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October 12th,
2006
By Joel Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Oklahoma
State Cowboys
Overall Rank:
#30
Conference
Rank: #4 Big 12
2005-06:
17-16, 6-10, 7th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NIT
The departure of
Coach Eddie Sutton from
Oklahoma State may look odd for a while on the Cowboy
sidelines, but it shouldn’t have much of an impact on this
year’s team. That is because new coach Sean Sutton has spent
plenty of time preparing for the day when he would take over for
his father. And the elder Sutton has left plenty of talent for
his son in Stillwater.
Who’s Out:
The
frontcourt takes a hit with the dismissal of Torre Johnson and
the graduation of Aaron Pettway. Johnson averaged 10.1 points
and 4.2 rebounds off the bench last year, while Pettway tacked
on 1.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 23 appearances. Roderick
Flemings has transferred after showing promise as a freshman.
The wing earned four starts last year and averaged 3.1 points
and 2.1 rebounds.
Who’s In:
The key
newcomer is Obi Muonelo. Muonelo, one of the top rated shooting
guards in the class, can use his quickness to get to the basket
and will have some spectacular finishes that will rock
Gallagher-Iba Arena. The 6-5 Edmond, Oklahoma product doesn’t
have the greatest outside shot, but it is good enough to keep
defenses honest. With a roster that appears to go 10 deep,
guard Andy Shaw, junior college transfer forward Tyler Hatch and
center Scott Warner aren’t expected to make a large contribution
during their first season in Stillwater.
* Gary Flowers
was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons on October
6th.
Who to Watch:
Despite scoring 13.5 points per game, dishing out 4.0 assists
and grabbing 2.8 boards, JamesOn Curry’s sophomore campaign was
considered a disappointment. And it was compared to his
freshman season. Curry is still the team leader and the 6-3
guard needs to be a little more consistent with his shooting in
order for the Cowboys to hope to reach the NCAAs. Byron Eaton
did a decent job running the point for a freshman. As with most
of the squad, the turnovers were a problem. Eaton will have to
start taking better care of the ball and hope his teammates
follow suit. Marcus Dove and Terrel Harris will battle for the
starting gig at the small forward spot. Harris has the
potential to be a third scoring threat for OSU after averaging
4.5 points in limited minutes as a freshman. Jamaal Brown
started 13 games a year ago, but the senior may lose some of his
playing time with the influx of talent emerging in the
backcourt. However, Brown is an experienced point guard who
could play a much bigger role than expected if the turnover
problems continue to haunt the Cowboys.
Final
Projection:
Mario Boggan
went from the junior college level to the Big XII and didn’t
have many problems adjusting. A freshman season spent at
Florida didn’t hurt, but still the 6-7 forward was a pleasant
surprise for OSU. For his senior year, Boggan is garnering even
higher expectations than his team high 14.8 points and 5.7
rebounds of a year ago. Center Kenneth Cooper is expected to
start next to Boggan. The 6-10 Monroe, Louisiana product
started 17 games as a freshman. Cooper’s offensive skills won’t
make any highlight shows, but his defense will keep him on the
floor. David Monds, another of OSU’s many part-time starters,
will add depth in the paint. At 6-8, Monds is a little
undersized to play the five in this conference, but he’ll see
plenty of minutes at both post positions. After averaging 8.1
points and 5.6 boards as a junior, Monds should have another
steady campaign. The key for Oklahoma State is to take smarter
shots and take care of the ball, which is easier said than
done. But the backcourt group should be growing up and taking
care of those problems. If they can, the NCAAs are easily
within reach. If not, things could spiral out of control and
this ranking will be about 100 off.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Byron Eaton,
Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 points per game
JamesOn Curry,
Junior, Guard, 13.5 points per game
Marcus Dove,
Junior, Guard, 3.8 points per game
Mario Boggan,
Senior, Forward, 14.8 points per game
Kenny Cooper,
Sophomore, Center, 2.0 points per game
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