Texas and Baylor for fifth place in the Big 12 Conference and just two games out of second place. OSU now has three victories over top-25 opponents this season. James Anderson lead the Big 12 in scoring at 22.8 points per game. Four Cowboys rank in the top 20 in the league in rebounding -- Marshall Moses (5th at 8.9), Matt Pilgrim (9th at 6.8), James Anderson (14th at 6.1) and Obi Muonelo (19th at 5.5). In league-games only, OSU leads in three-pointers made per game (9.1) and ranks third in the league in both field-goal percentage (44.7%) and free-throw percentage (73.7%). OSU ranks No. 29 in the RPI ratings.

Notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Find more at Okstate.com.

About Texas
Texas is 21-6 overall and 7-5 in league play following a 71-67 win at Texas Tech on Saturday. The Longhorns are ranked 21st in both the AP and ESPN/Coaches polls. UT is led by senior forward Damion James who is averaging 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Three other 'Horns are also averaging double figure scoring. The Texas defense is allowing just 38.8% shooting from the floor and just 29.9% from beyond the arc. UT is ranked No. 24 in the RPI ratings.

Individual Notes
James Anderson ranks 4th nationally in scoring ... Anderson is tied with Bob Kurland for the 5th-most points in school history at 1,669; he needs 34 points to move past Desmond Mason and into 4th place ... Obi Muonelo scored 21 straight points for OSU in the second half at Iowa State ... Muonelo needs three treys to move past Adrian Peterson and into second place on the all-time list ... Marshall Moses has 239 career rebounds against Big 12 foes, ranking 6th on the OSU list ... Matt Pilgrim is averaging 11.5 points and 9.7 rebounds over the last six games while shooting 82.4% (28 of 34) from the floor ... Keiton Page is averaging 20.3 points and 4.3 assists in the last four outings.

Team Notes
Oklahoma State has made 40-of-83 three-pointers over the last three games, good for 48.2% ... OSU also has 46 assists and just 34 turnovers during that span ... The Cowboys have won 30 of their last 33 games (90.9%) when shooting 50% from the floor ... the Cowboys are 34-1 in the Ford era when shooting better than their opponent ... OSU is 3-2 against top-25 foes this season ... the Cowboys' next three opponents are all ranked in both of the top-25 national polls ... Oklahoma State scores 53.2% of its points off either three pointers (633 points) or free throws (407 points).

Headband Sales to Benefit Coaches vs. Cancer
The Student Store is working with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and Coaches vs. Cancer to celebrate the inaugural "I Love College Hoops ... Beat Cancer Week," a fan-driven initiative created to support the fight against cancer. During the week of Feb. 21-28, college basketball fans around the country are encouraged to support cancer awareness by wearing headbands to their respective home basketball games.  OSU fans are encouraged to wear their customized headbands to the OSU vs. KU basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.  Get one today for only $3.99 and show your support for Cowboy Basketball and the fight to find a cure for Cancer! Headbands can be purchased online at shopokstate.com or in the Student Store located on the first floor of the Student Union.

OSU vs. Texas Notes
• James Anderson has 109 career points against Texas, ranking fifth in OSU history against the Longhorns. Seven points will move him past JamesOn Curry and Victor Williams and into third place on that list.
• Anderson's 18.2 points-per-game average against the 'Horns ranks as the second-highest average by a Cowboys in school history with a minimum of five games played. Mario Boggan owns the record at 19 ppg.
• Anderson has 12 three-pointers against Texas, just two behind the individual school record of 14 set by Victor Williams and equaled by JamesOn Curry.
• Anderson's 35 points at Texas last season rank as the second-most points by a Cowboy against UT in school history, just two points shy of Mario Boggan's 37 scored on Jan. 16, 2007. Anderson was 12-of-16 from the floor in that game, including four treys.
• Anderson scored 28 points in the game earlier this season in Stillwater, tying for the fifth-most points against Texas in OSU history.
• Marshall Moses grabbed 16 rebounds against Texas last season in Stillwater, the fourth-most boards by a Cowboy against the Longhorns in school history.
• Oklahoma State's 68-59 victory over Texas last season in Stillwater ended a six-game losing streak by the Cowboys in the series, one shy of the longest string of victories by the 'Horns from 1976-98.
• OSU won eight-straight games in the series from 1945-54, and after a loss in 1955, won six more for 14 wins in 15 games.

Up Next
Oklahoma State will return home to host the Kansas Jayhawks (27-1, 13-0) on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m. That game will be televised by CBS. The Cowboys will then head to College Station, Texs, to take on the Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday, March 3, at 8 p.m. inside Reed Arena. That game will be televised by ESPN2.

Rough Road Ahead
It doesn't get any easier for the Cowboys as the regular season wraps up. Following OSU's home win over the 22nd-ranked Baylor Bears last Saturday, the Cowboys head to Austin, Texas, to face the No. 21 Texas Longhorns on Wednesday night. Then, it's back home for a marquee matchup with top-ranked Kansas, followed by a road trip to College Station, Texas, to face the 22nd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. On two occasions in Cowboy Basketball history, Oklahoma State has played four-straight games against ranked opponents, but both occurrences have come in the postseason. OSU has played three-consecutive opponents on several occasions during the regular season, but this will mark the first time that the Cowboys will play four-straight top-25 opponents during the regular season.

Game Info vs Texas
Date -- Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010
Tipoff -- 8:05 p.m.
Location -- Austin, Texas
Venue -- Erwin Events Center (16,734)
Series History with UT -- Texas leads, 41-35
Last Meeting -- Feb. 1, 2010 in Stillwater
Result -- Texas won 72-60
Last Meeting in Austin -- Feb. 10, 2009
Result -- Texas won 99-74

Television -- ESPN2 HD
Play-by-Play • Ron Franklin
Analyst • Bill Raftery
Oklahoma City • Cox Channel 28
Stillwater • Suddenlink Channel 32
Tulsa • Cox Channel 26
ESPN FullCourt • ESPN360.com

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI 93.7 FM

 

 

 

James Anderson scored 29 point and Keiton Page added 22 as Oklahoma State upset #22 ranked Baylor 82-75 in Stillwater.  The Pokes did most of the damage from long distance, shooting 56% from three point range (14-25.)

OSU held the Bears to 38% shooting from the field and had six steals in moving to 19-7 overall and 7-5 in Big 12 play.

Bears Statistics

Cowboys Statistics

 

Cory Higgins scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half, and Colorado withstood a late rally to beat Oklahoma 77-67 on Wednesday night.      Alec Burks had 17 points and Marcus Relphorde and Nate Tomlinson 

added 10 points each for the Buffaloes (12-13, 3-8 Big 12), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Relphorde also had 10 rebounds. Tommy Mason-Griffin and Willie Warren each scored 19 for the Sooners (13-12, 4-7), who remained winless in six conference road games. The loss was Oklahoma's third straight and fourth in five games. The Sooners were outshot 50 percent to 43.6 percent in losing for the fourth straight time in Colorado.

 

Obi Muonelo scored a season-high 31 points and Oklahoma State hung on to beat Iowa State 69-64 on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game road losing streak. James Anderson added 20 points for the Cowboys (18-7, 6-5 Big 12), who blew an early 20-point lead but rallied behind Muonelo, who scored 25 points in the second half. Iowa State pulled within 67-64 with 20 seconds left, and the Cyclones had the ball. But freshman Chris Colvin tossed an inbounds pass out of bounds, and Anderson hit two free throws to ice the victory. Oklahoma State led by as much as 36-16, but the Cyclones rallied to grab a 50-47 edge with 12 minutes left. Scott Christopherson had 19 points for Iowa State (13-13, 2-9), which lost its fifth straight.

 

After becoming the first Oklahoma player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the start of Blake Griffin's professional career has been delayed by injuries. His college teammates, meanwhile, have struggled at times to adapt to life without him. For one night, they'll reunite and reminisce about better times, and then try to make the best of what's ahead. He's scheduled to be honored during ``Blake Griffin Night'' in

Norman on Tuesday. The former Sooners star told reporters Monday it's been tough to miss his entire first NBA season but wanted to get his knee fixed so he won't have to ``deal with it in the future.'' While he's been out, he's been trying to encourage the Sooners as they're stuck in the middle of the pack in the Big 12.

Oklahoma State is 16-5 overall this season and 4-3 in Big 12 action following a 95-80 loss at Missouri. The Cowboys are tied for fourth place in the Big 12 Conference. James Anderson continues to lead the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 22.5 points per game, while Marshall Moses leads the Pokes and ranks 4th in the Big 12 with his 9.9 rebounds per contest. OSU has a +5.4 rebounding edge against Big 12 foes. The Cowboys are 11-0 this season at home and have won 16 straight inside Gallagher-Iba Arena dating back to last season. Oklahoma State ranks No. 28 in the latest RPI ratings and is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.

Notes provided by OSU media relations. Find them at Okstate.com.

About Texas
Texas is 18-3 overall this season and 4-2 in league play following an 80-77 loss in overtime at home to Baylor on Saturday. The Longhorns are currently tied for second place in the Big 12 Conference, but have lost three of their last four games after winning their first 17 to start the season. UT is led by senior forward Damion James who leads the Big 12 in rebounding (11.3 rpg) and ranks sixth in the league in scoring (18.2 ppg). As a team, Texas leads the Big 12 in both scoring (85.3 ppg) and rebounding (44.3 rpg). The 'Horns are No. 19 in the latest RPI ratings.

Quick Notes
James Anderson extended his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 35, the 2nd longest streak in school history ... with 31 points at Missouri, Anderson moved from 10th to sixth on the career scoring list with  ... Obi Muonelo is just the third player in school history to connect on 200 shots from long range in a career; he currently has 221 ... Keiton Page became the 20th player in school history to connect on 100 career three-point shots with one at K-State; he now has 105 ... Marshall Moses is averaging 10.7 rebounds over the last six games ... the Cowboys have won 29 of their last 32 games (90.6%) when shooting 50 percent from the floor ... 12 of OSU's 16 wins this season have been by double-digit margins ... the Cowboys are 31-0 in the Ford era when shooting better than their opponent ... OSU has won 10 or more games at home for the 22nd consecutive season ... Oklahoma State has defeated Texas the last three times the Longhorns have come into Gallagher-Iba Arena as a top-10 team ... the Cowboys' next win will be Travis Ford's 40th at OSU, making him the sixth-winningest coach in school history ... OSU's men's and women's basketball teams have combined for the best overall record in the Big 12; the women are 18-3 for a combined 34-8 (81%).

Series vs Texas
Texas leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State 40-35, including an 18-9 mark since the two schools joined the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys won the last meeting, a 68-59 victory in Stillwater last February. James Anderson had 16 points in that game while Marshall Moses added 15 points and 16 rebounds. Oklahoma State has won five of the last seven meetings in Gallagher-Iba Arena, and the two games that the Longhorns won were by a combined three points (74-73 in 2005 and 63-61 in 2008). The game on Jan. 16, 2007, is still one of the classic basketball games of all time, with the Cowboys picking up a 105-103 win in triple overtime.

