SB Nation - Byron Eaton

Big 12 All Decade Team

Evan Pfaff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

With almost a full year yet to play, Kansas center Cole Aldrich muscled his way onto the Big12Hoops.com First Team All Big 12 Decade Team (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Browse more photos »

In the first full calendar decade of the Big 12 conference, one thing was apparent: there were two schools that produced a good majority of the talent. And while the best individual players may not have come from Kansas or Texas, a look at the Big12Hoops.com All Decade team reveals that a majority were either Jayhawks or Longhorns.

Don't see your favorite? The Honorable Mention list is after The Jump

First Team All Big 12

PG – Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa St
SG – Tony Allen, Oklahoma St
SF – Kevin Durant, Texas
PF – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
C – Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Second Team All Big 12

PG – Kirk Hinrich, Kansas
SG – Acie Law, Texas A&M
SF – Michael Beasely, Kansas St
PF – Marcus Fizer, Iowa St
C – Chris Mihm, Texas

Third Team All Big 12

PG – TJ Ford, Texas
SG – Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
SF – PJ Tucker, Texas
PF – Drew Gooden, Kansas
C – Nick Collison, Kansas

[UPDATE: Lots of good suggestions and opinions in the comments section. Lemme give a little insight into how I compiled this list.

I started with a list of Big 12 Players of the Year. My rationale was that if someone was good enough to be the best in the league, even for one year, he warranted entry into this exclusive club. 9 of the 10 Big 12 Players of the Year made the top three teams. The only one who didn’t was Wayne Simien, and that is because he played a PF position that, if you look at the past decade, was just STACKED. Blake Griffin, Marcus Fizer, Drew Gooden. Really you could put Simien in there, but who gets bumped off?

As for PG, Tinsley over TJ Ford and Kirk Hinirich has also garnered a lot of attention. Tinsley’s place as the 2000-01 POY got him on the first team. But you really cant go wrong with any of them.

Lastly, there is this question on what to do with Durant and Beasley. Each only played one year, but they dominated the league (and the country). Durant was a Naismith winner as the best player in the country and Beasley was a finalist for the award. Both were league POYs. Because they didn’t play a full 4 years, they didn’t accumulate career stats that some others players did, but my list was based on selecting the best players, during their time in the Big 12, at each position.]

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

Baylor Bears
LaceDarius Dunn
Lawrence Roberts

Colorado Buffaloes
Reggie Roby
David Harrison

Iowa St Cyclones
Craig Brackins

Kansas Jayhawks
Wayne Simien
Aaron Miles

Kansas St. Wildcats
Cartier Martin

Missouri Tigers
DeMarre Carroll
Clarence Gilbert
Arthur Johnson
Kareem Rush

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Aleks Maric

Oklahoma Sooners
Taj Gray
Hollis Price

Oklahoma St Cowboys
Byron Eaton
Joey Graham

Texas Longhorns
DJ Augustine
LaMarcus Aldridge

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jarrius Jackson

Texas A&M Aggies
Bernard King

Recap of "Five Questions For..."

Evan Pfaff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:21 -0000

For the past 12 days we have asked “Five Questions For…” each Big 12 school. In case you missed one, after the jump you can read the questions we have for all the hoops programs in the conference.

Have more questions, or comments on the questions? Leave a comment.

Missouri

1) How can Mizzou replace the loss of DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence?

2) Can Mizzou sustain the momentum that led them to a Big 12 tournament championship and Elite Eight run last season?

3) Now that Coach Mike Anderson has a squad made up entirely of his recruits, can the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" be even better?

4) Who will step up in the frontcourt for Mizzou? Steve Moore, Laurence Bowers, Keith Ramsey, Justin Safford?

5) Will this be the year Mizzou beats Illinois for the first time in 10 years in the "Busch Bragging Rights" game?

Kansas

1) Can the Jayhawks meet preseason expectations of being ranked #1 nationally in a lot of publications?

