Daily Bullets (Mar. 13): Pokes Beat No. 2 Team in the Country, Punch Ticket to Big 12 Finals

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Live stream of Cowboy Nation waking up this AM:

All of us right now. pic.twitter.com/mNf93dGfRc

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) March 13, 2021

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Scores

MBB: Pokes 83, Baylor 74
WBB: Cowgirls 89, Sooners 80
Baseball: Opener against No. 2 Vandy delayed
Softball: Cowgirls beat Liberty 9-4, 3-0
Men’s Tennis: Pokes 4, OU 2

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Three Thoughts

• Social media was a fun place last night after the massive win over No. 1 seed Baylor – Mike Boynton joins Eddie Sutton as OSU coaches to take the Pokes to the Big 12 Final

• Yep – OSU has the fifth-highest odds of winning the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in college basketball.

I know that’s right @OSUMBB @KOCOCarson @BP_State pic.twitter.com/iGTLgVOkPp

— Greg Ireton (@ireton_greg) March 13, 2021

• Kind of wild stat here – Big 12 defenses allowed the lowest yards per game in the Power 5 this year (383.1). Mike Gundy explained defenses weren’t bad back then, offenses just had a different mentality.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said from about 2016 to 2018 the Big 12 head coaches and offensive playcallers were in “attack mode,” but offenses in other Power 5 conferences weren’t.

[ESPN+ $$$]

Two Quotes

• ESPN’s Jay Bilas shared a comment about OSU”s infractions this week that stuck with me:

Bilas dropped a heavy opinion during the OSU-Baylor game: The OSU sanctions, he said, are “a clear case of the NCAA Committee on Infractions over-punishing Oklahoma State because of the actions of one person.” That one person is infamous former Cowboy assistant Lamont Evans.

[TulsaWorld]

• 6th ranked win in the last 19 days.

Oklahoma State's win was their 6th ranked win in the last 19 days. That is the 2nd-shortest span for 6 ranked wins in the AP Poll era.

In 2010-11, UConn got 6 ranked wins in an 18-day span which included the beginning of the NCAA Tournament in their run to the national title. pic.twitter.com/DvzQgcALZf

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2021

One Question

• Would you rather have Cade Cunnigham for one year or a five-star QB for three years? After yesterday I’m really thinking Cade…

Most Viewed of the Week

• No. 1 Five Thoughts from the Pokes win over No. 6 West Virginia

• No. 2 Cowboys’ guide to the Big 12 Tourney

• No. 3 Five Thoughts form the Pokes’ Big 12 Tourney-win over West Virginia

• No. 4 Social Media Reactions to West Virginia-win

• No. 5 Cowboys climb to No. 12 in the AP Poll

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Non-OSU Bullets

• What every college athletic department is terrified of – will fans come back?
• Thoughtful piece on how we went from asking institutions to form us to affirming us (faith-based)

The Thunder can’t lose (and it’s driving me nuts) but the good part is they keep finding guys like Kenrich Williams:

He’s also shooting 55%, and 21-of-51 (41%) on 3s — heady territory, considering Williams hit 37% overall over two seasons in New Orleans.

He defends hard, and cleans the glass. If he makes enough 3s, Williams will have a role in the NBA — even if it’s just as a deep bench guy coaches trust to come in and defend.

[ESPN+ $$$]