OSU-Texas Ties
• Dexter Pittman, a senior center for the Longhorns, is the son of Johnny Pittman, who played at Oklahoma State for three seasons (1988-91). Johnny ranks ninth in school history for career blocked shots (91).
• Jai Lucas, a junior guard for Texas, is the younger brother of John Lucas, III, who was the starting point guard on Oklahoma State's Final Four (2004) and Sweet 16 (2005) teams.
• Shawn Williams, a freshman forward at UT, was a high school teammate of both Reger Dowell and Roger Franklin at Duncanville High School.

Game Info vs Texas
Date -- Monday, Feb. 1, 2010
Tipoff -- 8 p.m.
Location -- Stillwater, Okla.
Venue -- Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Series History with Texas -- UT leads, 40-35
Last Meeting -- Feb. 28, 2009 in Stillwater
Result -- Oklahoma State won 68-59

Television -- ESPN HD
Play-by-Play • Brent Musberger
Analyst • Bob Knight
Reporter • Holly Rowe
Oklahoma City • Cox Channel 29
Stillwater • Suddenlink Ch. 31
Tulsa • Cox Channel 25
ESPN Full Court • ESPN360.com

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI 93.7 FM
Sirius Satellite Radio • Channel 121
XM Satellite Radio • Channel 242

 

Kim English ended a scoring slump with 20 points and had four of Missouri's 16 3-pointers, helping the Tigers bounce back from their worst loss of the season by whipping Oklahoma State 95-80 on Saturday.

Notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Get more at Okstate.com.

James Anderson had a season-high 31 points with eight rebounds for Oklahoma State (16-5, 4-3 Big 12), hounded into a season-worst 24 turnovers by Missouri's all-court pressure. Matt Pilgrim added 21 points, 15 above his average, and added nine rebounds.

Anderson scored in double figures for the 35th consecutive game, breaking a tie with Richard Dumas for the second-longest streak in school history and topped his previous best by a point. The junior passed three players--Ivan McFarland, Randy Rutherford and Matt Clark--to move up to sixth on the school career scoring list.

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler walked down the bench and high-fived every one of his players Saturday night as the final seconds ticked off the Cornhuskers' 63-46 win over Oklahoma.

"I'm proud of this team, man," Sadler said. "They've been busting their tails, and it's good to see them rewarded."

Notes provided by Oklahoma media relations. Find more at SoonerSports.com.

Nebraska (13-8, 1-5) got its first Big 12 victory of the season and avoided its worst conference start since 1962-63 with a workmanlike performance against the cold-shooting Sooners (12-9, 3-4).

Brandon Richardson scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half and the Cornhuskers pulled away for their first win since Jan. 5 against Southeastern Louisiana.

The win came just in time for the Huskers, who play five straight games against teams in the Top 25, starting Tuesday at home against No. 11 Kansas State.

"This was a good one for us and the team is happy," said Lance Jeter, who matched his career high with seven rebounds. "We know we have a tougher one Tuesday. We celebrate tonight. Tomorrow brings a new day."

The Sooners, winless in four conference road games, shot just 35 percent and had their fewest points since scoring 45 in back-to-back losses to Texas and Nebraska in February 2008.

Tipoff was pushed back to evening because of a snow and ice storm in Oklahoma that delayed the Sooners' charter flight to Lincoln.

Capel said the difficult travel was no excuse.

"We got here in plenty of time," he said. "They just outplayed us, out-toughed us. That's something we have to do a better job with."

Oklahoma plays its first home game in 11 days when it hosts Iowa State Wednesday at 8:05  The Sooners, who are coming off a 75-65 loss at Texas Tech on Saturday, are 9-0 at home on the year.  Iowa State, which lost 84-61 to Kansas Saturday in Ames, is 2-2 in true road games.  Wednesday's contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing.  It will be televised by the Big 12 Network with Dave Armstrong and Reid Gettys calling the action.

Game notes provided by Oklahoma media relations. Find more at Soonersports.com.

TICKET INFORMATION
A limited number of tickets are available for $10, $25 and $35 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here.  Lloyd Noble Center's north and east box offices will open Wednesday at 6 p.m.

PROMOTION
Wednesday's game will mark First Responders Night.  Fan banners will be presented to the first 2,500 fans in attendance.

NOTEWORTHY
• Oklahoma is 108-77 all-time against Iowa State and 59-21 in Norman.  OU has won the last three overall meetings and six straight at Lloyd Noble Center.
• The Sooners have won 10 consecutive games at home and 29 of their last 30.
• Big 12 teams are a combined 128-8 (.941) at home this year.
• OU has held its foes to sub-.400 field goal shooting in six of the last eight halves.
• Oklahoma is averaging a Big 12-high 8.2 3-point makes per game.  The school record for average treys per contest in a season is 8.5 (in 1998-99).
• In its wins, Oklahoma is giving up 62.5 points a game and is holding opponents to .386 shooting from the field.  In its losses, OU is surrendering 82.6 points and allowing foes to shoot .488 from the floor.
• Oklahoma ranks second in the Big 12 with its .740 free throw mark.  The Sooners have made 301 free throws while their opponents have attempted 318.
• Six of the top-10 teams in the AP poll this time a year ago are not ranked currently (OU, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Louisville, Marquette and Xavier).
• Tommy Mason-Griffin has made at least one 3-pointer in 18 of 19 games this year, and at least two treys in 12 of the last 15 outings.  He ranks third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.442), fourth in assists (4.6 apg), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and ninth in 3-pointers per game (2.0).
• In Oklahoma's five conference games, Mason-Griffin is shooting .500 (15-for-30) from 3-point range.  The rest of the team is shooting .195 (15-for-77).
• No OU freshman has ever shot better from 3-point range for a season than Mason-Griffin's current .442 mark.
• Senior guard Tony Crocker, who has started 85 consecutive games, has recorded his only six career double-doubles over the last 13 outings.
• Crocker needs 10 rebounds to become just the second Sooner to ever record 1,000 points, 500 boards and 150 3-pointers in a career (Ryan Minor is the other).

PREVIEWING IOWA STATE
Iowa State enters the week with 12-7 overall and 1-3 Big 12 records.  Its only win in league play came Jan. 16 at Nebraska (56-53).  It has lost at home to No. 1 Texas (90-83) and No. 3 Kansas (84-61), and at Texas Tech (78-71).  The Cyclones, who average 75.0 points per game (rank eighth in Big 12), are shooting .466 from the field (fifth), .420 from 3-point range (first) and .624 from the free throw line (11th).  They are 2-2 in true road games on the season (other contests were a 90-70 win at Drake on Nov. 17 and an 82-63 loss at California on Dec. 5).

ISU's frontcourt combo of junior forward Craig Brackins and senior forward Marquis Gilstrap is one of the most productive in the conference.  Brackins, a preseason All-American, leads the team with his 16.0 points per contest and ranks second with his 7.8 boards per game.  He has recorded six double-doubles on the year and has scored in double figures in all but two games.  Brackins already ranks 15th in school history in scoring and 18th in rebounding.  Gilstrap, a transfer from Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, averages 15.1 points and a team-high 9.3 boards an outing.  In Big 12 play, he's averaging a double-double with his 18.0 points and a league-high 12.3 rebounds a game.  A five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Gilstrap has nine double-doubles on the year, including four in the team's four league contests.  Junior point guard Diante Garrett is averaging 8.0 points and team highs of 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals a game.  He has recorded at least seven assists six times on the year.  The Cyclones lost guard Lucca Staiger last week when he opted to pursue a professional playing opportunity in his native Germany.  A junior, Staiger started all 17 of his games this year and averaged 9.4 points.  He made a team-high 48 3-pointers (2.8 per game) and shot .425 from long range.

Greg McDermott is in his fourth season as Iowa State's head coach and owns a 56-58 (.491) record.  He's in his 16th year as a collegiate head coach and is 277-185 (.596).

OU-IOWA STATE SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 108-77 series advantage against Iowa State and has won the last three meetings, seven of the last nine and 10 of the last 14.  OU is 59-21 against the Cyclones in Norman and has won the last six at home.  Since the start of the Big 12 in 1996-97, OU is 10-5 against ISU (6-0 in Norman).  Jeff Capel is 3-1 against the Cyclones as OU's head coach (1-0 in Norman).

Oklahoma (11-8, 2-3) vs. Iowa State (12-7, 1-3)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 8:05 p.m. CST
Location	Norman, Okla. | Lloyd Noble Center | Seating Views
Tickets	OU Athletics Ticket Office
TV	Big 12 Network  KOCB Ch. 34 in Oklahoma City  KJRH-DT 2.1 in Tulsa  ESPN Full Court
Radio	Sooner Radio Network   KRXO FM 107.7 in Oklahoma City  KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa  Sirius 126
Webcast	SoonerSports.com All-Access
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF)

Oklahoma State is 15-4 overall this season and 3-2 in Big 12 action following a 73-69 win at 10th-ranked Kansas State on Saturday. It was OSU's second win over a ranked opponent this season. The Cowboys are 10-0 this season at home and have won 15 straight in Gallagher-Iba Arena dating back to last February. James Anderson continues to lead the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 22.6 points per game. Marshall Moses leads the Pokes and ranks 4th in the Big 12 with his 9.9 rebounds per contest. OSU is averaging just 11.6 turnovers per game, the lowest average in the league. Oklahoma State ranks No. 27 in the latest RPI ratings. Wednesday is also the 9th anniversary of the plane crash which took the lives of 10 members of the Cowboy Basketball program.

Notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Get more at Okstate.com.

About Texas A&M
Texas A&M is 14-5 overall this season and 3-2 in league play following a 67-63 win over Colorado on Saturday. A&M is led by senior guard Donald Sloan who is averaging 17.5 points points per game. He is the only active Aggie averaging double figures. The A&M defense is allowing just 64.2 points per game and the opponents are shooting just 39.8 percent from the floor, including just 31.3 percent from long range. The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +3.0. Texas A&M ranks 38th in the latest RPI ratings.

Quick Notes
James Anderson extended his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 33, the 3rd longest streak in school history ... 10 or more points against A&M will tie him for the second-longest streak in school history ... Anderson is just one point away from becoming the 10th player in school history with 1,500 career points ... he has scored 600 career points in Big 12 league games ... Obi Muonelo became the 21st player in school history to record 500 career rebounds with 10 vs. Texas Tech ... after connecting on four treys against Colorado, Muonelo is just the third player in school history to connect on 200 shots from long range in a career ... Keiton Page became the 20th player in school history to connect on 100 career three-point shots with one at K-State ... Marshall Moses is averaging 11.3 rebounds over the last four games ... the Cowboys have won 28 of their last 31 games (90.3 percent) when shooting 50 percent from the floor ... 12 of OSU's 15 wins this season have been by double-digit margins ... the Cowboys are 30-0 in the Ford era when shooting better than their opponent ... OSU has won 10 or more games at home for the 22nd consecutive season ... Oklahoma State's men's and women's basketball teams combine to have the best overall record in the Big 12; the women are 16-3 for a combined 31-7 (81.6 percent).

