Claremore Daily Progress

Breaking News

Sports

December 22, 2012

No. 24 Cowboys winning with defense

JASON ELMQUIST CNHI News Services

STILLWATER — When a basketball coach looks at the statistics following a game, rebounding is typically one of the first things they view, along with turnovers.



Many coaches claim those two categories are the telltale sign of the outcome of a game.



For Oklahoma State’s men’s basketball team, that has definitely been the case. Standing at 9-1 on the season, the Cowboys hold a slim advantage in rebounding against their opponents and have forced 23 more turnovers than they’ve committed.



“Usually with youth, they don’t understand the defense wins games and our guys do,” OSU coach Travis Ford said. “They do understand that, they do grasp that. They know that we better play some defense because you never know what’s going to happen on offense.”



OSU is second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense, giving up 56.8 points per game and third in defensive field goal percentage with teams shooting 35.6 percent. It’s rebounding, however, that 24th-ranked Oklahoma State is still working to improve.



On Wednesday, the Cowboys ended a run of three straight games claiming victory in rebounding. The last time OSU found itself on the negative end was in the loss to Virginia Tech — which also ended a three-game streak of winning the battle.



“Coach mentioned it at half,” said OSU center Philip Jurick following the game in which he had eight offensive rebounds. “Rebounding is kind of a big deal for him. So I’m sure we’ll go over it.”



It’s likely the Cowboys will start another streak Saturday with Tennessee Tech (6-5) coming to Gallagher-Iba Arena. Oklahoma State will have a big margin in the paint as Tech’s starting post players are listed shorter than OSU’s top big men.



Tennessee Tech center Terrell Barnes comes in a 6-foot-7, 275 pounds, in comparison, Jurick is listed at 6-11, 260 pounds. Barnes and fellow starting forward Dennis Ogbe, listed at 6-7, 220 pounds, aren’t much of a threat when it comes to rebounding, however.



Barnes is averaging just 2.9 rebounds per game and Ogbe is hauling in just 4.4 per contest. Meanwhile, OSU is led by Jurick’s 7.2 and is getting 6.3 boards per game from freshman forward Kamari Murphy.



The Golden Eagles are actually led in rebounding by 6-5, 200-pound senior guard Jud Dillard, who is averaging 7.5 boards along with 19 points per game. It could make for an interesting battle with OSU freshman point guard Marcus Smart, who is second on the team with 6.6 rebounds despite standing at 6-4, 225 pounds.

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_9471web.jpg Howe, Whatley shine at OU Showcase

    Claremore High School seniors Bryce Howe and Matt Whatley caught the eyes of several NCAA Division I and JUCO scouts Friday in Norman.
    Howe and Whatley, as well as Claremore’s Cole Weiesnbach and Cameron Smith, competed with the Bearcats — a competitive baseball team coached by Jenks’ Jeff Owens — at the University of Oklahoma Showcase.

    June 15, 2013 2 Photos

  • DSC_0119web.jpg ‘Staying close to home’

    Home is where the heart is.
    Claremore graduate Isaac Hollihan loves playing baseball and takes his academics pretty serious.
    For the next four years, Hollihan will continue his baseball career a short distance from his Claremore residence at Rogers State University.

    June 13, 2013 2 Photos

  • TRACK: Tyson Gay healthy heading into nationals

    For a little bit, Tyson Gay's first step tearing down the track made him wince and his next made him wonder: Would he ever be the same sprinter again?
    The runner who captured three gold medals at the 2007 world championships. The runner who broke the American 100-meter record in 2009.

    June 18, 2013

  • Texas Longhorns men's track coach retires

    Texas men's track coach Bubba Thornton is retiring after 18 years and 12 conference championships.
    According to a statement from the school on Monday, Thornton and athletic director DeLoss Dodds mutually agreed to terminate the coach's contract effective Aug. 31. The Longhorns won this year's Big 12 indoor and outdoor championships and finished sixth at the NCAA outdoor championships.

    June 18, 2013

  • Daytona frontstretch getting $400M facelift

    Daytona International Speedway is getting another facelift, this one considerably bigger than the last.
    Three years after a complete repaving project, the famed track is overhauling the frontstretch to enhance the "fan experience.''

    June 18, 2013

  • STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK: Rough ice affects play in Game 3

    Teams try to avoid risky plays in the postseason that they might try in the regular season. And when the ice surface isn't smooth, even greater care is necessary.
    Boston took that approach with less-than-ideal ice conditions during its 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night.

    June 18, 2013

  • STANLEY CUP: Rask shuts down Blackhawks, Bruins take 2-1 lead

    The puck bounced off the post and rolled across the crease, away from the goal line. The red light flashed briefly, but replays would confirm that Tuukka Rask's shutout streak was intact.
    For the last 122 minutes, 26 seconds of the Stanley Cup finals, the Bruins goalie has prevented Chicago from scoring.

    June 18, 2013

  • New $15M scoreboards planned for Jazz arena

    Owners of EnergySolutions Arena are upgrading the home turf of the Utah Jazz with a new $15 million scoreboard system.

    June 18, 2013

  • NBA FINALS: Heat have no room for error versus Spurs in Game 6

    They lost three times in three months in one of the most overpowering stretches the NBA has ever seen.
    Now the Miami Heat have lost three times in five games.
    So superb during the regular season, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat have to be something even more for the rest of the NBA Finals.

    June 18, 2013

  • NBA FINALS: Spurs' coach puts 'Pop' into news conferences

    During his team's Game 3 rout of the Heat, Gregg Popovich was shown on TV talking to his players while they were in the process of burying Miami with a stirring offensive display.

    June 18, 2013