Five Thoughts on OSU’s 63-56 Loss to TCU

BOX SCORE

Oklahoma State fell to 2-9 in the Big 12 and 11-13 on the season with an ugly loss to TCU on Monday night. Here’s my five thoughts from the barn burner that went down in Fort Worth.

1. That was some sloppy basketball

The Cowboys set a record high in turnovers with 22 (14 in the first half), and TCU threw in 12 of their own. It was an obvious battle for the basement, and OSU couldn’t seem to find the rim for much of the game. They finished shooting 39% from the field and 33% from 3-point land. Bad fundamentals, sloppy passing, and poor execution helped contribute to a measly 56-point output against the worst team in the league.

2. Offense is hard to come by

Oklahoma State was outscored 44-31 in the second half. No offensive fire power coupled with a massive amount of turnovers makes for tough sledding no matter how you look at it, especially on the road. Hammonds continues to progress, as he dropped 16. Beyond him there isn’t much else that can be relied on consistently, though. Tyree Griffin dropped 12 and 5 assists, but a team full of backcourt players can only carry a team so far…

3. This is what rock bottom feels like

Just as an observation, the general mood of the fan base and even the team seems pretty down. Travis Ford couldn’t help but let his disappointment and emotions show on Monday, with the camera panning over multiple times to find his face buried in his hands. If ever there were a point in the schedule to point at and say “hey, we could win some of these”, it would have been the Texas Tech and TCU games. Instead, they suddenly sit at 2-9 in the Big 12, tied for last place.

Barn burner. pic.twitter.com/XSyFtkTiPB

— Kyle Boone (@PFBoone) February 9, 2016

4. The bench rotation is…rotating

Joe Burton and Tavarius Shine both saw some pretty good action in Fort Worth as did the true freshman Davon Dillard, and even just past the halfway mark the rotation still isn’t set. I commend Ford for making tweaks to see what sticks, though. Just can’t seem to get enough spark off the bench consistently from one contributor.

5. Frontcourt play is a big weakness

Between Anthony Allen, Mitch Solomon, and Chris Olivier, the Pokes were able to get a combined seven points. They combined for eight fouls. I’m not sure I need to say anymore than that.

Next up: OSU vs. KSU Saturday at GIA