We Will Remember
January 27, 2010, marks the ninth anniversary of the tragedy that struck the Oklahoma State community forever. A plane carrying 10 members of the Cowboy Basketball travel party crashed just minutes after taking off from Jefferson County airport in Colorado following a game earlier in the day at Boulder. A memorial has been built near the crash site near Strasburg, Colo., as well as in the Southwest Lobby of Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU will recognize a moment of silence prior to Wednesday night's game against Texas A&M to recognize the lives of the following: Kendall Durfey (radio engineer), Bjorn Fahlstrom (co-pilot), Nate Fleming (player), Will Hancock (media relations director), Daniel Lawson (player), Brian Luinstra (athletic trainer), Denver Mills (pilot), Pat Noyes (director of operations), Bill Teegins (radio analyst), and Jared Weiberg (student manager).

Big Upset
Oklahoma State picked up one of its biggest upsets over a ranked opponent last Saturday when the Cowboys defeated No. 10/9 Kansas State 73-69 on the Wildcats' home court. It was the first victory over a top-10 team in a true road game since 1958, when Oklahoma A&M defeated Kansas 52-50 in overtime in Allen Fieldhouse. Oklahoma State has had it's share of victories over highly ranked opponents, including a win over No. 6 Oklahoma last season in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals and a victory over seventh-ranked Texas A&M in the 2007 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals. However, it was the first win in a true road game in 52 years. The Cowboys are now 37-91 28.9 percent) all-time against top-10 teams, including a 4-6 mark vs. teams ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press at game time. It was just OSU's fifth win over a top-10 opponent on the road since the AP poll started during the 1948-49 season.

Anderson Big 12 Player of the Week
Cowboy James Anderson has been named the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 24. The junior from Junction City, Ark., averaged 28 points and 5.5 rebounds in two victories last week. He recorded 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a 90-78 victory over Colorado. He followed that up with 30 points against the 10th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan, adding three rebounds and three assists. It was his second 30-point game of the year, as he became the only Big 12 player to score 30 or more points twice this season. He has a Big 12-best 13 games with 20 points or more this season. It was the third POW honor of his career.

Up Next
OSU will travel to Columbia, Mo., this Saturday, Jan. 30, to take on the Missouri Tigers (15-5, 3-2). That game will tip off at 1 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN. The Cowboys will return home for a Big Monday contest on Feb. 1 as the Texas Longhorns (17-2, 3-1) come to Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will also be televised by ESPN.

 

Game Info vs Texas A&M
Date -- Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010
Tipoff -- 6:30 p.m.
Location -- Stillwater, Okla.
Venue -- Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Series History with A&M -- OSU leads, 29-13
Last Meeting -- Jan. 31, 2009 in College Station
Result -- Texas A&M won 76-64
Last Meeting in Stillwater -- Jan. 10, 2009
Result -- Oklahoma State won 72-61

Television -- ESPN2
Play-by-Play • Ron Franklin
Analyst • Hubert Davis
Oklahoma City • Cox Channel 28
Stillwater • Suddenlink Ch. 32
Tulsa • Cox Channel 26
ESPN Full Court • ESPN360.com

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI 93.7 FM
Sirius Satellite Radio • Channel 127
www.okstate.com

 

The Big 12 is one of the nations toughest college basketball conferences in the nation. Both Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are battling their way toward the conference tournament and you want to keep up. Easy enough, check below for updates, stats, this weeks schedules, etc.

First, you can see the entire Big 12 weekly release here (PDF.)

How about some stats? Here are the combined teams numbers.

Need the standings? Here they are.

Where do Big 12 teams stand in the polls? Find out here.

There are other neat notes, read them below.

The Big 12 is rated as the No. 1 conference in the nation in the latest Ratings

Percentage Index (RPI). The Conference has seven teams in the top 41 of the

RPI - the most of any league.

The Big 12 is 142-31 (.821) in non-conference play in 2009-10, including 8-6

versus Associated Press top 25 opponents. The .821 winning percentage is the

best in the nation.

 The Big 12 was the first conference in the nation this season to have every

team post a double-digit victory total. The Big 12 has the most squads (8)

with 14 wins or more.

 The Big 12 is 127-8 (.941) at home this season, the best home record of any

conference in the nation. In non-conference play, the league is 106-1.

 Every team in the Big 12 has a win percentage of .526 or better, with 10

squads at .632 or higher and eight at .737 or better. The Conference leads

the nation with the most teams at or above the .737 mark.

 The 141 non-conference wins by the Big 12 is a league record for the most in

regular-season play. The non-conference winning percentage (.821) would

also be a Big 12 record.

 The Big 12 has five teams with home-court winning streaks of 13 games or

more. All five squads rank in the top 18 nationally, led by No. 1 Kansas (53

games) and No. 3 Missouri (31).

 At least four league teams have been ranked in the top 25 each of the past

seven weeks. Seven conference squads have been in the top 25 at some point

this year - the most in one season in Big 12 history.

 

 

 

 

Pat Knight said that the other Texas Tech coaches verbally "hammered" their players at halftime.

The Red Raiders had stayed close to Oklahoma in the first half on Saturday night because of defense. But offensively, there was no team effort, Knight said.

Notes provided by Oklahoma athletic media relations. Get more at SoonerSports.com.

"My vocabulary is pretty limited," said Knight, alluding to having used one cuss word repeatedly. "That's about it. You can't get too creative with that, but I got four assistants that have a wider range of vocabulary."

Something got through, as the Red Raiders came back to beat Oklahoma 75-65.

Mike Singletary had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Texas Tech.

"I thought the second half was great at both ends (of the floor)," Knight said.

The Red Raiders (14-5, 2-3 Big 12) pulled ahead in the final three minutes, closing the game on a 10-1 run.

Tommy Mason-Griffin scored 26 points to lead the Sooners (11-8, 2-3).

Trailing by 11 early in the second half, Texas Tech used a 12-0 run - highlighted by a 3-pointer by John Roberson and back-to-back shots beyond the arc by Singletary - to lead 35-34 with about 16 minutes remaining.

The Red Raiders led by four points twice afterward, but Mason-Griffin kept the Sooners close. He hit consecutive 3-pointers to tie it at 62-62.

Singletary had his fourth double-double of the season.

James Anderson scored 30 points and Obi Muonelo hit two key 3-pointers in the final minutes to boost Oklahoma State past No. 10 Kansas State 73-69 Saturday, just six days after the Wildcats beat No. 1 Texas on the same court.

This was Oklahoma State's first win over a top-10 team on the road since Jan. 2, 1958, when OSU defeated 2nd-ranked Kansas 52-50 in overtime in Lawrence.

Kansas State (16-3, 3-2 Big 12) sliced a six-point deficit to one on Curtis Kelly's two free throws with 26.9 seconds to go. But the Wildcats fouled on each of their next two possessions. Nick Sidorakis iced the victory for the Cowboys (15-4, 3-2) with a pair of free throws with 5 seconds left in a rough-and-tumble game that included three technical fouls and 36 turnovers.

Anderson, the Big 12's leading scorer, missed only one of 11 free throws and was 9 for 18 from the floor while tying his season high. He was nearly unstoppable even though the Wildcats double-teamed him every time he touched the ball.

Denis Clemente had 19 points for Kansas State and Kelly had 13.

Muonelo hit a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma State a 61-56 lead, and then with 2:11 to go he canned another 3 to give the Cowboys a 66-60 lead.

After Kelly's two free throws made it 70-69, he was called for a foul during a struggle for a loose ball on the other end and Roger Franklin made one of two foul shots. Chris Merriewether was called for a foul under the Kansas State basket and Sidorakis went to the line for Oklahoma State.

Technical fouls were called against Kansas State's Denis Clemente, Oklahoma State's Matt Pilgrim and Kansas State coach Frank Martin, who was the toast of Manhattan after Monday night's 71-62 victory over Texas--the school's third win over a top-ranked team.

The loss snapped Kansas State's 14-game home winning streak, the longest in the 22-year history of Bramlage Coliseum.

 

Oklahoma State is 14-4 overall this season and 2-2 in Big 12 action following a 90-78 win over Colorado. James Anderson continues to lead the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 21.8 points per game. Oklahoma State's three guards -- sophomore Keiton Page and freshmen Ray Penn and Fred Gulley -- have combined for 109 assists and just 50 turnovers, a 2.18 assist-to-turnover ratio among the three primary ball handlers. Marshall Moses leads the Pokes and ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with his 9.9 rebounds per contest. OSU is averaging just 11.2 turnovers per game, the lowest average in the league. Oklahoma State ranks No. 35 in the latest RPI ratings.

Notes provided by Oklahoma State athletic media relations. Find more at Okstate.com.

About Kansas State
K-State is 16-2 overall this season and 3-1 in league play following a 71-62 win over top-ranked Texas on Monday night. KSU is led by junior guard Jacob Pullen who ranks second in the Big 12 with his 19.3 points per game. He leads four Wildcats averaging double figures. Kansas State averages nearly 16 offensive rebounds a game, leading the league. However, the 'Cats also average nearly 16 turnovers per contest. KSU was ranked No. 9 in the Coaches poll and 10th in the AP poll prior to its win over the top-ranked Longhorns. The 'Cats are 3rd in the latest RPI ratings.

Quick Notes
James Anderson extended his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 32, tied for the 3rd longest streak in school history ... with 20 points at Baylor, Anderson moved past Olus Holder and Leroy Combs and into 10th place on the school career scoring list; he now has 1,469 points ... Obi Muonelo became the 21st player in school history to record 500 career rebounds with 10 vs. Texas Tech ... after connecting on four treys against Colorado, Muonelo is just the third player in school history to connect on 200 shots from long range in a career ... Keiton Page has 22 assists and just five turnovers in the last nine games ... he is currently averaging just 0.82 turnovers per 40 minutes this season, the lowest average in school history ... Page needs just one trey to become the 20th player in school history to connect on 100 in a career ... the Cowboys have won 28 of their last 31 games (90.3 percent) when shooting 50 percent from the floor ... 12 of OSU's 14 wins this season have been by double-digit margins ... the Cowboys are 28-0 in the Ford era when shooting better than their opponent ... Oklahoma State is one of four teams that has won at least half of its Big 12 road games (4-4 or better) in seven of the first 13 years of the league's existence ... OSU has won 10 or more games at home for the 22nd consecutive season.

Notes vs K-State
Kansas State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State 69-46, including a 34-14 mark in Manhattan. The Cowboys have won six of the last seven and 11 of the last 13 since the Big 12 Conference began in 1996-97.

OSU has won 23 of the last 29 games in the series, dating back to an 82-78 victory in the 1990 Big Eight Tournament. The Cowboys are also 4-2 in Manhattan since the formation of the Big 12.

The majority of Kansas State's victories in the series came between the years of 1929-80. During that span, the Wildcats won 52 of 60 matchups on the hardwood.

James Anderson is the only current Cowboy who as started more than one game against Kansas State. He is averaging 15 points while shooting 52.9 percent against the Wildcats, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.

Last Time vs. K-State
All five Cowboy starters scored in double figures and Marshall Moses recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds as OSU defeated Kansas State 77-71 in Stillwater. The Wildcats outrebounded the Pokes 31-27, but OSU made 35 trips to the free-throw line compared to just 23 by K-State.

