JimBob
01-14-2008, 08:55 AM
Hard work paying off for Dove
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
1/14/2008
He's known for defense but is averaging 10.5 points a game.
STILLWATER -- During the second half of Oklahoma State's victory over Texas Tech, Marcus Dove considered taking an open 3-point shot.
Dove elected not to shoot and, after the possession disintegrated, the senior forward got chewed out by coach Sean Sutton.
"He kind of got mad at me and told me to shoot the shot," Dove said. "It was good to know that even he has confidence in me, too."
Dove used to be an MVP on defense and a liability on offense. He had three career double-figure scoring games and a 3.6 career scoring average during his first three seasons, when opponents backed away and dared him to shoot.
Big 12 opponents may get a surprise if they fail to revise the scouting report. Dove is averaging 10.5 points in his final season and ranks among the league's most improved players.
"He put himself in position to have a shot to play in the NBA," Sutton said. "He is going to make it because of his defense, but it helps that he's got a little bit of an offensive game now. He has always been such a great defender, but he has made himself into a lot more complete player."
Players often give lip service to how they want to shore up weak spots in their games. Dove did more than shoot from the lip. He woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the summer months to work on shooting and said he spent two or three sessions per day in the gym.
"It looks like it is paying off," said Dove, who made five 3-pointers during his first three seasons and already has 13 treys this season. "I still work on it every day, or whenever I get a chance because we have games all the time, but I still work on it today."
Dove is considered so valuable that he would have continued to start and play a key role (he leads OSU in minutes played) even if he was still a one-dimensional player. But he knew the Cowboys would need more scoring because of the departures of Mario Boggan and JamesOn Curry, who combined to average 36.3 points last season.
"I was just looking at it from the team point of view," he said.
Then came extra motivation. Dove's DUI arrest made headlines in July.
Said Dove, "When that did happen, it gave me even more incentive to work because people counted me down and out and I had a few people turn their backs on me, so I just wanted to come out and prove to people that's not me and that's not my character at all. I am a good guy, I do have good character and my family raised me right. So I just wanted to come out and show people that as well."
Sutton said people may have gotten the impression that Dove was a guy who was partying every night "and that's the farthest thing from the truth. He made a terrible mistake and used extremely poor judgment, but there was nobody that worked harder on his game this summer than he did. He has made a lot of improvement and he has been a good example to our younger players that if you work hard and put in the time that you get results."
Because of the way Dove handles himself, he is arguably the most liked and respected senior the Cowboys have had since the program was rebooted following a Sweet Sixteen trip in 2005.
"Even though he had his incident or whatever, he is still a captain," Byron Eaton said during a preseason interview. "If like the young dudes want to go somewhere, it's 'No, you can't go there. That's not good for you.' He's like an older brother. He's been here the longest. He's still telling everybody how everything is going to go."
Sutton said he is proud of Dove, who didn't come to OSU with many accolades, but made himself into a player.
Dove learned that he could earn court time by embracing defense. He and Kansas' Mario Chalmers shared the Big 12's co-defensive player of the year award last season. But when Dove attempted a shot, it looked like he hoped the ball would go in. Now he shoots with confidence.
"That's what happens when you get in the gym and work on your shot and work on your game," Sutton said. "When he shoots it, he believes it's going in."
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
1/14/2008
He's known for defense but is averaging 10.5 points a game.
STILLWATER -- During the second half of Oklahoma State's victory over Texas Tech, Marcus Dove considered taking an open 3-point shot.
Dove elected not to shoot and, after the possession disintegrated, the senior forward got chewed out by coach Sean Sutton.
"He kind of got mad at me and told me to shoot the shot," Dove said. "It was good to know that even he has confidence in me, too."
Dove used to be an MVP on defense and a liability on offense. He had three career double-figure scoring games and a 3.6 career scoring average during his first three seasons, when opponents backed away and dared him to shoot.
Big 12 opponents may get a surprise if they fail to revise the scouting report. Dove is averaging 10.5 points in his final season and ranks among the league's most improved players.
"He put himself in position to have a shot to play in the NBA," Sutton said. "He is going to make it because of his defense, but it helps that he's got a little bit of an offensive game now. He has always been such a great defender, but he has made himself into a lot more complete player."
Players often give lip service to how they want to shore up weak spots in their games. Dove did more than shoot from the lip. He woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the summer months to work on shooting and said he spent two or three sessions per day in the gym.
"It looks like it is paying off," said Dove, who made five 3-pointers during his first three seasons and already has 13 treys this season. "I still work on it every day, or whenever I get a chance because we have games all the time, but I still work on it today."
Dove is considered so valuable that he would have continued to start and play a key role (he leads OSU in minutes played) even if he was still a one-dimensional player. But he knew the Cowboys would need more scoring because of the departures of Mario Boggan and JamesOn Curry, who combined to average 36.3 points last season.
"I was just looking at it from the team point of view," he said.
Then came extra motivation. Dove's DUI arrest made headlines in July.
Said Dove, "When that did happen, it gave me even more incentive to work because people counted me down and out and I had a few people turn their backs on me, so I just wanted to come out and prove to people that's not me and that's not my character at all. I am a good guy, I do have good character and my family raised me right. So I just wanted to come out and show people that as well."
Sutton said people may have gotten the impression that Dove was a guy who was partying every night "and that's the farthest thing from the truth. He made a terrible mistake and used extremely poor judgment, but there was nobody that worked harder on his game this summer than he did. He has made a lot of improvement and he has been a good example to our younger players that if you work hard and put in the time that you get results."
Because of the way Dove handles himself, he is arguably the most liked and respected senior the Cowboys have had since the program was rebooted following a Sweet Sixteen trip in 2005.
"Even though he had his incident or whatever, he is still a captain," Byron Eaton said during a preseason interview. "If like the young dudes want to go somewhere, it's 'No, you can't go there. That's not good for you.' He's like an older brother. He's been here the longest. He's still telling everybody how everything is going to go."
Sutton said he is proud of Dove, who didn't come to OSU with many accolades, but made himself into a player.
Dove learned that he could earn court time by embracing defense. He and Kansas' Mario Chalmers shared the Big 12's co-defensive player of the year award last season. But when Dove attempted a shot, it looked like he hoped the ball would go in. Now he shoots with confidence.
"That's what happens when you get in the gym and work on your shot and work on your game," Sutton said. "When he shoots it, he believes it's going in."