KU rocks Cowboys, 92-65

BOX SCORE

The story
This is what Phog Allen does to you. Twos seem like ones and threes seem like twos and on Monday night OSU could have shot 100% for the entire first half and still probably trailed. The beleaguered Cowboys came out pistols firing (shameless plug!) hitting seven of their first eight shots (including free throws) and trailed by 24 by the time the half rolled around.

Kansas is good, make no mistake, and possibly great when playing in the Lawrence city limits. But this is an OSU squad that desperately needs the end of the season to get here as quickly as possible. I know they wouldn’t do it, but I’d say no to the NIT, no home game against Marist, nothing. Just let the whole thing ride until next Fall. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves…

Moses was the lone bright spot for the Pokes. I can’t imagine what it would have been like had he not played. In fact, the whole thing didn’t start out all that bad. OSU began the game with a presence, a confidence really, that I haven’t seen since the Kansas State game. In fact, I contend if OSU had played all year like they did the first nine minutes they would have gone 10-6 in the Big 12 and easily made the tournament.

Alas, nine minutes in the veil was ripped and the frustrations we’ve all endured the entire year shone through. Everybody went cold at the same time it seemed and KU opened it up on a 12-0 run in the middle of the first half that buried the Pokes.

The second half was more of the same. Pilgrim fouled out with seventeen minutes and I thought for a minute Moses was going to join him on the pine and we were going to have to see if Markel could play the five. Thankfully he didn’t, but it didn’t matter much. The second half was a barren wasteland of basketball that lasted longer than Gerry McNamara’s college career.

I do enjoy that the “Dowell Movement” is in full swing. He put up a 10-1-3-2 with only 2 TO and looked, at times, like the only Cowboy explosive enough to hang with the Jayhawks.

When it was over
The 6:11 scoreless streak in the first half did it for me. It was 24-19 just after the 12-minute TV timeout but went to 36-19 in a hurry. OSU just went cold. JPO on the road is like Bobby Reid reincarnate — indecisive, confused, and zero confidence.

How OSU could have won
A good start would have been Holder calling Sheahon Zenger (KU’s AD) and saying, “hey, can we make this a football game instead, are you down with that?”

Player of the game
Moses. He posted a ballsy 27-6 line that apparently belied the rumors that he wouldn’t be 100%.  He’s the only thing that stood between getting beat by 30 and the game turning into a national embarrassment.

Stat that explained it
Kansas – 19 assists
Oklahoma State – 21 FGs

The rest of my notes

Great texts
We don’t do this often but I got some unusually terrific texts during the game, here’s a sampling:

• “This might be the most embarrassing game we’ve ever played on TV.”
• “If any recruits are watching, we just lost them.”
• “People are fouling out just so they don’t have to play the rest of the game.”
• “I think Ford just asked who wanted to start the second half and he let the first 5 guys who raised their hands.”
• Friend: “What do you think Ford says at halftime?” Me: “Nothing, he’s probably calling Calipari to see what his assistant situation is looking like for 2012”

What it means
This was supposed to be the one of two automatic losses in the 4-game stretch OSU just completed. Unfortunately it was the fourth of four. Kansas is loaded, like usual, and there aren’t many teams that can just ride into Lawrence on Big Monday and lay siege to the Phog, much to Fred Gulley’s chagrin.

Next game: Against Tech on Saturday in Gallagher-Iba