10 Thoughts On Kansas State

BOX SCORE

This game really felt like a metaphor for the season (and possibly Travis Ford’s career) at large. Start out hot, swoon in the middle (for an eternity), lure everyone back in with just enough talent to make you think about the possibilities, but ultimately come up short because you didn’t have enough weapons to go to battle with.

It’s not as if Kansas State played particularly well (36% from the field, 57% from the line) but it’s like I told my pops the other day: it doesn’t matter how badly teams shoot against you because they’re inevitably going to out-offensive rebound you and hoist way more shots. OSU has to outshoot ever team it plays because it’s not out-rebounding them and for the worst shooting team in the Big 12, that’s a tall task.

On to the ten thoughts…

1. Keiton was slumping (considerably) all day, so I’m not real sure why the answer to “what can we do to get Keiton out of his funk?” is “oh, let’s have him bring the ball up the court so he has more pressure on him, can’t create off the dribble, and only has open shots 45 feet from the bucket.” How can Markel not be the one bringing it up?

2. I feel very confident in saying that Mike Cobbins is the new Ivan McFarlin. Going back to my table test from the halftime thoughts, he’s bringing all kinds of things to the table (offensive rebounding, nasty screens, athletic big man) and taking very little (if anything) off of it. Ivan McFarlin was the ultimate table guy, Cobbins is next.

3. Mike Gundy was hosting a large contingent of future Pokes this weekend. As one of my followers pointed out, it’s probably time to remove [go watch basketball game at Gallagher-Iba Arena] off the recruiting weekend itinerary.

4. Stephen Howard (the color guy for ESPN+) was taking some mini-pot shots at the Cowboys saying Ford had to go to the cafeteria/quad to find practice guys (which is kind of true) and that about half the guys on their team were living out their dream of being practice guys (which is also kind of true). I found this funny because they left the camera on Mason Cox for like 15 seconds while Howard talked. Mason’s been on the team for a week and a half.

5. I’ve figured out my comp for Cezar, and it’s not another basketball player. I’ve been staying up late to watch the Australian Open the last few nights (as I’m prone to do this time of year) and Guerrero reminds me of a tennis player who looks at his box after every point. After every foul, non-foul, missed shot, bad pass, or errant decision Cezar looks at Ford and/or the bench to get their reaction. The sign of a freshman for sure, and something he needs to mature out of.

6. The foul on Brian Williams with 1:32 left and OSU only down three was horrendous and not something I expect from Williams. There were eight seconds on the shot clock and he fouled Angel Rodriguez 25 feet from the hoop. Rodriguez only hit one but it sucked some life out of the gym right after Keiton hit a big three.

7. Stat of the game had to be that OSU went 15 basketball minutes (and 60 real minutes) without scoring a two or three point field goal. From 4:00 in the first half to 8:59 in the second they were 0-13.

8. It’s probably not a good sign when your “best player” sits for 12 minute stretches during the most crucial time of the game and you don’t even really notice he’s not out there…is it?

9. I’m still riding the Travis Ford train but at 9-10 what’s the best case scenario for this team the rest of the way? 12-20? 13-19? OSU’s worst record since I’ve been alive was an 8-20 mark in 1986-1987, their second worst was 12-16 in 1984-1985. The former seems safe, the latter may be challenged.

10. This slayed me:

Next game: Wednesday against Mizzou in Gallagher-Iba Arena