Winners and Losers From Oklahoma State’s Rout of Wichita State

Oklahoma State’s win over Wichita State on Saturday was an obvious thrill for both the Cowboys and their fans. Let’s take a look at some winners and losers from what could be an early turning point in the Brad Underwood era.

Kyle Porter

Winner: Dizzy — Freshman Thomas Dziagwa was described in our Slack chat as “a penguin with swagger.” He now has an effective field goal percentage of 75 percent. Seventy. Five. Percent. Against Tier A/B teams (per KenPom.com) that number is 79.4 percent. What are we working with here? He was 3/4 from deep again and had nine points in 15 minutes. He also chipped in a pair of assists. Real contributions from OSU’s fourth-best (?) freshman!

Loser: Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers — Jawun Evans ain’t falling to the end of the first round.

Winner: Leyton Hammonds — No. 23 has not played well so far this season, but he hit 3/4 from deep and had four boards and two assists plus zero turnovers. OSU has proven it can be good without any contribution whatsoever from Hammonds, but he can help elevate it to the next level. Plus, I genuinely like the guy and want him to have a great senior year.

Thomas Fleming

Losers: Low NCAA Tournament expectations — I thought at the beginning of the season that we should not have any expectations for this team making the NCAA Tournament, but after watching this game, that way of thinking is no more. I do have expectations for this team, and they’re nothing short of an NCAA tourney bid.

Winners: Freshmen. Freshmen, freshmen, freshmen — When Jawun came out in the first half, Underwood kept them in the game and they not only sustained the lead but extended it. Lindy, Averette, Dizzy, McGriff & N’Guessan have solidified their role on this team. And boy do they (specifically Lindy and Dizzy) play with swagger.

Kyle Cox

Winner: Brad Underwood — Coach U. added an impressive road win to his short OSU resume. His offense is fun to watch but it is fueled by his swarming defense. Before the season started he said there would going to turn teams over and he has not disappointed. The Cowboys are 3rd nationally causing a 26.1 turnover percentage.

Loser: Phil Forte — He is not shooting the ball well. He’s in the midst of the worst shooting slump of his career. He’s got one more game to snap out of it before it gets even hard for him to get open.

Loser: Gregg Marshall — He had two impressive streaks end on Saturday. He gave up 80-plus points in Wichita (was 116 games and running) and lost a non-con game in Wichita (42 games and running).

Kyle Boone

Winner: OSU’s tournament resume –Oklahoma State let one slip away against Maryland on the road, but a win against Wichita State, who will likely emerge as a top-25 team down the stretch, will greatly improve the chances. When the committee looks over Underwood’s tourney submission, they’ll circle this one specifically. Beating WSU in Wichita is a difficult feat, and Underwood’s squad laid a beatdown.