Byron Eaton led all scorers with 5 points, including 15-of-15 from the charity stripe. James Anderson scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-5 shots from long range. Moses, Terrel Harris and Keiton Page each added 10 points.

Denis Clemente scored a team-high 18 points for KSU while Darren Kent added 14 and Jacob Pullen 13. Ron Anderson had 12 points off the bench for K-State.

Date -- Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010
Tipoff -- 3 p.m.
Location -- Manhattan, Kan.
Venue -- Bramlage Coliseum (12,528)
Series History with KSU -- KSU leads, 69-46
Last Meeting -- March 3, 2009 in Stillwater
Result -- Oklahoma State won 77-71
Last Meeting in Manhattan -- Feb. 9, 2008
Result -- Kansas State won 82-61

Television -- Big 12 Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Armstrong
Analyst • Paul Splittorff
Analyst • Rich Zvosec
Oklahoma City • KOCB-34 (Cox Ch. 11)
Stillwater • KOCB-34 (Suddenlink Ch. 11)
Tulsa • KJRH-2 (Cox Channel 9)
ESPN Full Court • ESPN360.com

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI 93.7 FM
XM Satellite Radio • Channel 242
www.okstate.com

James Anderson scored 26 points, Marshall Moses had 20 points and 18 rebounds and Oklahoma State snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Colorado 90-78 on Wednesday night. Anderson, the Big 12 Conference's leading scorer, fueled a 10-2 run early in the second half that gave Oklahoma State (14-4, 2-2) a 15-point lead and went 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. Anderson has scored in double figures in 32 straight games, matching the third-longest streak in school history.   Alec Burks led Colorado with a career-high 24 points. Colorado (10-8, 1-3) has lost 31 straight conference road games since Feb. 5, 2006, when the Buffaloes won at Oklahoma State, and 23 in a row on the road against NCAA Division I foes, dating to December 2007.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Colorado 10-8, 1-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
33 Dufault, Austin..... f  4-6    2-4    0-0    1  4  5   3  10  0  1  0  1  19
01 Tomlinson, Nate..... g  0-2    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  3  4  0  0  16
05 Relphorde, Marcus... g  2-9    0-4    0-0    0  3  3   1   4  2  3  0  0  27
10 Burks, Alec......... g  8-13   0-1    8-10   2  3  5   0  24  0  1  1  3  35
11 Higgins, Cory....... g  3-10   1-3    6-7    2  2  4   3  13  2  1  0  3  35
12 Thorne II, Dwight...    5-7    2-2    3-4    0  1  1   5  15  1  1  0  0  25
13 Harris-Tunks, Shane.    0-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   3   0  0  1  0  0  12
24 Knutson, Levi.......    1-1    1-1    0-0    0  0  0   1   3  0  0  0  0   5
34 Crawford, Casey.....    3-6    2-4    1-1    0  2  2   4   9  0  1  0  0  21
35 Hornbuckle, Keegan..    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   4
55 Eckloff, Trey.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0   1
   TEAM................                            1  1
   Totals..............   26-57   8-21  18-22   6 17 23  20  78  8 14  1  7 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-24 41.7%   2nd Half: 16-33 48.5%   Game: 45.6%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-10 40.0%   2nd Half:  4-11 36.4%   Game: 38.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-7  85.7%   2nd Half: 12-15 80.0%   Game: 81.8%    0


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Oklahoma State 14-4, 2-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
33 Moses, Marshall..... f  8-9    0-0    4-4    3 15 18   4  20  2  3  0  0  33
02 Muonelo, Obi........ g  7-16   4-7    0-0    1  1  2   0  18  2  0  0  0  27
12 Page, Keiton........ g  4-8    2-5    4-4    0  2  2   2  14  2  2  0  3  37
14 Penn, Ray........... g  2-5    1-3    0-0    0  0  0   2   5  6  2  0  0  34
23 Anderson, James..... g  7-14   1-6   11-13   2  6  8   2  26  4  2  0  1  38
15 Sidorakis, Nick.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
21 Gulley, Fred........    0-1    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   4   0  1  0  0  0   9
31 Pilgrim, Matt.......    1-1    0-0    0-0    1  3  4   3   2  0  2  0  0   7
32 Franklin, Roger.....    2-2    0-0    1-1    0  1  1   4   5  1  1  0  1  13
   TEAM................                         1  1  2             1
   Totals..............   31-56   8-21  20-22   9 29 38  21  90 18 13  0  5 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-25 52.0%   2nd Half: 18-31 58.1%   Game: 55.4%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-7  14.3%   2nd Half:  7-14 50.0%   Game: 38.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 10-11 90.9%   2nd Half: 10-11 90.9%   Game: 90.9%    1

 

Oklahoma State is 13-4 overall this season and 1-2 in Big 12 action following a 62-57 loss at No. 22 Baylor. James Anderson continues to lead the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 21.6 points per game. Oklahoma State's three guards -- sophomore Keiton Page and freshmen Ray Penn and Fred Gulley -- have combined for 100 assists and just 46 turnovers, a 2.17 assist-to-turnover ratio among the primary ball handlers. Marshall Moses leads the Pokes and ranks 4th in the Big 12 with his 9.4 rebounds per contest. OSU is averaging just 11.1 turnovers per game, the lowest average in the league. Oklahoma State ranks No. 36 in the latest RPI ratings.

All notes provided by Oklahoma State media relations. Find more at Okstate.com.

About Colorado
Colorado is 10-7 overall this season and 1-2 in league play following an 87-81 loss to Kansas State at home on Saturday. CU is led by junior guard Cory Higgins who is averaging 18.9 points per game. He is joined by freshman guard Alec Burks (16.4 points per game) and junior guard Marcus Relphorde (11.5 ppg) with double-figure scoring averages. The Buffs start a four-guard lineup which includes two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors. As a team, Colorado leads the Big 12 in free-throw percentage at 76.2 percent and ranks fourth in the league in field-goal percentage at 49.2 percent. The Buffs are 141st in the latest RPI ratings.


Notes vs Colorado
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Colorado 59-47, including a 36-10 mark in Stillwater. The Cowboys have won the last two games and 22 of the last 30, dating back to the 1989 season.

OSU has won 21 of the last 22 games played in Stillwater, the lone loss coming four years ago when the Buffs defeated the Pokes 80-78 in overtime. It was the first CU win in Gallagher-Iba Arena since 1980.

James Anderson had a terrific game last season at Boulder, becoming just the fourth Cowboy in school history to score at least 30 points against Colorado. Anderson was 6-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc, tying the school record for makes and percentage against CU. As a team in that game, Oklahoma State hit 13-of-23 shots from long range, tying the school record for made treys against the Buffs.

Up Next
Oklahoma State goes back on the road this weekend as the Cowboys travel to Manhattan, Kan., to face the Kansas State Wildcats (15-2, 2-1) on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 3 p.m. inside Bramlage Coliseum. The game will be televised by the Big 12 Network. OSU will host the Texas A&M Aggies (12-5, 1-2) on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in a game televised by ESPN2.

Date -- Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, Tipoff -- 8 p.m.
Location -- Stillwater, Okla.
Venue -- Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Series History with CU -- OSU leads, 59-47
Last Meeting -- Feb. 25, 2009 in Boulder
Result -- Oklahoma State won 76-55
Last Meeting in Stillwater -- Feb. 6, 2008
Result -- Oklahoma State won 64-63

Television -- ESPNU
Play-by-Play • Carter Blackburn
Analyst • LaPhonso Ellis
Stillwater • SuddenLink Channel 135
Oklahoma City • Cox Channel 253
Tulsa • Cox Channel 253

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI 93.7 FM
XM Satellite Radio • Channel 231
www.okstate.com

 

 

 

Oklahoma had won two straight games and they were big ones. OU beat OSU and then Missouri but couldn't make it three in a row. Donald Sloan had 16 points including the go-ahead jumper with 32 seconds remaining and a pair of free throws seconds later to give Texas A&M a 65-62 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night. The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Aggies (13-5, 2-2 Big 12). Texas A&M trailed by one before Sloan's driving jumper in the lane made it 63-62. The Sooners (11-7, 2-2) had a chance to take the lead, but Willie Warren's off-balance attempt fell short, and Bryan Davis grabbed the rebound. He was immediately fouled but missed the free throws, giving Oklahoma another chance. Tommy Mason-Griffin missed a shot, and Sloan was fouled on the rebound. He made two free throws with 3 seconds remaining. The Sooners got the ball one last time, but Sloan intercepted a pass from Tiny Gallon as time expired. Mason-Griffin led Oklahoma with 21 points.

 

Danielle Robinson scored 24 points, Nyeshia Stevenson added 20 points and No. 13 Oklahoma snapped No. 8 Texas A&M's seven-game winning streak with a 74-65 victory Sunday. The Sooners (12-4, 2-1 Big 12) blitzed A&M at the start of both halves to build a 16-point lead, then staved off a second-half rally. Robinson hit six free throws in a 2-minute stretch after Texas A&M had cut the deficit to three with 6:29 to play, and Oklahoma was able to hang on from there. Tyra White led the Aggies (14-2, 2-1) with 18 points and Sydney Colson had 14 points and five steals. Tanisha Smith, the Aggies' leading scorer, was held to eight points on 4-of-13 shooting. She had been averaging about twice that much.

Oklahoma (9-5) opens Big 12 action Saturday when it plays at Baylor (12-1) at 5 p.m. CST at the 10,284-seat Ferrell Center.  The Sooners, who are 8-5 in Big 12 openers, are coming off an 88-54 home win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday.  Baylor has won eight straight games and beat Morgan State on Wednesday by a 79-63 count.  Saturday's contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing.  It will be televised regionally by the Big 12 Network with Bob Carpenter and Rich Zvosec calling the action.

Notes provided by University of Oklahoma athletic media relations. Get more at Soonersports.com.

PREVIEWING BAYLOR
Baylor enters Big 12 play with a 13-1 record and has won eight straight contests (by an average of 16.1 points).  Its only loss came by three points to Alabama on Nov. 26 in the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.  The Bears are 7-0 at the Ferrell Center and have won their home contests by an average of 26.3 points.  They are averaging 78.7 points (ranks sixth in Big 12) and are shooting .493 from the field (ranks third), .398 from 3-point range (ranks fifth) and .641 from the free throw line (ranks 10th).  They rank third in the Big 12 by allowing just 60.8 points per outing and second by holding opponents to a .349 field goal mark.

Junior guard LaceDarius Dunn leads a trio of Bears who average double figures in scoring.  Dunn ranks fifth in the Big 12 with his 17.6 points a game and is shooting .376 from behind the arc (3.2 makes per outing) and .800 from the free throw line (40-for-50).  Senior guard Tweety Carter, who missed the team's first four games due to a suspension, is averaging 16.3 points and 6.6 assists over his nine contests.  Carter, who is shooting .424 from long range (3.1 makes per game), would rank first in the Big 12 in assists if he had played in 75 percent of Baylor's games.  He scored 27 points in three consecutive outings against Xavier, Arizona State and Jackson State.  Junior forward/center Ekpe Udoh, who transferred after playing two years at Michigan, has been a welcome addition on the inside.  The 6-10, 240-pounder from Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe High School is averaging 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 4.5 blocks per game, and is coming off a triple-double against Morgan State (18 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks).   He's grabbed at least 15 boards in each of the last four games.

