Pokes Down Lopes 84-78

OSU fans…It’s time to get excited about this basketball team. They’ve gone into 2 very difficult environments and found ways to win and continue to show they have every piece needed to be a VERY good basketball team.

This group seems to get along, they share the ball, they don’t seem to care who gets the spotlight, and the ENTIRE focus is winning.

Sometimes, when you get transfers who have been in other places, they’ve experienced everything BUT winning. They’ve averaged their double/doubles and already had an infinite number of great scoring nights. So, the ONE thing that’s left to drive their hunger is to win, and be a part of a TEAM that does all of that together.

It reminds me of Free Agents, like Blake Snell, who have been great players, and are looking for nothing other than to win with their next home.

This team has THAT feel to it, and it’s super exciting!

5 players are averaging double digits, this team is shooting right at 50% from the floor, 75% from the line, 32% from 3, it has several great ball handlers and a basketball IQ that OSU fans SHOULD identify with.

OSU got outscored 17 to 9 in points off turnovers last night, and were outrebounded 14-6 on the offensive end. That led to a 17-6 deficit in 2nd chance points, and GCU also got up 16 more shots than OSU, all stats that usually spell defeat. Especially away from home!

So, those things definitely need to get “cleaned up”!

But, having said that, this club, like great players, finds ways to make up for its deficiencies on any given night.

For instance, OSU outscored GCU 30-12 in bench points, 12-8 in fast break points, made 12 more free throws, and made 7 more free throws than GCU attempted. And, while the Cowboys gave up WAY too many offensive boards to the Lopes, this club found a way to have just 2 fewer rebounds overall on the night, mainly because GCU attempted so many more shots from the floor.

The Cowboys were 30-52 (58%) from the floor against a team in GCU that plays pretty good defense. OSU made 4 of 13 3-pointers and went 20-28 from the foul line.

Meanwhile, Grand Canyon shot 31-68 (46%), so while they had the “quantity”, OSU had the “quality”.

And, another win, their 9th on the season, to go to 9-0 since, which is the first time this program has done that since 06-’07.

Next up…OU next Saturday at Noon…LFG!

Parsa Fallah…DAYUM!

Click to watch Fall in action against GCU

Fallah has been the type of offensive player that OSU can run its offense through. So, while the 25 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists are incredible, they still only tell a part of the story of his impact.

When he draws the kind of attention he’s demanding, that opens up the backside of the court, and when that happens, guys like Christian Coleman feast off of that. Our guards can penetrate off it, and our shooters can square up after the ball has gone inside, then back out.

And…

Fallah went 9-10 from the free-throw line last night, so, as a defender, you have to try to stop him without fouling, which has proven impossible.

Fallah scored 24 against Sam Houston on Wednesday and has scored in double digits in every game except A&M-Corpus Christi. He’s averaging 15 points per game, over 6 boards, and is shooting close to 70% from the floor.

Atta Baby Parsa…LFG! More Cowbell Please, especially against OU!

Click to watch Curry in action against GCU

GCU was a very long team, and there were times when OSU was struggling with the Lopes’ length. So, Jaylen Curry’s length really helped turn things around for OSU last night.

Curry is just 6’1″, but his wingspan when he finishes around the rim keeps the ball away from taller defenders. That gives him the ability to score among the “trees” if you will, which was needed last night.

Curry dropped in 14 last night in 30 minutes, and made some really crucial plays in the 2nd half when it felt like GCU was making a push to take control of the game.

Gotta do better than 4-7 from the line, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that, but try on 4 assists to ZERO turnovers on the night, plus a steal and 3 boards.

Helluva night for the Junior from North Carolina. It was a night that showed great maturity, because he had to show patience in choosing his spots when it was his turn to make a play.

And he came up SPADES on that part of the decision-making process, which is 100% what a point is supposed to do.

Well done, Jaylen. Keep killin’ it, my man, especially next Saturday.

Click to watch Clary in action against GCU

One mark of the type of point guard you want to have on your team is a player who WANTS the ball with the game on the line. Well,

Kanye Clary is THAT guy!

Clary had a night that, quite honestly, had several mixed results, but when it mattered the most, the dude delivered.

Clary scored 8 and made only 2 field goals on the night, and just 1 3-pointer, but it was, of course, the shot that put GCU away. And, it was paired with a great defensive possession where he got “dirty” and got a steal for OSU with the game on the line.

Clary went 1-4 from the free-throw line and had 3 turnovers to 4 assists, all stats that need to be cleaned up. But the fact that he didn’t let that turn into frustration, especially considering the great environment last night, tells you all you need to know about his “foxhole” qualities.

As with ALL great players, it’s ALL about THE NEXT play.

Clary averages almost 8 points a game and has an over 2:1 Assist to Turnover ratio and brings a lot of “I’m gonna Kick Your Ass” to the court. All parts of his game that help on the court, and with this group’s overall tough-minded mentality.

Christian Coleman had the type of game last night that took everyone around hims performances, and glued them all together to get OSU over the finish line.

GCU was very long, so Coleman’s wing span did a great job of combating that, and the way he played opposite of Fallah was SUPER effective.

Coleman also runs the floor VERY well and is always in position to catch the ball and score all in one move.

Every night is going to be different, so having different skill sets is going to pay HUGE dividends for this OSU squad this year. Coleman’s length and ability to play away from the ball were the perfect “fit” for last night, as his 16 points & 6 boards go to show.

Coleman is averaging 10.3 points and over 4 rebounds per game, is shooting OVER 50% from the floor, and right at 70% from the free throw line. And, he provides many of the highlight reels, which shoot energy straight into the veins of this club.

Click to watch Roy in action against GCU

Anthony Roy is such a great scorer that, even on nights when it doesn’t feel like he is scoring as consistently as he’s capable, he still drops in 14.

That was last night!

Roy had some VERY well-timed made buckets, and also made some VERY big defensive plays, highlighted by the jump ball he created on the dribble drive by GCU late in the game.

Roy, IMO, is still in the process of maximizing the +/- of his incredible ability to put the ball in the hole. This team has several very capable offensive players, so no one player should ever have to force scoring chances.

Picking and choosing the correct spots, and ending the night heavy on the positive, many times can be more difficult than if the ball is in your hands every play, and you get to choose when to shoot and what shots to take.

Roy has done a terrific job of that, and there will be times, like we’ve already seen, where it’s get the ball across half court, get it to Anthony, and get out of his way.

Many more of those times!

Roy is averaging 15 a game, 4 boards, and a couple of blocks a game. Great player, glad Coach Gottlieb sent him our way.