Cold Case File: Compiled Evidence from My Rewatch of OSU-Kansas 1999

Earlier this week, I reopened the case of an act of grand larceny that took place in Lawrence 21 years ago. Oklahoma State got robbed in an overtime heart-breaker to Kansas, and I decided to face my demons and relive the gut-wrenching conclusion.

I settled on a six facts about the alleged confirmed robbery, but I ended up with countless more words and thoughts. Here I’ve unloaded the notebook/bibliography from my investigation.

What stuck out to me as I looked back at this game, was just how many big-time moments are not commemorated because of what the final score read. Joe Adkins put on an heroic performance in AFH.

• Joe Adkins = Neo: This is hearkens back to some weird, nerd, per-Y2K worlds-colliding stuff, but in Week 3 or whatever of pandemic quarantine we find ourselves, it kinda feels like we might be in the matrix.

Just 37 days before the movie starring Keanu Reeves was released (thanks, Google) Joe caused his own glitch in the matrix.

Adkins hit three such clutch deep balls in the final moments of regulation before a going down with a rough-looking turned ankle. He would return after a tape job and finished with 18 points.

Cold-blooded.

• As a sucker for throwbacks, I’m starting a petition to get these graphics in place before OSU’s next trip to Lawrence.

• KU’s Nick Bradford finished with eight points, and I could have sworn he scored 80.

• I think I proved my point in the above-linked post, but here’s one more example of an iffy call that went the Jayhawks’ way. Completely negated an and-1 opportunity for Alex Webber.

• The ESPN crew of Ron Franklin and Jon Sundvold spent most of the first half pronouncing it “Frederick Johnson.” Someone in the truck must have said something because it turned to “Yohnson,” but still not Jönzén. That used to drive me nuts.

• Also, Franklin — who did the play-by-play for this game — has another unfortunate connection to Oklahoma State. He was fired by ESPN in 2011 after making sexist comments to co-worker, Jeannine Edwards. Edwards is now married to former OSU defensive coordinator Glen Spencer.

• When was the last time OSU’s starting five had this experience and talent?

Desmond Mason (Junior)
Alex Webber (Junior)
Adrian Peterson (Senior)
Joe Adkins (Junior)
Doug Gottlieb (Junior)

• T.J. Pugh is the kind of guy you hate if he’s on the other team and you laugh at if he’s on yours.

• Down the stretch of the first half, a light sparing between Eric Chenowith and Adrian Peterson became a brawl as the two teams’ leading scorers went blow for blow. Chenowith backs down Jönzén and scores on the post. Then Pete got switched onto Chenowith and nailed a 3 in the 7-footer’s eye. Some semblance of that played out five times if it played out once.

• OSU had no answer for Chenowith, KU had none for Peterson. Coming in, Pete led the Big 12 scoring with 18.1 points per game and averaged 23 points per game over the last five games. He scored 23 against KU. Chenowith tied a career high with 25 points, but points No. 24 and 25 came off Peterson’s accidental tip-in. Chenowith was just the closest Jayhawk. Either way you slice it, the two combined for 48 and each took over the game for his team.

• At one point in the first, Glendon Alexander was forced out of bounds on a corner trap. As he walked by a cheering KU bench, his glare said the he somehow knew that he’d be sucking the air out of the arena.

• And he did just that.

If OSU goes on to win, that’s easily a Top 5 clutch shot in school history. Maybe Top 2.

• Desmond Mason might be the best back-tip rebounder in OSU history.

• Mason went just 2-for-9 on the evening for four points in 41 minutes. But he gave us this.

This might be fun. I don’t know if there is a better summation of Desmond Mason’s career at OSU for my money.

• The following hilarious sequence of events brought me right back to 1999. Doug pushes the ball on a fast break, goes hard at Jeff Boschee and gets the freshman backpedaling. He puts the ball up off the glass and gets the foul call. A rare and-1 for No. 44 appears to be coming together. But… Desmond Mason is already airborne in expectation of either a missed layup or a slick pass off the backboard (we’ll never know for sure) and his dunk attempt not only disrupts Doug’s shot, it rattles out. Doug looks up at Dez like Dude!!! before going 1-for-2 at the stripe while the Rock Chalk faithful chant something about the orientation of his trousers.

• I forgot just how much Roy Williams pouted.

• Early in the second half, a KU fan decided to run out on the court toting a paper sign (message was not legible) and disrupted an OSU possession. He was apparently handcuffed and escorted out. But the best part is that KU fans, realizing that type of foolishness was getting their team close to a technical foul, apparently corralled said clown until security could catch him.

• After taking a 31-29 lead into the half, OSU couldn’t buy one to start the final frame. Across the court, every KU basket added fuel to the AFH fire. By the midway point of the half, OSU found itself in a 40-33 hole. Alex Webber made the Cowboys’ first field goal over eight minutes into second.

With just over 11 minutes remaining this slick graphic told an ugly story for OSU.

The Pokes had gone cold. Colder than the snow that caused their delay arrival in Lawrence earlier that day. The ability just to get to overtime was an accomplishment and showed off their mettle.

• At a point in the first half, Doug Gottlieb went full Steph and pulled up from 3 on a fastbreak. Nothing but nylon and I loved it.

• Speaking of, this is about how open I would be if Kansas players saw me hanging out in the corner.

Doug actually went 2-for-3 from deep in this game, but he get’s it all the same.

This is what my college career looked like pic.twitter.com/Df9t1Weiou

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 29, 2020