Scott Drew is 93-96 (.492) in his seventh year as Baylor's head coach.  His Bears squads have posted a 26-70 (.271) record in Big 12 games.

 

TICKET PROMOTION FOR MONDAY'S BEDLAM GAME
OU fans have the opportunity for discounted tickets when they attend Monday's Oklahoma State game in Norman. If the Sooners beat the Cowboys, each person in attendance can redeem their tickets for the same number of discounted tickets ($7 and $17) to any future game this season (except Texas). The offer is good for advance purchases only. Tickets are based upon availability.  Click here for more detailed information.

NOTEWORTHY
• Oklahoma has won its last 30 games against Baylor and its last 16 in Waco.
• OU's last loss to Baylor came on Dec. 6, 1977.  Its last loss in Waco was in 1954.
• Since the Big 12 Conference was formed prior to the 1996-97 season, OU is the only league school that owns an undefeated record against a league opponent (the Sooners are 26-0 against the Bears in conference play).
• The Sooners are allowing 71.4 points per contest.  The last time they gave up that many points per game for an entire season was in 1995-96 (73.1).
• In its wins, Oklahoma is giving up 63.2 points a game and is holding opponents to .404 shooting from the field.  In its losses, OU is surrendering 86.0 points and allowing foes to shoot .490 from the floor.
• Oklahoma is averaging 8.9 3-point makes per game.  The school record for average treys per contest in a season is 8.5 in 1998-99.
• OU ranks second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally with its .761 free throw mark.  It has made more foul shots (226) than its foes have attempted (218).
• Senior guard Tony Crocker, who has started 80 consecutive games, is averaging 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds over the last eight contests.  He has recorded his only five career double-doubles during the stretch.  The 6-6, 209-pounder has six double-digit rebounding games this year, the only ones of his career.
• Junior guard Cade Davis has started each of the last 10 games (30.6 minutes) and is averaging 10.4 points during the stretch.  He averaged 3.8 points (17.8 minutes) off the bench in OU's first four games.
• Sophomore guard Willie Warren is averaging team highs of 18.5 points (ranks third in Big 12) and 4.5 assists (ranks fourth), and is shooting .838 from the free throw line (ranks third).
• Warren has scored at least 24 points in six of his 13 outings.
• Freshman forward Tiny Gallon ranks fifth in the Big 12 with his 8.9 rebounds per game.  Gallon, who is shooting a team-high .570 from the field, has five double-doubles to rank fifth in the conference.
• Mason-Griffin has 17 assists and just one turnover over the last two games.  He handed out 10 assists against one turnover against Gonzaga and had seven assists without a miscue against Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

OU-BAYLOR SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 35-5 series advantage against Baylor and has won the last 30 meetings.  The Sooners possess a 16-2 series lead in games played in Waco and have won 16 straight there.  The last Baylor win against OU came on Dec. 6, 1977, in Norman (75-67).  OU is 26-0 against the Bears since the inception of the Big 12 Conference and has won its 13 series road games during the span by an average of 10.0 points.

 

 

 

Oklahoma State erased a 12-point deficit and led 54-53 with three minutes remaining, but Rhode Island came up with the victory as the Rams defeated the Cowboys 63-59 here Saturday afternoon before 7,111 fans in the Mohegan Sun Arena.

URI jumped out early and led by as many as 12 in the first period when Ben Eaves hit a jumper to make the score 19-7 with under nine minutes remaining before intermission. The Cowboys struggled throughout the first half on both offense and defense, scoring just 26 points and giving up 17 second-chance points on 11 offensive rebounds by the Rams.

It was a tale of two halves as OSU began chipping away at the Rhode Island lead. After a layup by URI's Keith Cothran, Oklahoma State went on a 12-2 run over the next six minutes and trailed by just one at 39-38. OSU tied the game at 41-41 on a three-pointer by Obi Muonelo at the 13:08 mark, and took its first lead of the contest on another trey by Muonelo three minutes later.

Seven ties and five lead changes later, Rhode Island took the lead for good with 1:11 to play on a layup by Delroy James, two of his team-high 14 points. Muonelo took a pair of three-point attempts in the final 30 seconds, but failed to connect on either one.

Junior guard James Anderson, who entered the game as the team's leading scorer at 22.1 points per game, struggled offensively and scored just 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting before fouling out with 3:26 remaining in the game and OSU trailing by just one. Junior forward Marshall Moses scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, but the Cowboys' lone true post player fouled out with just under three minutes left in the game after completing a three-point play and giving OSU their last lead at 54-53.

Oklahoma State (11-2) will return home and host the Coppin State Eagles on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game will be televised by the Cowboy Sports Network.

The Big 12 has the highest winning percentage of any conference in college basketball. The Big 12, with five teams in the AP top 25, is winning 82% of it's games so far. There are three udefeated teams in the conference including number one Kansas and number two Texas. See the entire top 25 below.

 

1. Kansas (61) 9-0 1,620 1
2. Texas (1) 8-0 1,512 2
3. Kentucky (1) 10-0 1,486 4
4. Purdue 9-0 1,426 5
5. Syracuse (2) 10-0 1,388 7
6. West Virginia 8-0 1,315 6
7. Duke 7-1 1,137 8
8. Villanova 9-1 1,107 3
9. Tennessee 7-1 1,104 9
10. North Carolina 8-2 1,039 11
11. Georgetown 8-0 1,008 15
12. Michigan St. 8-2 922 12
13. Florida 8-1 864 10
14. Connecticut 6-2 762 14
15. Gonzaga 8-2 505 21
16. Texas Tech 9-0 492 23
17. Kansas St. 9-1 391 --
18. Ohio St. 7-2 383 13
19. New Mexico 10-0 364 --
20. Mississippi 8-1 334 25
21. Butler 7-3 257 22
22. Georgia Tech 6-1 253 24
23. Texas A&M 8-2 221 16
24. Washington 6-2 179 17
25. Cincinnati 6-2 174 19

A heralded class of freshmen made their presence known in Oklahoma's season opener. Then it was time for their first lesson.

Willie Warren scored 24 points, Tony Crocker added 13 and the No. 17 Sooners notched the 1,500th win in the program's history by beating Louisiana-Monroe 72-61 on Tuesday night.

But coach Jeff Capel was disappointed in the second game for a group of newcomers featuring the first tandem of McDonald's All-Americans in school history. 

"Sometimes when young people have success, they don't understand that you need to try to have sustained success," Capel said. "It can't just be one game with success and then you think you've arrived.

"And it's not just our young (players). It's everyone on our team. We have a long way to go as far as maturing."

The lack of maturity is to be expected for Oklahoma this season after the departure of national player of the year Blake Griffin and his older brother, Taylor, to the NBA. Half of the team's eight-man rotation is made up of freshmen, and Warren is only a sophomore.

"It's a great lesson for this team and especially our new guys to understand that you can't just turn it on. We aren't good enough to just turn it on," Capel said. "There are very few people in the world that are good enough to just turn it on--and usually guys that can and don't do it."

Oklahoma (2-0) struggled early with ULM's zone pressure, but eventually took the lead for good with a 9-0 run with about 14 minutes remaining.

Tony Hooper scored 17 points for the Warhawks (1-2) before fouling out with just under 5 minutes remaining. Rudy Turner had 12 points and Dynile Forbes 11. Forbes, who led the Warhawks with seven first-half points, had to sit out for 10 minutes after picking up his fourth foul early in the second half.

"I think the foul trouble hurt us all game. I guess I've got to do a better job of coaching our guys. It was 23 to 9 on fouls tonight. We've got to do a better job not fouling," ULM coach Orlando Early said.

"To go on the road and we shoot five free throws and they shoot 29--but again, I guess we put our hands on them and we fouled them. We've got to do better at that."

Ryan Wright hit a pair of free throws to put Oklahoma ahead 40-39 with 13:52 to play, and the Sooners took advantage of Hooper's brief rest to build on their lead. Freshman Steven Pledger hit a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to push the lead to eight before Hooper returned and immediately converted a three-point play.

Pledger answered with a 3 at the other end and Crocker added another off an inbound play with 3 seconds left on the shot clock to make it 53-42. Louisiana-Monroe never got closer than nine the rest of the way.

"We didn't come out with the energy that we need to come out with. For what reason, I don't know. It took us getting down and getting punched in the mouth for us to start finally punching back," Capel said.

Freshman Tiny Gallon had 10 rebounds, but the Sooners didn't get nearly as much out of their new recruits as in their season opener. In a 95-71 win against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Oklahoma's four freshmen combined for 64 points. They had 20 on Tuesday night.

Instead, Capel credited one of the few veterans--junior Cade Davis--with providing the burst of energy the Sooners needed to pull ahead.

"He's mature and he's into the team. We don't have everyone like that right now. We need everyone like that, and it may be me removing some guys that can't do that," Capel said.

Oklahoma scored the first five points of the game, but then yielded an 11-0 run sparked by three straight turnovers by Gallon, a McDonald's All-American. Forbes pushed ULM's lead to 16-8 with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 9:48 left in the first half.

By then, the Sooners had already committed eight turnovers.

"You practice the way you play, and we turned the ball over consistently the day before and it showed up today in the game," Warren said.

Oklahoma pulled back ahead on Warren's reverse layup that made it 23-22 with 1:37 left before halftime. The Warhawks, who added seven new players this season after back-to-back 10-win seasons, took their only lead of the second half on Jarvis Hill's double-pump layup from the right block that made it 39-38.

"We have to trust more. That's a big thing," Capel said. "Collectively as a group, I think some guys trust some guys but we have to trust each other all the time out there on the floor.

"That's part of the maturing process and the growing process."

Jeff Capel may have lost the number one pick in the NBA draft but Oklahoma doesn't look like they will slow down much. The Sooners are ranked #17 in the AP pre-season poll but play in a conference (Big 12) with #1 Kansas, and #3 Texas. But that doesn't scare Capel or the rest of the OU hoopsters. Watch below as coach Capel talked pre season Oklahoma basketball and lets you know what you can expect.

 

  

Oklahoma State's Cowboy Basketball squad is predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference, it was announced today by the league office in a vote of the coaches. OSU finished tied for fourth last season, and returns four of its top-six scorers from a year ago.

    Kansas is the unanimous choice to win the league title, receiving all 11 possible first-place votes. Texas is predicted to finish second, with Oklahoma third. Kansas State received enough votes to take the No. 4 spot, while Texas A&M is predicted to finish fifth.

    Oklahoma State has been predicted to finish as high as fourth in the Big 12 by one national preseason publication as the Yahoo!Sports College Basketball 2009-10 preview ranks the Cowboys as the No. 19 team nationally entering the season. Both Athlon's and Lindy's have the Pokes finishing fifth in the conference, while Lindy's ranks OSU as the 31st-best team nationally.

