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Beginning Monday, June 21st,
2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the
nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the
opening day of the 2004-05 Season.
Bookmark the
144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back
each day to see which team is previewed next.
#6 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big 12
2003-04: 31-4, 14-2, 1st
2003-04 postseason: NCAA Final
Four
By
Joel Welser
 There can’t be much negative about
a team that returns four starters from a squad that reached the Final Four.
The team is experienced, tournament tested and anything but a trip to St.
Louis would be disappointing. The only concern is how the players will deal
with such high expectations. Last year they surprised a lot of people.
That won’t happen this year. Head Coach Eddie Sutton is one of the best
around though, and he’ll have his players in the right frame of mind to take
on the tough Big 12 schedule.
Who’s Out: Tony Allen
averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Returnee
Stephen Graham is expected to take over some of his minutes. The backcourt
loses some depth as well with the absence of Janavor Weatherspoon. The 6-1
guard was usually the first player off the bench and averaged 4.8 points,
1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per outing. The frontcourt depth takes a hit
with another favorite off the bench. Jason Miller, a 6-9 forward, scored
2.9 points and grabbed 2.3 rebounds per contest.
Who’s In: The addition of
6-11 junior college forward Aaron Pettway will give the Cowboys an
opportunity to play big, something they rarely did last year, which proved
to be costly against Georgia Tech in the Final Four. Pettway, along with
Ivan McFarlin provide a solid frontcourt, allowing wingman Joey Graham to be
matched up against a smaller forward or even a guard. Coach Sutton will
have more combinations to work with on the floor to keep opposing defenses
off balance. JamesOn Curry, the all-time leading prep school scorer in
North Carolina history, signed with the Cowboys after being released from
his commitment to UNC following his guilty plea to felony drug charges.
Those distractions aside, Curry is a tremendous shooting guard who could
make an immediate contribution to Oklahoma State. Wingman Marcus Dove
redshirted last season. After a productive year on the sidelines, Dove
should get an opportunity to see some quality minutes.
Who to Watch: With John
Lucas at the point, Joey Graham on the wing and Ivan McFarlin under the
basket, the Cowboys have a trio of seniors that averaged over 12 points per
game. Graham, the conferences top newcomer a year ago, has the most
potential for improvement. The 6-7 wingman averaged 12.4 points and 5.2
rebounds for the Cowboys after transferring from Central Florida. Graham
spent most of his time at the power forward spot in 2003-2004, but with the
addition of Aaron Pettway, he’ll move to the wing. With Graham at the wing,
opposing defenses will have a tough time getting a strong body to guard
him.
Projected Conference Rank:
Some of the guys who didn’t play much last year have to step up and play a
bigger role off the bench. There is talent and potential deep down the
bench, especially in the frontcourt. Keep an eye out for Frans Steyn,
Terrence Crawford or David Monds to become a bigger presence off the bench,
especially if Coach Sutton plays with a bigger lineup. The Big 12 is always
a brutal schedule, but the Cowboys went 14-2 in conference last year.
They’ll take a small slip, but 2nd place will have Oklahoma State
ready for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Post-season
Tournament: NCAA
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Email Joel Welser:
jwelser_chn@ameritech.net
Chat About CHN's Top #144
Ranking:
http://pub14.ezboard.com/fcollegehoopsnetfrm8
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