A Look At The Records Phil Forte Could Break

Basketball starts tonight. What’s that? BASKETBALL STARTS TONIGHT!

More importantly, a new era of basketball starts tonight in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Yes, it is just an exhibition game, but it is an important marker in the history of this program. Brad Underwood’s new-look Pokes will play a live game against Pittsburg State for the first time in front of a real crowd.

Underwood is bring back with him sophomore Jawun Evans and senior Phil Forte, one of the best backcourts in the Big 12 (and maybe the country). Underwood seems fired up to have both of them.

“He is going to be one of OSU’s all-time leading three-point shooter if not the number one guy,” said Underwood recently. “We kid Keiton Page about his record is about to go down but Phil is a doggone good player. You put him in a backcourt with Jawun Evans, and I’m very fortunate.”

But what records exactly does Forte have a chance at breaking? I’m glad you asked.

Career points

If Forte averages his career average of 12.8 points and plays in 32 games, he will score 410 points this season. He scored 451 and 479 in his last two healthy seasons. This would put him sixth in all-time scoring. He’s currently No. 22. Here are the top six.

1. Byron Houston (2,379)
2. Bryant Reeves (2,367)
3. Adrian Peterson (1,866)
4. Le’Bryan Nash (1,839)
5. James Anderson (1,811)
6. Desmond Mason (1,702)

Forte currently has 1,307 so you can see that he could feasibly get all the way to No. 3 with a monstrous final campaign. He’s not touching the top two though.

Career 3-pointers

1. Keiton Page (299)
2. Randy Rutherford (279)
3. Obi Muonelo (245)
4. Phil Forte (244)
5. Adrian Peterson (228)

Forte averages about 80 a season (two seasons of 70 and one of 100) so this record *should* fall.

Career 3-point attempts

1. Keiton Page (812)
2. Randy Rutherford (668)
3. Obi Muonelo (634)
4. Phil Forte (628)
5. James Anderson (600)

Have mercy, Keiton! Forte has a legitimate chance to get to No. 1 on this list considering he averages just over 200 a season. Here is the all-time 3-point percentage list, by the way.

All-time 3P percentage at #okstate is fascinating. Bobik! pic.twitter.com/HKUercXQWA

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 1, 2016

Free throw percentage

1. John Lucas (89.5)
2. Phil Forte (86.6)
3. Mark Tucker (86.2)
4. Keiton Page (85.9)
5. Arlen Clark (84.9)

There’s a real chance Forte could drop below No. 3 here. Doubtful he can catch Lucas.

So those are the career records Phil Forte is chasing during his Perry Ellis-like supersenior campaign in GIA. We can’t wait to watch ’em all fall.