Yankuba Matata: Cowboys Benefiting from Sima’s Presence

Statistically, Saturday’s game against Oklahoma will be one of significance for Yankuba Sima. When he skies for the ball at the opening tip, he will officially have played in more games than he has missed.

Formerly known as “Ibaka de Girona,” Sima will play his 10th game of the season for the Cowboys. The 6-foot-11 St. Johns transfer became eligible after the completion of the first semester, and his defensive presence has been felt since.

He debuted in a win against then-No. 19 Florida State on Dec. 16. Eight games later, he’s created a nice role for himself and has started the past four games for Mike Boynton’s squad.

His shooting percentage has suffered since moving to the starting lineup, but it’s still a relatively small sample size.

You’d like to see at least one block per game from him instead of 0.7, but as he continues to start, that average will increase.

Fellow big man Mitchell Solomon said he has been excited to watch Sima progress throughout the season, which is exactly what Sima has done.

“He’s definitely demanded the ball more and been more of a presence inside offensively and defensively, so that’s really exciting,” Solomon said. “Definitely getting his legs back and his lungs back from not playing. You gotta get back in game shape, and I think he’s done that and been able to help us.”

That’s not to say Sima has been perfect, or even anything near perfect, thus far. The length and athleticism are pluses defensively, but Boynton pointed to his five-turnover game Monday against Baylor.

“ … We can’t have five turnovers from that position,” Boynton said. “It’s hard to play two-big when you have to play faster. As good of an athlete as he is, he doesn’t necessarily handle the ball, he’s not somebody you can extend the floor with.”

It’s refreshing to hear a coach acknowledge the positive and negative tendencies a particular player has, instead of hyping him up and deciding to neglect his flaws.

After watching Sima this season, it’s not difficult to see he is still developing a feel for the game. It’s not like he’s new at it; he has a lot of experience. Before his brief career at St. Johns, he competed for Spain in the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship, finishing first.

However, experience doesn’t always translate to touch and feel. His touch around the rim isn’t great and his footwork needs improvement. That will all come with time. You can practice by yourself in an empty gym all you want, but there are certain movements and instinctual situations that can’t be replicated unless you’re in a real-game situation. Sima will have another chance to showcase his improvement in those areas soon enough when Oklahoma comes to Stillwater for Bedlam.