2) Can Kansas put their offseason troubles behind them?

3) Exactly how good is freshman Xavier Henry?

4) Will Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both perform at All Big 12 levels?

5) Can anyone tell the Morris twins apart?

Colorado

1) Now that Jeff Bzdelik is in his third year, can he bring a winning season to Boulder?

2) If not, how much longer will the CU AD go on with the Bzdelik experiment?

3) Can Cory Higgins perform up to his 08-09 level, when he placed fifth in the conference in scoring?

4) Who else steps up for the Buffaloes?

5) Will the Buffaloes improve upon last season's 1-15 conference record?

Iowa State

1) Can Craig Brackins get any help, or will it again be a one man show?

2) Can the Cyclones crack the top half of the Big 12 North division?

3) Is there still "Hilton Magic" in Ames?

4) One publication listed Greg McDermott as being on the "hot seat." What does he need to do to get off it?

5) After 4 straight conference seasons with a losing record, can the Cyclones better the .500 mark this year?

Kansas State

1) Frank Martin brings the 20^th ranked recruiting class to Manhattan. How can the 5 freshmen gel with the veterans?

2) Is Denis Clemente the most fun player to watch in the conference?

3) Can 6-10 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly shore up the frontline for the Wildcats?

4) Is K-State a legitimate program again after nearly a decade of meritocracy (sans the Bill Walker, Michael Beasley year)?

5) What can we expect from freshman Wally Judge?

Nebraska

1) Last year NU was the smallest team in college basketball. This year they brought in some size, will that help?

2) Will Doc Sadler's JUCO coaching experience help the three incoming JUCO transfers adjust to division 1 basketball?

3) Nebraska hasn't had a winning record this decade. Will they go 10 for 10 in losing seasons?

4) How will the team cope with two transfers leaving Lincoln?

5) Who wins more conference games, NU football or NU basketball?

Oklahoma

1) How does Oklahoma replace Blake Griffin?

2) Can Willie Warren be "the man"?

3) Can 6-8, 300 lb freshman Tiny Gallon play big in his first year in the Big 12?

4) Does Oklahoma mind being second fiddle in the Big 12 South?

5) Will inexperience in the frontcourt hurt Oklahoma's chances of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament?

Texas

1) Who will play the majority of the year, the Dexter Pittman who dominated the end of last season or the Dexter Pittman who was essentially non-existent for the first half?

2) Is freshman Avery Bradley as good as advertised?

3) Can the team get back to its first Final Four since 2003?

4) Did Damion James make the right move in returning for his senior season?

5) Between Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas and J'Covan Brown, who will win the battle for starting PG spot?

Oklahoma State

1) Will Travis Ford's first full recruiting class bring a Big 12 championship to Stillwater?

2) With the loss of Byron Eaton, yet 4 of the top 6 scorers returning, can the Cowboys continue to put lots of points on the board?

3) How much better can James Anderson get?

4) Obi Muonelo played out of position last year. Will the right placement on the floor help the senior better his 12.7 ppg average from last year?

5) OK State will be bigger this year... but also slower. Will that hinder their ability to run with some of the Big 12 teams?

Texas Tech

1) Junior guard Mike Singletary lit up Texas A&M for a near conference tournament record 43 points last season. Will he continue to put the ball in the basket this season?

2) Will Pat Knight's second full season be an improvement over his first?

3) Is Pat Knight on the hot seat?

4) Do the Red Raiders have the personnel to match Knight's emphasis on defense this year?

5) Will all the new JUCO players pan out for the Red Raiders?

Texas A&M

1) How can the Aggies replace Josh Carter?

2) Some publications think the Aggies will finish in the top 4 in the conference. Can this team meet those expectations?

3) Mark Turgeon is in his third year in College Station. Now that he has a roster made up of mostly his guys, can the Aggies crack the upper 1/3 of the conference?

