Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 84-47 Loss to No. 1 Arizona

BOX SCORE

The Cowboys have taken a few steps forward over recent weeks, but Saturday proved they still have a long way to go before they’re capable of going into the No. 1 team in the country’s building and getting a win.

Arizona beat the tar out of the Cowboys in Tucson on Saturday afternoon, with the Wildcats winning 84-47.

Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. Smothering Defense

Arizona had more rebounds than OSU had points. The Wildcats also had more points in the paint than the Pokes had points in total.

It was an absolute annihilation.

OSU finished 15-for-61 (25%) from the field and 6-for-28 (21%) 3. For good measure, even when the Wildcats weren’t guarding them, the Cowboys went 11-for-23 (48%) from the foul line.

Arizona just took OSU all sorts of out of its rhythm.

It got to the point in the first half where it felt like OSU’s only chance at watching the ball go through the hoop was off an Anthony Roy bombing 3.

There were also times where the usually fast-attacking OSU offense had to heave up a shot at the end of the shot clock because they couldn’t find any opening.

OSU is usually at its best when it isn’t relying too heavily on the 3-point shot, but because it was so difficult to penetrate Arizona’s defense (and the fact that OSU got down by so many), the Cowboys attempted 28 3-pointers. That’s the fourth-most they’ve thrown up in a game this season, and OSU is now 0-3 against high-major foes when attempting more than 26 3s in a game.

2. Just How Good Is Arizona?

The Wildcats’ sixth man nearly had a double-double at the half.

Tobe Awaka had eight points and 10 boards only 11 first-half minutes. He finished with eight and 12 in just 20 minutes and was +29 in those minutes.

Awaka hasn’t started a game this season and yet he came into Saturday averaging 10 points and 9.8 rebounds a contest while shooting 59% from the field.

He’d be the best player on many basketball teams around the country, and he’s coming off the bench for the Wildcats.

3. It Was a Particularly Woeful Day for OSU’s Bench

At different points this season, OSU’s depth had been one of its strengths. That wasn’t the case in Tucson.

OSU’s first bench points came with 12:46 to play when freshman Ryan Crotty hit a corner 3. A bench player didn’t score again until Isaiah Coleman hit a jumper with 3:30 to play that cut Arizona’s lead to a mere 77-41.

OSU’s bench went on a little garbage-time run late, scoring the game’s final six points.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just scoring where the OSU bench struggled.

4. Chris Coleman Continuing to Play Hard

This is finding a needle of positivity in the haystack that was this basketball game, but I thought Chris Coleman extended his streak of high-effort basketball.

He finished with six points, five rebounds and two blocks on Saturday.

Coleman did most of that work in the first half, scoring four points and brining down four rebounds. The Cowboys went into the locker room down 40-22, but in Coleman’s 13 minutes, the Cowboys were just -1. The other four starters averaged -11.8.

With his length and athleticism, the best version of Coleman this season has been when he’s active on the glass and defending the rim.

This is the fourth time in Big 12 play that Coleman has finished with at least five boards, and it’s the third game in a row he’s done that. Over the past three games, Coleman is averaging 10 points and seven rebounds a game. During his first six conference games, Coleman averaged 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds a game.

So hopefully that’s a sign of more things to come.

5. Next

This feels like a bury the ball game because it’s February, and the Cowboys don’t have time to let this blowout linger.

The Cowboys are staying in Arizona for a game against the Sun Devils on Tuesday. OSU has eight more regular season games to prepare its resume. Another Quad 1 win or two would be great, but the Cowboys ought to also take care of business on winnable games.

Arizona State is 12-11 entering its Saturday night matchup with Colorado. So that’s an opportunity for a road win, and then the Cowboys can right a wrong in a game against TCU next Saturday. The Cowboys blew a late lead against the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth last month.

After those two games, then the Cowboys can get back to hunting for Quad 1 wins when Kansas comes to GIA on Feb. 18.

But for now, the Cowboys have to push forward and get this dismantlement behind them.