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Five New Year’s Resolutions for OSU Basketball in 2021

These five resolutions could lead to a better 2021.

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A new calendar year is the perfect time to (try) and wipe the slate clean and start anew with New Year’s Resolutions. And no one needs it more right now than OSU basketball.

With a two-game losing skid to open league play (for the fifth consecutive season), what better time than the present to lay out some resolutions for 2021?

I’ve taken the liberty — and by that I mean I’m completely overstepping my bounds — to lay out some goals for the team as Big 12 play wages on. Here is to better times ahead, starting with ….

1. Better shooting

Oklahoma State ranked eighth last season among Big 12 teams in 3-point shooting percentage. Then it went out and landed transfers Ferron Flavors and Bryce Williams in hopes that shooting would better surround Cade Cunningham. But this season that has not (yet) been the case. OSU ranks ninth (out of 10 Big 12 teams) in 3-point shooting percentage, only .02% away from ranking dead last. And the best outside shooter this season — at least statistically — is Avery Anderson, who has taken just eight outside shots (and made half of them). Williams is hitting a respectable 36.0% from 3 while Flavors, one of the best catch-and-shoot spot-up marskman in college last season, is making just 25.6% of his 3s.

The solution is a regression to the mean for Flavors, whose shot I still trust, more opportunities for Bryce Williams, and hope that Rondel Walker, Isaac Likekele, Avery Anderson and Cade Cunningham can fill in to make big shots when needed. To that point, better shooting will be a byproduct of …

2. Better floor spacing

This is the reason why OSU smartly went out and added Ferron Flavors and Bryce Williams: They knew they needed to open up the floor so Cade could cook. Here’s just one example of how bad spacing has been, from the Texas game. Cade drives to his spot but two teammates are at the top of the key drawing zero defensive attention, and with no one in the corner, Cade is triple-teamed.

Here’s another example from the same game with better floor spacing. Incredibly, in this instance, Cade actually finishes in traffic despite drawing a triple team in the lane. Texas decided Ice in the corner being wide open was what they were willing to sacrifice, but most teams will sag to help here. This is an example of good floor spacing (and I’d argue a poor decision from Cade, though naturally it worked out because Cade is Cade).

As a stylistic note, OSU taking more 3-pointers would only improve floor spacing. Fewer than 25% of its total points this season are the byproduct of 3s, which ranks 264th among more than 350 Division I teams. Mike Boynton has stressed the importance of playing to the team’s strengths — and 3-point shooting is right now not a strength — but bumping that number up to around 30% seems like an attainable goal that would open the floor up and make team’s further respect the threat of outside shooting.

3. More Ice and Avery on offense

KenPom.com has a stat that effectively accounts for usage rate — %poss, a measure of personal possessions used while the player is on the court that assigns credit or blame to a player when his actions end a possession by either making a shot, missing a shot or committing a turnover. And I’m saddened to report that Likekele, who actually leads the team with 30 assists this season, ranks only ahead of Bernard Kouma in this department.

Cade is an excellent playmaker and passer — and clearly the team’s best option — but OSU should entrust him even more along with its ancillary options at guard. Instead, Kalib Boone actually ranks second on the team in this statistical measure, behind only Cade, despite committing a team-high 7.0 turnovers per 40 minutes — nearly double the player who ranks second on the team in that department.

Likekele and Avery have acquitted themselves well on and off the ball and should see an increased opportunity in the offense, which has been a confusing cluster despite all the talent it has.

4. Get back on defense

This is a simple resolution that, if not fixed, can drive a coach completely mad. In the Texas game, for instance, 35% of Texas’ 77 total points came either off turnovers or on fast breaks because OSU was either slow getting back or simply not getting back on defense quick enough. One way to fix that would be to cut down on turnovers — which have been a problem but haven’t been the only problem. The other way is to turn and run as soon as the possession changes. Giving up quick, easy looks on defense is a morale-killer that can change the course of a game. OSU’s defense is really a strength as a team, but if you don’t have time to set it up before teams are scoring, then that strength is almost entirely mitigated. It’s like having a shotgun in a sword fight but starting the battle two feet from your enemy — you have a distinct advantage but if you don’t have time to load it up you’re kinda screwed.

5. Taking better care of the ball

How OSU handles the ball can be affected by several of the aforementioned resolutions. If OSU can better space the floor and make more outside shots with more consistency, then Cade won’t consistently be driving into quadruple teams, Ice won’t face coverage from every angle and better decisions will result. As it stands now, OSU ranks almost exactly in the middle of the pack nationally in turnover %, committing nearly 15 turnovers per game. That number needs to be down to around 10-13 each game to have an edge, otherwise, you’ve gotta gain an advantage elsewhere in the game with defense or fast break points or an elite offense, none of which thus far have been totally reliable all season.

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