    Cowboy junior James Anderson garnered several individual accolades, including a slot on the preseason honorable mention All-America list according to Athlon's. Lindy's named Anderson as both the top shooter in the Big 12 Conference as well as the most versatile player in the league, and ranks him as the third-best small forward in the country. Yahoo!Sports lists the 6-6 wing as the No. 3 shooting guard in the country.

    Oklahoma State officially opens the 2009-10 season

James Anderson, a junior on the Oklahoma State Cowboy Basketball team, has been named to the preseason All-Big 12 team in a vote of the league coaches, it was announced today by the Big 12 Conference office.

Anderson was the Cowboys' leading scorer a year ago and is the third-leading scorer returning in the Big 12 Conference after averaging 18.2 points per contest last season. He was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection as a sophomore and an honorable mention choice as a freshman.

Anderson joins Kansas' Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, Craig Brackins of Iowa State, Texas' Damion James and Willie Warren of Oklahoma on the squad. A tie in the voting created six spots on the preseason squad. Brackins and Collins were unanimous selections to the team.

Aldrich and Collins were also named the preseason co-Players of the Year, while Avery Bradley of Texas, an honorable mention selection on the All-Big 12 Team, was named the preseason Freshman of the Year. Iowa State's Marquis Gilstrap received preseason Newcomer of the Year honors.

2009-10 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Name, School                      Pos     Ht     Wt      Cl.   Hometown
Cole Aldrich, Kansas               C     6-11    245     Jr.   Bloomington, Minn.
James Anderson, Oklahoma State    G/F    6-6     215     Jr.   Junction City, Ark.
Craig Brackins, Iowa State *       F     6-10    230     Jr.   Palmdale, Calif.
Sherron Collins, Kansas *          G     5-11    205     Sr.   Chicago, Ill.
Damion James, Texas               G/F    6-7     225     Sr.   Nacogdoches, Texas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma            G     6-4     199     So.   Fort Worth, Texas
a tie in the voting created six spots on the preseason squad
* unanimous selection

Honorable Mention
Avery Bradley, Texas; Denis Clemente, Kansas State; Dexter Pittman, Texas

Preseason Co-Players of the Year -- Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, Kansas
Preseason Newcomer of the Year -- Marquis Gilstrap, Iowa State
Preseason Freshman of the Year -- Avery Bradley, Texas

Oklahoma sophomore guard Willie Warren is one of 50 players on the pre-season list of candidates for the Wooden Award. The award is given each season to college basketball's top player. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin won the award last season before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-4 Warren averaged 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game last season as the Sooners advanced to a regional final in the NCAA tournament. He shot a team-high 37.2 percent from 3-point range. Five other Big 12 Conference players are on the pre-season list, including Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins of Kansas, Craig Brackins of Iowa State, Damion James of Texas and J.T. Tiller of Missouri.

The 2009 Las Vegas Invitational highlights the 2009-10 Oklahoma State men's basketball non-conference schedule, released today by head coach Travis Ford.

The Cowboys open the 2009-10 regular season on Saturday, November 14, as OSU hosts Seattle as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. Game time for that contest will be announced once the kickoff for the OSU vs. Texas Tech football game is determined.

Oklahoma State will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., to play Bradley and either Utah or Illinois at the Orleans Arena during Thanksgiving weekend. Ticket packages for the tournament can be purchased through International Tours of Stillwater (405-372-1647) or directly through the Orleans Arena box office (702-284-7777 or www.orleansarena.com).

The Cowboys will play their first game inside the Tulsa city limits since 2003 when they face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at the Reynolds Center on Dec. 2. The Pokes will play at Stanford on Dec. 16 as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series with the Cardinal making a return trip to Stillwater next season.

Oklahoma State will once again participate in the All-College Basketball Classic, sponsored by the Oklahoma City All-Sports Association, in the Ford Center on Dec. 21. The opponent has not yet been determined. The Cowboys make a return trip to New England on Jan. 2 and will play the Rhode Island Rams at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Oklahoma State will host a total of 16 games during the 2009-10 season, including eight non-league contests. The Cowboys will face first-time opponents Seattle, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Pacific and Coppin State inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

"This schedule is an extremely well-balanced schedule," Ford said. "We play in the Las Vegas Invitational, which will be very challenging early. It also includes some tough road games -- at Stanford, Tulsa and Rhode Island -- that will be challenging to a team that is relatively very young."

Oklahoma State Cowboy Basketball
2009-10 Non-Conference Schedule
N14    SEATTLE
N18    SOUTHERN
N21    NORTH TEXAS
N24    PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
N27    vs Bradley ^
N28    vs Utah/Illinois ^
D2      at Tulsa
D5      UTSA
D13    ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
D16    at Stanford  +
D21    vs TBA (All-College Classic)
D29    PACIFIC
J2      vs Rhode Island ~
J5      COPPIN STATE
home games in ALL CAPS
^ Las Vegas Invitational • Las Vegas, Nev.
+ Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
~ Uncasville, Conn.

.

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma's dominant, record-smashing sophomore, is a unanimous choice for The Associated Press Big 12 player of the year for 2008-09. Bill Self of Kansas, who lost every starter from last year's NCAA championship team but still molded the young Jayhawks into surprising regular-season champions, outpolled Missouri's Mike Anderson for Big 12 coach of the year. A panel of 18 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the conference also named Denis Clemente of Kansas State as the Big 12's newcomer of the year and Oklahoma guard Willie Warren the freshman of the year. Kansas guard Sherron Collins and Griffin were unanimous picks for the first team as chosen by the AP panel. Joining them on the first unit were DeMarre Carroll of Missouri, Craig Brackins of Iowa State and Cole Aldrich of Kansas.

Kansas won the regular season title and Oklahoma finishes number two as the Big 12 conference tournament prepares to tip off. Missouri takes the three spot and Kansas State finishes number four. Oklahoma State is the number seven seed and will take on the number ten seed Iowa State on Wednesday at 6pm at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

Take a look below for the entire bracket.

 

Wednesday, March 11
G1	#8 Nebraska vs #9 Baylor Big 12 Network 11:30 a.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G2	#5 Texas vs #12 Colorado Big 12 Network 2:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G3	#7 Oklahoma State vs #10 Iowa State Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G4	#6 Texas A&M vs #11 Texas Tech Big 12 Network 8:30 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
Thursday, March 12
G5	#1 Kansas vs G1 Winner ESPN2 11:30 a.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G6	#4 Kansas State vs G2 Winner Big 12 Network 2:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G7	#2 Oklahoma vs G3 Winner Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G8	#3 Missouri vs G4 Winner ESPN2 8:30 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
Friday, March 13
G9	G5 Winner vs G6 Winner Big 12 Network 6:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
G10	G7 Winner vs G8 Winner Big 12 Network 8:30 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes
Saturday, March 14
G11	G9 Winner vs G10 Winner ESPN 5:00 p.m.	Watch Game* Live Stats Watch Live Press Conference	Recap Box Score HTML | PDF Notes | Photos Quotes | Quotes

Off to its best start in school history, No. 2/2 Oklahoma (23-1, 9-0) plays at Baylor (15-8, 3-6) Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST.  Winners of 11 straight, the Sooners are coming off a 77-72 home win over Colorado Saturday.  Baylor, which has dropped five in a row after a 15-3 start, lost 83-76 at Texas Tech Saturday.  Wednesday's game will be nationally televised by ESPN2 with Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo announcing.  It will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO FM 107.7 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action.

No. 2/2 Oklahoma (23-1, 9-0) at Baylor (15-8, 3-6)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:10 p.m. CST
Location	Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center
Tickets	OU Athletics Ticket Office
TV	ESPN2
Radio	Sooner Radio Network   KRXO FM 107.7 in Oklahoma City  KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa
Series History	OU leads 34-5
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com/GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF)

 

Baylor's Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2008-09 Stats
F	4	Quincy Acy	6-7	205	Fr.	6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 67.7 FG%
F	23	Kevin Rogers	6-9	250	Sr.	12.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 53.9 FG%
G	0	Curtis Jerrells	6-1	205	Sr.	16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.3 apg
G	5	Henry Dugat	6-0	173	Sr.	12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
G	45	Tweety Carter	5-11	185	Jr.	10.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.2 apg

Oklahoma's Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2008-09 Stats
F	23	Blake Griffin	6-10	251	So.	22.3 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 63.3 FG%
F	32	Taylor Griffin	6-7	238	Sr.	8.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 51.0 FG%
G	5	Tony Crocker	6-6	206	Jr.	10.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 38.3 3FG%
G	13	Willie Warren	6-4	207	Fr.	15.0 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.5 3FG%
G	20	Austin Johnson	6-3	176	Sr.	8.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.4 apg

"NOTE"WORTHY
• Oklahoma's No. 2 AP ranking is its highest since the final poll of the 1989-90 season when it was No. 1.
• At 23-1, Oklahoma is tied with Utah State for the best record in the country.  No other team entered the week with 23 wins.
• Only the 1996-97 Kansas team (34-1) has posted a better start to a season in Big 12 history.
• The Sooners' 9-0 conference start is their best since beginning 11-0 in the Big Eight in 1985.  They have won 12 straight regular season league games dating back to last year.
• OU owns a 34-5 series lead against Baylor and has won the last 29 meetings.  It is the only series in the history of the Big 12 Conference where one team has beaten the other in every matchup (OU is 25-0).
• The Sooners are 135-52 (.722) all-time against Big 12 teams from Texas (Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech).  They are 83-26 (.761) against those programs since the formation of the Big 12 Conference (1996-97 was the first year of the league).
• Oklahoma has used the same starting lineup in all 24 games.
• During their current 11-game winning streak, the Sooners are outshooting their opponents from the field, .507 to .390.  They have shot better than each of those 11 foes.
• OU is one of five teams nationally that is undefeated in conference play.  The others are Gonzaga (West Coast Conference), Memphis (Conference USA), Princeton (Ivy League) and Utah State (WAC).
• Blake Griffin leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.3 ppg), rebounding (14.0 rpg) and field goal percentage (.633), while ranking fourth in blocks (1.3 bpg).  The 6-10 sophomore also averages 2.5 assists per contest, more than any other league player taller than 6-foot-5.  He has recorded at least two assists in 19 of 24 games and at least three in 13 outings.
• Nationally, Griffin ranks first in rebounding and double-doubles (20), second in free throw attempts (9.7 per game), fifth in field goal percentage and 12th in scoring.
• Griffin has already registered 50 more points (534) and 35 more rebounds (336) this season than he did all of last year.
• Griffin has recorded 11 20-point, 15-rebound games of this season, more than any player nationally since the 1996-97 season.  Tim Duncan (Wake Forest in 1996-97) and Paul Millsap (Louisiana Tech in 2005-06) registered nine 20/15 games. 
• Griffin has accounted for 28 percent of OU's points, 38 percent of its rebounds and 42 percent of its defensive boards in 16 percent of the team's minutes played.
• Brothers Blake and Taylor Griffin are shooting a combined .588 from the field this year and have teamed to pull down 19.9 rebounds a game (55 percent of the team's total).
• Junior college transfer Juan Pattillo, who came out of a redshirt season in time for the Jan. 12 Texas game but totaled just four minutes over the next three games, is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in an average of 19.2 minutes over the last five outings.  He is 17-for-27 from the field (.630) and 12-for-14 at the foul line (.857) during the stretch.

