Oklahoma State males’s basketball coach Mike Boynton remembers his introduction to Bedlam. Then an assistant beneath former Cowboys coach Brad Underwood, a couple of specific issues have caught with Boynton since that day.
First, and foremost, he remembers profitable. It was a 68-66 triumph that flipped the script on all of the Cowboys’ misfortunes in Norman and picked up their first highway win over the Sooners in 13 years.
Still, practically six years after the very fact, he remembers the play that made all of it occur.
“I think it was a crazy Phil Forte shot,” stated Boynton, who was spot on whereas recollecting the second on Monday afternoon. “Some of those plays just stick out in your mind as a coach, right?”
Then he walked the group of folks in entrance of him via the play, detailing how Juwan Evans drove into the lane earlier than kicking it out to Forte in the nook for the eventual game-winning triple.
And Boynton received glimpse of every thing he wanted to know in regards to the coveted rivalry that day – and what it meant to be on the profitable aspect of it.
“I just remember the feeling of, like, it’s a big deal,” Boynton stated. “I remember it being a big, big moment for us.”
Boynton is aware of this Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena is also an enormous, large second for his program, because the Cowboys (9-8, 1-4 Big 12 Conference) will host the Sooners (11-6, 2-3 Big 12) on the heels of their largest loss this season.
A 74-58 loss to Baylor wasn’t what Boynton and Co. had in thoughts once they made their newest journey to Waco, Texas. It marked a third-straight loss after choosing up their first convention win of the season over West Virginia on Jan. 2.
That’s in the rearview now, although. All of it. Going 38.3 % from the sector, together with 21 % from past the arc towards the Bears. Failing to amass 60 factors for a 3rd consecutive recreation. Getting out-rebounded by 11.
“There was an extreme level of ownership in our film session today as we digested what happened on Saturday,” Boynton stated.
Expected to be a defensive battle between two of the top-three defenses in the Big 12, it received’t be a simple outing for the Cowboys, house owners of the worst scoring offense in the league (67.9 factors per recreation).
But if their protection is any indication – other than the loss to Baylor – then OSU must be primed to neutralize OU guard Grant Sherfield.
Sherfield has been the catalyst behind the Sooners’ offensive manufacturing all through the first two months of the season. He’ll enter Wednesday because the fourth-highest scorer in the Big 12 at 17.6 factors per recreation, doing so by hitting 44.8 % of his pictures from past the arc.
Joining the Sooners this previous summer season after two seasons at Nevada and one at Wichita State, Sherfield hasn’t been a stranger to scoring. That hasn’t modified, both, notching 20 factors or extra in eight of OU’s 17 video games.
“He scores like he breathes,” Boynton stated. “We’ll have to make sure that we do a good job – not just focusing on Sherfield, but the other players around him that make his job easier.”
But there’s one particular high quality that has allowed him to be the prolific scorer he’s.
“I wanna be respectful because I don’t know the kid that well, personally, but I think he just doesn’t give a s—,” Boynton stated. “Sometimes he’s gonna make shots, and sometimes he’s gonna miss ’em. When he’s ready and open for the next one, he’s gonna take that one.”
The Cowboys have a matchup for Sherfield in senior guard Avery Anderson III, a preseason All-Big 12 choice who hasn’t fairly carried out to that stage to this point. and a few of that has to do with a nagging wrist damage that’s lingered for a couple of video games.
Heading into the third week of convention play, Anderson is averaging 10.4 factors per contest, his lowest mark since his first 12 months in shiny orange. After being a 32 % shooter from deep the previous two seasons, he’s hitting 17.6 % of these pictures this 12 months.
Boynton stated Anderson is one of one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, and he needs him to proceed to be simply that even on nights the place he’s struggling on the opposite finish of the court docket. Likely with out large man Moussa Cisse (ankle) for a fourth consecutive recreation, the Cowboys will want that defensive prowess from Anderson.
And Boynton additionally believes some of Anderson’s struggles stem from him overthinking sure conditions based mostly on how his season has gone as of late.
“Sometimes that comes with feeling like the pressure of being the guy or being perceived as the guy,” Boynton stated. “You feel like you’ve gotta make every shot and play this perfect game, which it’s an imperfect game by nature. I think he’s back to, in the last week or so – and certainly getting healthy is part of it – to believing that he’s certainly one of the best players in the league.”
Boynton understands that whereas OSU’s begin to league play hasn’t been splendid, there are nonetheless loads of alternatives that lie forward.
But a win would assist the Cowboys keep away from a fourth consecutive loss. It would assist them inch away from the underside ranks of the Big 12. And, of course, it’d give them in-state bragging rights till they hit the highway to play the Sooners in two weeks.
“The rivalry’s important. Right now, it’s just important for us to play well, though,” Boynton stated. “Certainly, playing well against them is at the top of the list of teams you wanna play well against.”
Follow News Press sports activities reporter Jon Walker on Twitter @ByJonWalker for updates on Oklahoma State athletics and extra.
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