4) Will the four freshman have the impact Turgeon is hoping for?

5) The Aggies have made a school record 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Will the streak continue this year?

Baylor

1) Can the Bears rebound from the loss of 50% of their scoring and 2/3 of their assists due to graduation?

2) Coach Scott Drew can recruit, but can he coach those guys to a third straight post season tournament?

3) Can Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh be the defensive force Bears fans are expecting from the 6-10 center?

4) Did highly ranked recruit Nolan Dennis make the right decision in rescinding his verbal from Memphis and commit to Baylor?

5) Who will be the go-to guy this year, LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter or one of the freshman?

Five Questions For... Oklahoma State basketball

Evan Pfaff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:15:18 -0000

In a recurring piece leading up to the start of the basketball season, we will examine the top 5 questions surrounding each Big 12 basketball team.

Today, the top 5 questions for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

1) Will Travis Ford's first full recruiting class bring a Big 12 championship to Stillwater?

2) With the loss of Byron Eaton, yet 4 of the top 6 scorers returning, can the Cowboys continue to put lots of points on the board?

3) How much better can James Anderson get?

4) Obi Muonelo played out of position last year. Will the right placement on the floor help the senior better his 12.7 ppg average from last year?

5) OK State will be bigger this year... but also slower. Will that hinder their ability to run with some of the Big 12 teams?

Check back tomorrow when we will ask Five Question For... Texas Tech basketball.

Also check out Five Questions For...
Big 12 North: Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska
Big 12 South: Oklahoma, Texas

Follow Evan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MizzouHoops

Poll

What is the most pressing question for Ok State this year?

How far until the Tigers fall in Columbia?

big12hoops — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:00:48 -0000

A Byron Eaton score with less than two seconds to go during the 2007-2008 season, leading to an OSU win, was the last time the Tigers have lost in Columbia.

View full size photo »

Written by Evan Pfaff

Big12Hoops.com Missouri Beat Writer

evan.pfaff@big12hoops.com

Late last month our SB Nation brethren over at Rock Chalk Talk posted an article asking when KU’s home winning streak would come to an end.

"Borrowing" their idea, I thought I would take a look at when Mizzou might finally lose serve at home.

Dating back to an agonizing 75-73 (damn you, Byron Eaton!) setback to Oklahoma State on February 26, 2008, Mizzou has rattled off 19 straight home wins, after going a perfect 18-0 last season at Mizzou Arena.

The non-conference portion of the home schedule this year looks winnable enough. Games versus hyphenated teams like Tennessee-Martin, Texas-Pan America and Arkansas-Pine Bluff should provide easy Ws. There are two BCS schools also on the home docket and while Oregon should give the Tigers a decent battle, Georgia is a winnable game and the Tigers should come out of those unscathed.

So that takes us into January 2010 and a 29 game home win streak. The Mizzou record for consecutive home wins is 34, which they attained 1988-90. In order to match that accomplishment they would have to take down Big 12 foes traveling in from Manhattan, Lincoln, Stillwater, College Station and Ames.

K State is projected to place in the top half of the conference, based on a Rivals.com 20^th national ranking of incoming recruiting classes.

Led by freshman PF Wally Judge, K State will fall to the Tigers as the wide-eyed baby Wildcats play in their first true road game of the season.

After two Tiger trips away, Nebraska comes into Mizzou Arena on January 23. And even though Big Red big man Christian Standhardinger is on a mission to improve his game, his pro aspirations will take a back seat to Mizzou’s stifling D and the home team will secure the W.

Oklahoma State will then prove to be the most formidable opponent to grab a pregame slice of pizza at Shakespeare’s in Columbia. The talented Cowboys will bring a good game and will try to seek revenge to the thrilling 97-95 Tiger victory the prior year at Gallagher-Iba Arena, but in the end Keiton Page’s best memory will be the pepper cheese pizza with broccoli (Ed. Note: delicious and you should try it next time you are in Columbia!).