Blake Griffin had mixed emotions after No. 2 Oklahoma's first game with such a high ranking in nearly two decades. He was somewhat relieved, but a bit embarrassed, too.

His brother, Taylor Griffin, had to hit a tiebreaking layup with 46.4 seconds left to complete the Sooners' rally from a late nine-point deficit in a 77-71 victory over Texas A&M on Wednesday night.

The Sooners (22-1, 8-0 Big 12) blew a 15-point lead and found themselves trailing 68-59 with 6:25 to play before rallying behind the defense of Juan Pattillo.

"For us to play as poorly as we did and for us to come back, it says a lot about our team," said Blake Griffin, the Sooners' preseason All-America. "But at the same time, there's no reason why it should have been that close."

The Sooners' star thought his team relaxed after building the early lead, and only reached their best 23-game start in school history because of some late heroics from a player who was riding the bench less than a month ago.

Pattillo, who only came out of his redshirt season on Jan. 12, blocked a dunk attempt by Josh Carter and a layup by Donald Sloan as Oklahoma reeled off eight straight points to cut into the deficit before Griffin's game-winner.

"It was almost as if he wasn't going to let us lose, and he did it with energy plays," Sooners coach Jeff Capel said. "That's what he does for us, and we need him that way all the time."

Capel had benched Pattillo again for the first part of the second half, only inserting him after Oklahoma had dug itself a nine-point deficit against the Aggies (17-6, 3-5), who had been 16-0 when leading with 5 minutes left.

"He made two big-time blocks. Just big-time blocks," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said.

Blake Griffin had 16 points and 14 rebounds for his 19th double-double and Taylor Griffin finished with 13 points. Willie Warren added 12 points and Austin Johnson scored 11 for Oklahoma, which exceeded the previous best start of 21-2 by the 1985-86 team. The Sooners' 1927-28 team finished 18-0.

Carter led the Aggies with 15 points, while Chinemelu Elonu added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Bryan Davis had 13 points. Texas A&M was bidding for its third straight win after a 1-4 start in conference play.

"I love where our team's going right now. I love our effort," Turgeon said. "We'll make a run here late in the season. We're getting better every game, so I was proud of our group."

The Sooners moved up this week to their highest ranking since heading into the 1990 NCAA tournament at No. 1. They got quite a scare from an Aggies team that went 16 minutes without scoring in its last visit to Norman.

Carter and Nathan Walkup combined to score all of Texas A&M's points during a 13-0 run that came largely while Blake Griffin was on the bench and seemed to be struggling to catch his breath. Carter bracketed three 3-pointers around a two-handed, fastbreak dunk by Walkup before Griffin returned and missed two free throws.

Walkup then added a putback off Carter's missed 3-pointer giving the Aggies their nine-point lead.

Blake Griffin hit two free throws to start Oklahoma's comeback, and Elonu fouled out with 5:36 left, clutching both hands to his face after he was whistled for jumping underneath Pattillo on a rebound. The Aggies didn't have another field goal the rest of the way.

"Man, we missed him," Turgeon said. "We didn't score another bucket after he went out of the game."

Pattillo, who finished with four blocks, then came through on the defensive end and also curled around the right side of the lane for a layup that brought Oklahoma within 68-67. Warren tied it at 69 with two free throws with 1:52 remaining, and Carter and Sloan both missed chances to put the Aggies back ahead before Taylor Griffin's tiebreaking basket.

"Their defense picked up, but we still had our opportunities," Carter said.

The Aggies are 0-11 against teams in the top two, including 0-8 against opponents ranked No. 2.

Blake Griffin played part of the game with a sleeve on his right arm, but he took it off as Texas A&M completed its comeback from a 15-point first-half deficit in the opening minutes of the second half.

"There's no excuse for how I played," he said. "We just got outhustled."

Texas A&M took charge on the glass to claw its way back into the game. Davis had a tip-in and a two-handed putback jam in an 11-3 spurt that helped the Aggies cut a 27-12 deficit to eight by halftime. Texas A&M tied it at 42 on Carter's 3-pointer from the right wing that followed two offensive rebounds.

Turgeon complimented Capel for making the tough decision to burn Pattillo's redshirt halfway through the season.

"They put all hands on deck. If they're going to make a run at the Big 12 championship and the NCAA tournament, they're going to need their best players on the court," Turgeon said. "Juan Pattillo's one of their better players, especially defensively, and he made some big plays late."

Due to inclement weather in Stillwater and around the state of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State is offering free admission to tonight's Bedlam basketball game in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Those persons who have tickets to tonight's game are guaranteed their reserved seats. Arena doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the scheduled 8 p.m. tip off. The free seating policy will be available until capacity is reached.  Also, please note that all parking for tonight's game will be on a first-come, first-served basis EXCEPT FOR the North Gallagher-Iba Arena parking lot, which will remain reserved.
.

Blake Griffin had 20 points and 17 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season, and No. 6 Oklahoma routed Baylor 95-76 for the Sooners' seventh consecutive win. Oklahoma (19-1, 5-0 Big 12) is 34-5 all-time against Baylor (15-4, 3-2) and extended its winning streak against the Bears yesterday to 29 games, going back to 1977. Baylor has never beaten Oklahoma since the Big 12 began play with the 1996-97 season. Taylor Griffin scored 18 points and Willie Warren scored 17 on 6-of-8 shooting for the Sooners, who shot a season-high 58 percent from the field (35 of 60) and extended their home winning streak to 16 games.

Oklahoma State is 12-5 this season, including a 1-2 mark in Big 12 play after falling to Missouri at home on Wednesday. The Cowboys are currently ranked 31st in the ratings percentage index according to CollegeRPI.com, including the seventh-toughest strength of schedule. James Anderson leads all scorers with his 17.9 points per game average and is shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. Obi Muonelo is chipping in 15.9 points per game and grabbing a team-leading 9.8 boards per contest. Terrel Harris is averaging 14.7 points and shooting 45.6 percent from long range. Byron Eaton is averaging 13.7 points and 5.8 assists per game. Freshman Keiton Page is averaging 10.2 points per game off the bench. As a team, Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 with 86 points per game as well as 10.6 treys per game and a 42 percent shooting average from beyond the arc.

About Nebraska
Nebraska is 12-5 overall this season and 2-2 in Big 12 Conference action following a 72-61 loss at Oklahoma on Wednesday night. NU is No. 70 in the CollegeRPI.com ratings. The Huskers are led by a pair of senior guards Steve Harley is averaging 12.2 points per game while Ade Dagunduro is chipping in 10.6 points per contest. Those two have started every game for NU. As a team, the Huskers' defense leads the Big 12, allowing just 56.8 points per contest. The Nebraska offense, however, ranks among the bottom of the league at 66.6 percent. NU is second in the league in steals (9.1 spg) and averages the fewest turnovers in the Big 12 at just 11.6 per game.

Quick Notes
Byron Eaton needs one assist to become the first player in school history to record 100 assists in each of his four seasons ... OSU's team rankings nationally: second in three-point field-goal percentage, third three-pointers made per game and fourth in scoring offense ... through 17 games, the Cowboys have scored 90 or more points on seven occasions, tying for the second most in school history (2006-07); OSU reached 90 or more points eight times in 1988-89 and 1989-90 ... Chris Croft, the director of operations at Nebraska, was an administrative assistant at Oklahoma State from 1996-98.

Up Next
The Cowboys host the Oklahoma Sooners (18-1, 4-0) in Bedlam action on Monday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. in an ESPN televised game. OSU will travel to College Station, Texas, next weekend to take on the Texas A&M Aggies (15-4, 1-3) on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN.

 

Nebraska Game Info

Date -- Saturday, January 24
Tipoff --3:01 p.m.
Location -- Lincoln, Neb.
Venue -- Devaney Sports Center (13,595)
Television -- Big 12 Network
Series History -- NU leads, 62-51
Last Meeting -- March 1, 2008
Outcome -- OSU won, 77-63
in Lincoln -- NU leads, 35-13
Last Meeting in Lincoln -- March 5, 2007
Outcome -- NU won, 85-73

Television -- Big 12 Network
Play-by-Play • Brad Sham
Analyst • Paul Splittorff
Stillwater -- KOCB (Suddenlink Ch 11)
Oklahoma City -- KOCB TV-34
Tulsa -- KJRH TV-2
direcTV -- Channel 681

Radio -- Cowboy Radio Network
Play-by-Play • Dave Hunziker
Analyst • John Holcomb
Flagship Station • KSPI (93.7 FM)
XM Satellite Radio • Ch 231

Tied for the most wins in the country, No. 6/5 Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) plays host to Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST.  The Sooners, who are off to their best start since 1985-86, have won five straight outings and are coming off a 69-63 win at Texas A&M on Saturday.  Nebraska, which is 1-3 in road games, defeated Kansas State 73-51 at home over the weekend.  Wednesday's game will be nationally televised by ESPNU with Mike Gleason and Fran Fraschilla announcing.  It will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO FM 107.7 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action.

No. 6/5 Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) vs. Nebraska (12-4, 2-1)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 8:05 p.m. CST
Location	Norman, Okla. | Lloyd Noble Center
Tickets	OU Athletics Ticket Office
TV	ESPNU
Radio	Sooner Radio Network   KRXO FM 107.7 in Oklahoma City  KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa
Series History	OU leads 103-81
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com/GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF)

Nebraska's Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2008-09 Stats
F	32	Chris Balham	6-8	240	Jr.	2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 56.0 FG%
G	4	Steve Harley	5-11	200	Sr.	12.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg
G	5	Sek Henry	6-3	235	Jr.	9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 40.5 3FG%
G	11	Ade Dagunduro	6-5	190	Sr.	10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg
G	24	Cookie Miller	5-7	205	So.	6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.0 apg

Oklahoma's Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2008-09 Stats
F	23	Blake Griffin	6-10	251	So.	22.0 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 63.2 FG%
F	32	Taylor Griffin	6-7	238	Sr.	9.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 49.5 FG%
G	5	Tony Crocker	6-6	206	Jr.	10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 34.8 3FG%
G	13	Willie Warren	6-4	207	Fr.	15.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 49.7 FG%
G	20	Austin Johnson	6-3	176	Sr.	7.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.4 apg

