Okla. St. Cowboys Face First Road Test

NT80 · November 14, 2007

Published: November 13, 2007 09:04 am

Cowboys face first road test

Jacob Longan - NewsPress

Oklahoma State played no road games in the non-conference slate last year and finished 0-8 on the road in Big 12 play.

The failure to win even a single road game was likely a major factor in the Cowboys accepting an NIT invitation for the second straight year rather than making the NCAA Tournament during their 22-13 campaign.

OSU (1-0) will try to slay that dragon in just the second game of this campaign on Wednesday when it travels to Denton, Texas, to meet North Texas (1-0).

The Mean Green are the defending Sun Belt champions and finished their 23-11 campaign by scaring second-seeded Memphis in the first round of the NCAAs. UNT lost a 73-58 game to the Tigers.

“I think (this is) going to be an extremely tough game,” said Cowboys coach Sean Sutton. “They are a team that played Memphis really well in the NCAA Tournament. Our guys are well aware that we didn’t win a true road game last year.”

In a year of disappointments, Sutton said that was one of the most disappointing aspects of a season that ended with a second straight first-round loss in the NIT.

“We’ve always tried to take a lot of pride in being able to go on the road and beat people,” Sutton said. “Last year’s team just never played well (on the road). The way we lost to Kansas (87-57) and Texas A&M (67-49) early in the Big 12 season probably didn’t help. We just didn’t play with the confidence that some of our teams in the past have.

“I think it would be a big win. Hopefully it will build some confidence down the road that we can win on the road. If you are going to have a chance at a good season, you have to go on the road and beat some people.”

The Mean Green, which went 13-3 in The Super Pit last year, is coming off a 106-53 whipping of Cameron on Saturday.

Junior guard Collin Dennis came off the bench to lead the team with 21 points. He was one of two non-starters and five North Texas players to reach double figures in the game.

“I think they’re good,” Sutton said. “They have good guards and they play hard. They are good at the defensive end. They are very effective in transition.

“They are a team that is certainly capable of winning their league and getting back in the NCAA Tournament.”

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have only one player with NCAA Tournament experience — senior defensive specialist Marcus Dove.

Freshman guard James Anderson, who exploded for a school-debut-record 29 points and a team-high five assists in Friday’s 104-48 rout of Prairie View A&M, was named the Big 12’s freshman of the week on Monday.

“He isn’t your typical freshman,” Sutton said. “He is so gifted at the offensive end with his ability to score. He is an outstanding passer and he has a great feel for how to play the game.”

Still, the coach admitted he is nervous about Anderson and Ibrahima Thomas, a 6-11 center, making their first road starts.

“I told them (Monday) some of the key things you have to do on the road is be tough, you’ve got to play solid defense, you cannot turn the ball over and you have to be disciplined at the offensive end, carry out assignments,” Sutton said. “Free-throw shooting is always an important part.”

Between two exhibitions and the season opener, the Cowboys have made 39-of-68 charity shots (57.4 percent).

One of the exhibitions was a 91-54 whipping of Panhandle State. North Texas beat the same team, 108-71, in its exhibition meeting.