Back to back Big 12 South teams and back to back victories over Big 12 South opponents after Mizzou handles their business against Texas A&M.

Craig Brackins brings his Cyclone teammates to Columbia for a February 10 matchup against the Tigers. With the Mizzou victory, the team record for consecutive home victories is matched at 34.

After a game in Waco, TX against the Baylor Bears, Mizzou returns home to face a Texas Longhorn team they defeated the previous year in Austin. After a heartbreaking loss, Mizzou must start the streak over, starting with Colorado the following week.

So in the end, under this scenario, Mizzou will match their team record for consecutive home victories. In reality the streak might be extended or reduced depending on how the ball bounces in a few of these games.

Poll

When will the Missouri mens' basketball team pick up its first home loss?

During non-con play

7 votes

During Big 12 play

42 votes

The Tigers will go undefeated at home

43 votes

92 votes | Poll has closed

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys: game preview

Joel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:00:10 -0000

The Tennessee Volunteers (21-12), fresh off a disappointing loss in the SEC Tournament Championship Game against Mississippi State and a disappointing seeding for the NCAA Tournament, head to Dayton, Ohio Friday to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (22-11). The Vols appear to face a downright rotten horrible scenario, playing an eight seed with four guards who can put up a lot of points from the perimeter on Friday and, if they happen to win, a Sunday-go-to-meeting with second overall No. 1-seed Pittsburgh.

Observations from the stats

The Cowboys rank 5th and 6th in the nation in three-point FGs per game (9.3) and scoring offense (81.1 points per game) respectively. They hit 45.7% of their shots from the field and 38.4% of their shots from beyond the arc. They're also ranked in the top 100 in free throw percentage and appear to take good care of the ball, committing only 12.4 turnovers per outing. Where the Vols have an advantage, it's a slight one, except with respect to rebounds, assists, and blocked shots, where they seem to have a fairly significant edge.

Cowboy players to watch

James Anderson appears to be Oklahoma State's biggest scoring threat, ranking 46th in the nation with an 18.6 PPG average, 99th nationally in three-point FGs per game (2.4), and 78th in FT% (83.1%).

Obi Muonelo was not listed as a starter for the last game the Cowboys played, but he hits as many three-pointers during games as does Anderson despite fewer attempts. Obi's ranked 36th in the nation, hitting 40.1% of his three-point attempts.

Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris are your thieves, Eaton gobbling up 2.2 steals per game and Harris pocketing 1.8 per game. Eaton also ranks 24th in the nation in assists with 5.5 per game.

Other Stuff

KenPom's prediction: Tennessee wins 81-80, with an even 50% chance of winning.

The line ups

		Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
C	Wayne Chism	6-9	242	Jr.	13.8	8.1	1.2
F	Tyler Smith	6-7	215	Jr.	17.2	5.9	3.4
G	J.P. Prince	6-7	205	Jr.	10.1	4.2	3.4
G	Scotty Hopson	6-7	185	Fr.	9.2	2.8	1.4
G	Bobby Maze	6-2	185	Jr.	8.3	2.5	3.2
		Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	APG
F	Marshall Moses	6-6	235	So.	6.6	5.9	.3
G	Byron Eaton	5-11	210	Sr.	14.1	3.8	5.5
G	Terrel Harris	6-5	200	Sr.	13.8	4.8	1.9
G	Keiton Page	5-10	168	Fr.	8.9	1.2	1.3
G	James Anderson	6-6	205	So.	18.6	5.8	1.4

