We have showed (the ability to make the tournament) at times, other times we don’t. From here on out, we have to play like an NCAA (tournament) team. (O’Colly)
All-time rank of this year’s OSU basketball team
January 29, 2013
— 5 Comments
Here’s a look at where our current players stacks up against former players in a few key categories. I listed the best seasons OSU players in the Sutton/Ford era have had in each category by classification. Players on the current team are listed in blue and the best overall season in the category is highlighted in orange.
Nash narrowly edged out JA for the freshman scoring record at 13.3 points/game, but Smart is right on his heels at the moment. Eddie just plain did not play freshmen, so I’m not stunned to see Forte in the top 10. That said, seeing him at #4 is an eye-opener.
Nash’s scoring average is identical to last year’s number. Markel cracking the top 10 scoring list by juniors is really a very nice accomplishment when you look at the top 10.
Retro College Cuts has released Oklahoma State’s 1988 basketball shorts on its site. They’re a little steep (ok, a lot steep) at $75 but you’ll be the envy of your dad and all his friends who probably packed the bookstore back in the 80s for these babies.
Now can we do something about getting the late 90s in stock?
Also, how filthy are the ’79 Indiana State shorts?
Monday Mailbag
January 28, 2013
— 5 Comments
Photo Attribution: US Presswire
I don’t do this often enough but I’d like to start doing it more in the future. Obviously Simmons’ mailbag is an inspiration but Clay Travis also does a pretty hilarious bag on Fridays that I’ve been enjoying lately.
OK, here we go!
Chances Jeremy Smith gets 1500 yards rushing? And chances OSU puts a beat down on OU like 2011? -@2013_cowboys
Given that Joe Randle never got there and OSU has been in love with the Mike Shanahan memorial “fantasy-murdering three RB set” I would say low. Plus, despite the gun show, it seems like Smith is on the J.D. Drew health program — play a few games, sit out a few more…and so on.
As for the beat down on OU, I’d say that’s probably out of the question as well. The exodus out of Norman has reached Moses-esque proportions but OSU simply won’t have the horses it did in 2011. We might never see a blowout like that again.
Hoops seeding for/if tourney? -@jbasks
You guys are going to kill me for this but I think OSU can get a seven seed or potentially a five/six depending on how the next few weeks play out. Winning either of the KU games would be huge, so would at Iowa State and Texas. I still can’t trust Ford on the road yet so I’ll go with seven but reserve the right to tweet “I told you so” as many times as I want when we’re prepping for a 5 v. 12 matchup on the first “I’m not going to work” Thursday of the Dance.
Speaking of the tournament, how sick is this year’s version going to be? Would anybody be surprised if Gonzaga or Butler won it all? Would anybody be surprised at anything that happened in this year’s tournament? There’s no Kentucky this year, it’s going to be an absolute free-for-all.
Great find here by Cole Yearwood of Desmond Mason talking about the plane crash in 2001.
The interview with Desmond starts at 6:30 and unfortunately gets cut off a little bit, still great though.
Kamari Murphy wants out…or not?
January 28, 2013
— 8 Comments
Kamari Murphy sent a tweet Herschel Sims would have been proud of after OSU’s bout with WVU on Saturday, here’s a screenshot below.
He covered his tracks later by deleting the tweet and issuing this semi-apology:
I have a social life as well so evrything I say doesnt have to do with basketball
— Kamari Who(@Oakstate_Murphy) January 26, 2013
Well if it didn’t have to do with basketball then why’d you delete it?
No, it did have to do with basketball and most likely it had to do with Murphy’s playing time.
Remember the 10 tribute
January 27, 2013
— 5 Comments
Photo Attribution: US Presswire
I wrote this two years ago, it’s sobering to read (especially the last part) in light of the Budke crash in 2011 but it still applies today.
As a society we tend to hyperbolically shove events to whichever end of the spectrum best satiates our emotional well-being in the given moment.
We tell our friends “that was literally the best play I’ve ever seen” – as if it could have “figuratively” been such. We tweet things like “OH MY GOSH, best game EVER” and “he’s the greatest of all time” about people like Blake Griffin and/or Kevin Durant, neither of whom can legally rent a car. Don’t worry we all do it, trust me I’m as guilty as the next guy.
Unfortunately we do the same with tragedies too. We slide down the slippery slope of blame and regret and look for the ultimate scapegoat. We look for the bad when it seems like things can’t get any worse.
It’s probably a natural thing to do, one that I’m sure everyone associated with the plane crash did. We assume the events that unfold weren’t meant to be a part of history, as if some sort of mistake was made. Fred Jonzen summed this up in the Tulsa World when he was asked what he learned: “I don’t really know what to say. What is there to learn really? Ten people were killed way before their time and there’s absolutely nothing good to take away from that.”
But then as time passes we counterbalance our irrational perspective by looking for any sign of something good that might present itself. That’s what this list is, not a happy-go-lucky barrage of pixie dust sprinkled on the worst day in school history, but rather a few moments that we surrender to the greatness of the human spirit.
10 Thoughts: West Virginia
January 26, 2013
— 7 Comments
Photo Attribution: US Presswire
Oklahoma State routed West Virginia today in Gallagher-Iba to push Travis Ford’s home record to 64-10 (not a misprint). Huggy Bear’s team raced out to a big lead in the first half but OSU closed with — gasp — some of the best offense I’ve seen them play all year. Here are 10 more thoughts on the game today.
1. As terrific as it was today (10-19 from 3P) OSU really does live and die by the three. Consider: 10-1 in games when it shoots better than 30% and 3-4 in games when it shoots worse than 30%. It’s outstanding when it works, and often a by-product of actually taking good shots, but I’d like to see some versatility in how this team scores. There isn’t much right now.
2. Yes, this sums up the referee situation.
This look just about explains the officiating. @pistolsguy twitter.com/SpencerMSmith/…
— Spencer Smith (@SpencerMSmith) January 26, 2013
3. Does ESPN not take into account that, at the end of January, we’ve probably watched an OSU game before and know that Smart and Forte were high school teammates? This is also terrible.
What do announcers love more: Calling Smart a smart player or saying Forte’s forte is shooting?
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 26, 2013
4. There’s no reason, other than foul trouble, OSU shouldn’t play the way it did for the last five minutes of the first half. They scored 15 points in the first 15:11 of the first half and 15 points in the last 4:49 of the first half and it was all because the offensive spacing was better and defensive trapping was elite.
Travis Ford claims he wants to do it, we have the horses (especially with BWill coming back) to do it. So…let’s do it.
