Five Thoughts On Oklahoma State’s 74-63 Win Over Auburn

BOX SCORE

A road win! Oklahoma State got its first true road win in 50 weeks at Auburn on Saturday night to touch off a 7-3 day for the Big 12 in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Jawun Evans had a dirty 21-7-5 line (and led Oklahoma State in all three categories).

Sadly, there was no hilariously stupid BIG-TWELVE chant to accompany the big day for our conference. Five thoughts on the Pokes taking down the Tigers on the plains.

1. Hot starts are good

Oklahoma State jumped out to leads of 10-2, 24-11 and 31-17. This is something Travis Ford has been preaching all year. It’s doubly good against a trigger-happy Auburn team that needs little to no excuse to yank from all over the court.

What an early lead means for you is that either a. Auburn gets super hot and climbs back to even with you or b. Auburn gets housed. Auburn was 18/62 from the field and 6/29 from deep which means it went with option b.

2. Bruce Pearl, what are you doing?

Auburn, my gosh. Bruce Pearl makes Travis Ford look like one of the disciplinarians from the POW camps in Unbroken. Kareem Canty thinks he’s Steph reincarnated. He shot 10 threes and made one of them. He was 7/24 from the field! He shoots 14 threes per 100 possessions on the year! (for context Phil Forte shot 10 per 100 possessions last year).

I realize you’re missing two of your top four scorers, but my goodness. On the bright side … if defense, good shot selection, running plays and smart decision-making weren’t pertinent to stringing together a good basketball team, Auburn would be in great shape!

3. Chris Olivier low-post scoring presence opens up shots

Olivier had 16 points (and two rebounds?) on Saturday night. He’s good because Jawun Evans is good, but his ability to score inside at least mildly opens up some shots for Jeff Newberry, Clip etc. from the outside. Olivier isn’t what I would call fleet of foot, but he doesn’t have to be since he has Evans putting the rock right where he wants it all night. The opening up of the offense makes this team … gasp … sort of fun to watch.

4. Shot-hitting is inconsistent long-term but selection was better

I mentioned the inside-outside game OSU played on Saturday. It hit 7/17 from deep with Hammonds, Evans and Clip combining to go 7/13. Impressive stuff, and Oklahoma State is pretty solid when it goes down like that. The problem is (obviously) a backup plan other than “oh crap … good luck, Jawun.” That being said, OSU took good looks, didn’t get too wild with the three ball and didn’t turn it over that much. That’s encouraging (even if Auburn was worse than a couple of intramural teams I played against in college).

5. I love that Jawun, in closing, goes to the hoop

Jawun Evans drinks Hoboken Coffee (fist bumps self for working a sponsor into an Auburn-Oklahoma State post in late January). That is to say, he’s a dang closer.

Oklahoma State was reeling a little late and Evans shut it down like the star that he is. Here’s what I love about what he did late. He doesn’t let the shot clock run down and heave ho from deep. He takes it to the rack and either gets fouled, finds the cutter or scores. I can’t ask for anything more from my star freshman point guard.

Jawun Evans, you're a dirty man. ? https://t.co/GnH4n7ruYZ

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) January 31, 2016