"NOTE"WORTHY
• At 17-1, Oklahoma is off to its best start in 23 years (the 1985-86 team won its first 17 games).  The only team in OU history that won its first 18 games was the 1927-28 squad.
• The Sooners never trailed in their last two games against Texas and Texas A&M.  Their last deficit was in the first half of the league opener at Kansas State on Jan. 10 (trailed 26-23 with 1:21 remaining).
• OU owns a 103-81 series lead against Nebraska and is 9-5 against the Huskers since the inception of the Big 12 Conference.  Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings, however.
• Senior guard Austin Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots against Texas and Texas A&M to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors Monday.  He was a combined 12-for-21 (.571) from the field and went 4-for-7 (.571) from 3-point range and 6-for-7 (.857) at the foul line.  Entering the week, Johnson averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 assists.
• OU is 19-1 since the start of the 2007-08 season when Johnson scores in double figures.
• The Sooners have held their first three Big 12 opponents to a combined .358 field goal percentage.  Kansas State shot a season-low .327 against OU, Texas shot a season-low .338 and Texas A&M shot .420. 
• Oklahoma leads the league (all games and Big 12 games only) in field goal percentage defense (.377 and .358).
• OU has held eight of its last 11 foes to a field goal figure under .360 and four to a mark under .333.
• Blake Griffin leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.0 ppg) and rebounding (13.4 rpg), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.632), fourth in blocks (1.4 bpg) and 11th in steals (1.4 spg).  The 6-10 sophomore also averages 2.4 assists per contest, more than any other league player taller than 6-5.  He has recorded at least two assists in 14 of 18 games.
• Nationally, Griffin ranks first in rebounding and double-doubles (14), second in free throw attempts (9.7), ninth in field goal percentage and 13th in scoring. 
• Griffin has already tied the Big 12 single-season record for number of 20-point, 15-rebound games (seven).  With 13 games remaining on the regular season schedule, he shares the record with Texas' Kevin Durant (2006-07) and Kansas State's Michael Beasley (2007-08).  Griffin also has an 18-point, 21-rebound game and a 21-point, 13-rebound outing. 
• Over the last eight games, the Sooners are shooting .397 from 3-point range and averaging 7.5 treys.  Over the first 10 games this season, they shot .311 from behind the arc and averaged 6.4 3-pointers.
• Tony Crocker and Willie Warren have combined for 39 treys over the last eight games.  Warren is 19-for-39 (.487) in those outings while Crocker is 20-for-48 (.417).  Prior to the six-game stretch, each owned a .273 season 3-point figure (12-for-44).
• Despite a modest .673 team free throw percentage (they rank ninth in the Big 12), the Sooners have made five more foul shots than their opponents have attempted.  OU has shot 170 more free throws than its foes, good for an average of 9.4 more per game.  Griffin has attempted 35 percent of the team's free throws (174 of its 504).

 

 

Oklahoma State is 12-4 this season, including a 1-1 mark in Big 12 play after falling in an overtime contest at Baylor last Saturday. The Cowboys are currently ranked 19th in the ratings percentage index according to CollegeRPI.com, including the 12th-toughest strength of schedule. James Anderson leads all scorers with his 17.9 points per game average and is shooting 51.9 percent from the floor. Obi Muonelo is chipping in 15.5 points per game and grabbing a team-leading 9.7 boards per contest. Terrel Harris is averaging 14.3 points and shooting 49.1 percent from long range. Byron Eaton is averaging 13.3 points and six assists per game. Freshman Keiton Page is averaging 10.3 points per game off the bench. As a team, Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 with 85.4 points per game as well as 10.8 treys per game and a 42.5 percent shooting average from beyond the arc.

About Missouri
Missouri is 15-3 overall this season and 2-1 in Big 12 play following a 77-46 victory over Iowa State at home on Saturday. The Tigers are ranked 40th in the latest edition of CollegeRPI.com. Mizzou is led by a pair of senior forwards. DeMarre Carroll is averaging 15.6 points and seven rebounds per game, while Leo Lyons is adding 14.4 points and 6.3 boards per contest. The Tigers are outscoring their opponents by a league leading of 21.8 points per game. They're also limiting opponents to just 29.5 percent shooting from long range. Missouri also leads the Big 12 in assists (19.8 apg), steals (10.8 spg), turnover margin (+6.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).

Quick Notes
This will be the first time that Travis Ford has ever coached against Missouri, where he played as a freshman in 1989-90 ... OSU and Mizzou and Nos. 1 and 2 in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 85.4 and 84.2 points per game, respectively ... the visiting team has won the last two games in the series ... OSU rankings nationally: second in three-point field-goal percentage (42.5 percent), fourth in scoring offense (85.4 points per game) and third three-pointers made per game (10.75 per game) ... Byron Eaton needs four assists to become the first player in school history to record 100 assists in each of his four seasons.

Up Next
The Cowboys will travel to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend to face Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) on Sat., Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. OSU will return home and host Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) in Bedlam action on Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. in an ESPN Big Monday game.

Everyone knows Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin is one fine college basketball player. Big 12 has confirmed those feelings Tuesday when they named Griffin he pre-season Big 12 player of th year.

Griffin was a unanimous choice by the leagues coaches. Griffin wasn't the only Sooner honored. Willie Warren was named pre-season freshman of the year.

Take a look below at the complete list of Big 12 honors.

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) has been named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, it was announced. Junior guard Mario Little (Kansas) was chosen as Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while guard Willie Warren (Oklahoma) earned Preseason Freshman of the Year accolades. Players honored in preseason voting were selected by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.

Griffin is one of two All-Big 12 First Team performers back for this season. The sophomore forward led the Sooners in scoring (14.7 ppg) rebounding (9.1) and field goal percentage (.568) a year ago. The scoring average was the highest by an OU freshman in 24 seasons. He had 10 double-doubles, including his last seven against squads that competed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Little arrives in Lawrence after leading his junior college team to a 68-5 record over the last two seasons. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists a year ago at Chipola College. Little shot 55 percent from the floor, including 40.3 percent from 3-point range. The junior guard was rated as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country by Rivals.com.

Warren was a consensus top 20 player nationally by the various recruiting services after his senior campaign. The freshman guard finished with 24.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.4 steals per game in 2007-08. The 2008 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-America selection, he helped his team to a 38-1 record and the Class 5A state title.

Griffin is the third Oklahoma athlete (Taj Gray, 2005-06; Hollis Price, 2002-03) to earn preseason player accolades. Little is the first Kansas newcomer recognized by the Big 12, while Warren is the second from OU (Drew Lavender, 2003-04) touted as the top freshman.

The Preseason All-Big 12 team was also announced. In addition to Griffin, the following players were recognized - Curtis Jerrells (Baylor), Sherron Collins (Kansas), A.J. Abrams and Damion James (Texas). Jerrells is the other returning All-Big 12 First Team choice back from a season ago.

Preseason Player of the Year
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, F, 6-10, 251, So., Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School**

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Mario Little, Kansas, G, 6-5, 210, Jr., Chicago, Ill./Washington/Chipola CC [Fla.]

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Willie Warren, Oklahoma, G, 6-4, 207, Fr., Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley**

2008-09 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Curtis Jerrells, Sr., Baylor          G
Sherron Collins, Jr., Kansas       G
Blake Griffin, So., Oklahoma       F
A.J. Abrams, Sr., Texas             G
Damion James, Jr., Texas          G/F

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school): DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons, Missouri; James Anderson, Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State; Connor Atchley, Texas; Josh Carter, Bryan Davis, Texas A&M.
      

 

 

 

 

For the first time in Big Twelve history the mens and womens basketball teams from the same school are pre-season #1 in the coaches poll.

Take a look at the polls and the stories from the Big 12 below as we get closer to the tip off for college basketball.

 

Sooner men

For the first time in Big 12 history,  Oklahoma is the preseason favorite to win the conference title in a vote of the league's head coaches.  The Sooners received three first-place votes in polling for the 2008-09 season.   The previous high for OU in the preseason selections was second on four different occasions.   Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.  

Oklahoma welcomes back four starters from last season, returning nearly 70 percent of its scoring overall.  The Sooners are led by sophomore Blake Griffin.  The forward was the first freshman in OU history to earn All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Team honors after leading the squad in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (9.1) and field goal percentage (.568).

Texas came in just behind OU with 107 points and will also return four starters.  The Longhorns bring back 73.7 percent of their scoring and 89.7 percent of rebounding, with nine of the team's top 10 scorers slated to suit up again.  Senior A.J. Abrams and junior Damion James are the top returnees.  James set a UT single-season rebounding record with 393 boards a year ago.

Baylor easily surpassed its highest preseason prediction in Big 12 history, tying Kansas for third in this year's poll.  The Bears, fresh off their first NCAA appearance since 1988, hope to earn the first back-to-back NCAA bids in school history.  Prior to this poll, the highest BU had been selected in the preseason tally was No. 7 in 2006-07.

KU, the defending-NCAA champion, earned the remaining three first-place votes.  The Jayhawks will be sporting a fresh look this season with an entirely new starting lineup.  Junior guard Sherron Collins and sophomore center Cole Aldrich, who were significant contributors a year ago, will be joined by a highly-rated recruiting class.

Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Missouri were chosen fifth, sixth and seventh.   The Aggies and Cowboys, along with Nebraska, were postseason squads last season.  The remainder of the poll saw Kansas State at No. 8, followed by the Huskers, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Colorado.

The Big 12 season gets underway on Friday, November 14 with seven schools in action.  Conference play begins Saturday, January 10 with five league contests.    

The Big 12 Conference will hold its preseason media day on Thursday, October 23 in Oklahoma City - site of the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships.

2008-09 BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL

	Team (First Place Votes)	Points
1.	Oklahoma (3)	109
2.	Texas (4)	107
3.	Baylor (2)	103
	Kansas (3)	103
5.	Texas A&M	79
6.	Oklahoma State	69
7.	Missouri	51
8.	Kansas State	50
9.	Nebraska	49
10.	Texas Tech	39
11.	Iowa State	20
12.	Colorado	13

 

Sooner women

Oklahoma was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2008-09 Big 12 women's basketball regular season title in a vote of the league's head coaches.

This season's predictions proved to be difficult as the 12 first-place votes were spread among five programs. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. The Big 12 is coming off a campaign that produced a conference-record 11 postseason bids, including eight in the 2008 NCAA Championship field.

The Sooners received seven first-place nods and 124 total points as they return four starters, highlighted by three-time unanimous All-America Courtney Paris. Texas earned one first-place vote and 95 points to nab second, followed by Iowa State in third with two first-place votes and 93 points. Baylor was picked fourth with one first-place vote and 89 points while 2008 Big 12 postseason champion Texas A&M was chosen fifth with 85 points. Oklahoma State earned the final first-place vote with 79 points in sixth.

Defending Big 12 regular season champion Kansas State was picked seventh followed by Nebraska, Kansas, Texas Tech, Colorado and Missouri.

BU, ISU, KSU, NU, OU, OSU, UT and TAMU competed in the NCAA Tournament last year as the Big 12 became the first conference in the history of the championship to compile an 8-0 record in first round games. CU, KU and TTU represented the conference in the WNIT.

Big 12 squads return 108 letterwinners to 2008-09 squads, including 41 starters. Conference teams combined lost just 20 seniors from last year with only six of those averaging double-digit scoring.

The 2008-09 regular season gets underway on Friday, Nov. 14. Big 12 head coaches and select student-athletes will convene in Oklahoma City on Oct. 22 for the annual Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day. Oklahoma City's Cox Convention Center will serve as the site of the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15.

2008-09 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank	Team (First Place Votes)	Points
1.	Oklahoma (7)	124
2.	Texas (1)	95
3.	Iowa State (2)	93
4.	Baylor (1)	89
5.	Texas A&M	85
6.	Oklahoma State (1)	79
7.	Kansas State	71
8.	Nebraska	56
9.	Kansas	41
10.	Texas Tech	36
11.	Colorado	18
12.	Missouri	15