JimBob
02-17-2008, 08:04 AM
OSU Notebook: Hot stuff
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
2/17/2008
All of a sudden, OSU has one of the hottest hoops squads in the Big 12. What happened to spark a turnaround?
Byron Eaton pointed to a meeting that occurred following a 21-point road defeat at Kansas State. Coaches delivered a message that players could still salvage the season and win every remaining game if they put their minds to it. Eaton said attitudes changed.
"Like Byron said, we had a meeting and I think everybody just came together and said if we are going to do this, we all have to come together and do this," Marcus Dove said. "We can't worry about what anybody says -- the student body, out side people, the media. We can't worry about what anybody says. It's just us in that locker room. And I think everybody really bought into that and hopefully we will keep buying into that."
Clamping down: Texas A&M post players Joseph Jones and DeAndre Jordan combined for 22 first-half points on 10-of-12 shooting. They collaborated for only six second half points, never mind that defensive stopper Dove sat out more than eight minutes after picking up a fourth foul.
"To hold Jones and Jordan to six points the second half with Marcus on the bench for a big stretch I think says a lot about how far (Ibrahima) Thomas and Martavius (Adams) and Marshall Moses have come at the defensive end," Sean Sutton said. "They did a really good job on those two guys and (Bryan) Davis as well. You put those three guys together and I'm not sure that's not the best front line in the Big 12, them and possibly Kansas."
Point man: Eaton produced 42 points, 13 assists and only four turnovers in consecutive victories over Baylor and Texas A&M. In both games, the Cowboys tried to draw post players out on the court for high ball screens in an attempt to let Eaton turn the corner and break down defenses.
"Today he did a really good job of controlling the tempo and the pace of the game and was very aggressive on those ball screens and made the right decision the majority of the time," Sutton said.
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STREAK OVER
OSU ended a 19-game road losing streak Saturday. A game-by-game breakdown of the losing streak:
Feb. 11, 2006: Texas A&M 46, OSU 44
Feb. 22, 2006: Iowa State 68, OSU 52
Feb. 27, 2006: Oklahoma 67, OSU 66
March 15, 2006: Miami, Fla. 62, OSU 59
Jan. 10, 2007: Kansas 87, OSU 57
Jan. 20, 2007: Texas A&M 67, OSU 49
Feb. 3, 2007: Colorado 89, OSU 77
Feb. 7, 2007: Oklahoma 67, OSU 60
Feb. 12, 2007: Texas 83, OSU 54
Feb. 24, 2007: Texas Tech 59, OSU 57
March 3, 2007: Baylor 86, OSU 82
March 5, 2007: Nebraska 85, OSU 73
Nov. 14, 2007: North Texas 82, OSU 73
Dec. 15, 2007: Pittsburgh 85, OSU 68
Jan. 15, 2008: Baylor 79, OSU 71
Jan. 19, 2008: Iowa State 73, OSU 66
Jan. 28, 2008: Oklahoma 64, OSU 61
Feb. 2, 2008: Texas Tech 67, OSU 60
Feb. 9, 2008: Kansas State 82, OSU 61
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
2/17/2008
All of a sudden, OSU has one of the hottest hoops squads in the Big 12. What happened to spark a turnaround?
Byron Eaton pointed to a meeting that occurred following a 21-point road defeat at Kansas State. Coaches delivered a message that players could still salvage the season and win every remaining game if they put their minds to it. Eaton said attitudes changed.
"Like Byron said, we had a meeting and I think everybody just came together and said if we are going to do this, we all have to come together and do this," Marcus Dove said. "We can't worry about what anybody says -- the student body, out side people, the media. We can't worry about what anybody says. It's just us in that locker room. And I think everybody really bought into that and hopefully we will keep buying into that."
Clamping down: Texas A&M post players Joseph Jones and DeAndre Jordan combined for 22 first-half points on 10-of-12 shooting. They collaborated for only six second half points, never mind that defensive stopper Dove sat out more than eight minutes after picking up a fourth foul.
"To hold Jones and Jordan to six points the second half with Marcus on the bench for a big stretch I think says a lot about how far (Ibrahima) Thomas and Martavius (Adams) and Marshall Moses have come at the defensive end," Sean Sutton said. "They did a really good job on those two guys and (Bryan) Davis as well. You put those three guys together and I'm not sure that's not the best front line in the Big 12, them and possibly Kansas."
Point man: Eaton produced 42 points, 13 assists and only four turnovers in consecutive victories over Baylor and Texas A&M. In both games, the Cowboys tried to draw post players out on the court for high ball screens in an attempt to let Eaton turn the corner and break down defenses.
"Today he did a really good job of controlling the tempo and the pace of the game and was very aggressive on those ball screens and made the right decision the majority of the time," Sutton said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STREAK OVER
OSU ended a 19-game road losing streak Saturday. A game-by-game breakdown of the losing streak:
Feb. 11, 2006: Texas A&M 46, OSU 44
Feb. 22, 2006: Iowa State 68, OSU 52
Feb. 27, 2006: Oklahoma 67, OSU 66
March 15, 2006: Miami, Fla. 62, OSU 59
Jan. 10, 2007: Kansas 87, OSU 57
Jan. 20, 2007: Texas A&M 67, OSU 49
Feb. 3, 2007: Colorado 89, OSU 77
Feb. 7, 2007: Oklahoma 67, OSU 60
Feb. 12, 2007: Texas 83, OSU 54
Feb. 24, 2007: Texas Tech 59, OSU 57
March 3, 2007: Baylor 86, OSU 82
March 5, 2007: Nebraska 85, OSU 73
Nov. 14, 2007: North Texas 82, OSU 73
Dec. 15, 2007: Pittsburgh 85, OSU 68
Jan. 15, 2008: Baylor 79, OSU 71
Jan. 19, 2008: Iowa State 73, OSU 66
Jan. 28, 2008: Oklahoma 64, OSU 61
Feb. 2, 2008: Texas Tech 67, OSU 60
Feb. 9, 2008: Kansas State 82, OSU 61