The stats

KEY STATS COMPARISON
Category	Rank	Actual	Rank	Actual
Scoring Offense	19	78.5	6	81.1
Scoring Defense	279	72.4	305	74.2
Scoring Margin	63	6.1	54	6.9
Field-Goal Percentage	83	45.5	74	45.7
Field-Goal Percentage Defense	204	44.0	224	44.3
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game	132	6.6	5	9.3
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage	252	31.4	23	38.4
Three Pt FG Defense	139	33.7	177	34.3
Free-Throw Percentage	222	67.4	25	74.3
Rebound Margin	43	4.6	229	-1.1
Assists Per Game	17	16.3	198	12.6
Assist Turnover Ratio	29	1.22	116	1.01
Blocked Shots Per Game	97	3.7	251	2.5
Steals Per Game	156	6.7	70	7.7
Turnovers Per Game	133	13.4	48	12.4
Turnover Margin	69	1.8	35	2.8
Personal Fouls Per Game	224	19.1	316	21.3

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Category	Player	Rank	Actual	Player	Rank	Actual
Points PG	Tyler Smith	95	17.2	James Anderson	46	18.6
FG%
3-Point FG PG				Obi Muonelo James Anderson	88 99	2.5 2.4
3-Point FG%				Obi Muonelo	36	40.1
FT %				James Anderson	78	83.1
Rebounds PG	Wayne Chism	76	8.1
Assists PG				Byron Eaton	24	5.5
Blocks PG
Steals PG				Byron Eaton Terrel Harris	29 85	2.2 1.8
Assist-TO Ratio	Bobby Maze	77	1.93

Talking Points - Dance Week Edition

Will — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:53:47 -0000

Tennessee Football

- It's Spring Break in Knoxville, so while there may not be any action on the practice field until next week, there's plenty of excitement going around today, as the long and strange journey of Bryce Brown comes to an end at 2:00 PM EDT. Most believe it's come down to the Vols and Miami, where Brown's brother plays, with Oregon no longer a factor. But now six weeks after signing day, nothing would surprise me with Rivals' number one overall player. Brown's announcement will be carried live by his local ABC affiliate KAKE, which you should be able to watch live online at their website.

- Our fearless leader is also hanging out at Dr. Saturday this week, and he's talking Lane Kiffin and Al Davis.

Tennessee Basketball

- Yesterday's magic word was "screwed" for many in Vol Nation, but as we moved forward to the brackets two hours after the insanity of the last few seconds in Tampa, so too must we now move forward from the harsh reality of being a nine seed. I'll only say this about that - it wasn't just those wearing orange-tinted glasses who thought the Vols deserved better: Joe Lunardi had the Vols as a six seed in his final bracket projection, and Jerry Palm had the Vols as an eight in his. But, we've gotta move on, because...

- Oklahoma State looms. The Vols and Cowboys have history - in Pearl's first year, the Cowboys handed him his first loss as a Vol in Oklahoma City. The following season, the Vols busted up OSU's undefeated season in a thriller in Nashville. Fun memories from that game:

Rocky Top Talk: Blender set to Discombobulation
SESB: Here we go again.
The Bruce Ball Blog: Moment #21 of the Bruce Ball Era (with video)

- Both teams still have players who were active in that second game especially, Wayne Chism for the Vols and Byron Eaton & Terrel Harris for OSU. Consider Friday's game the rubber match to settle what Eaton calls a building rivalry. It's also an Oklahoma reunion for Bobby Maze, who says Eaton likes to talk, but he can't say anything to him.

- Two things to be worried about: Oklahoma State is fourth in the nation in three pointers made (shooting 38%), and they're no long coached by someone named Sutton, but by Travis Ford in his first season. Astute Vol fans will remember Ford ripping them apart in the early 90s during his playing days as a Kentucky Wildcat, and he's moved up the coaching ranks very quickly, from Eastern Kentucky to UMass to OSU in the last nine years. This is Oklahoma State's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in four years, and the Cowboys have won eight of their last ten to close the season. More on the breakdown here later this week; gametime Friday at 12:25 PM EDT.

- Words I'm not using until Friday at around 3:00 at the earliest: "DeJuan", "Levance", and "Pittsburgh".

Lady Vol Basketball

- If we learned anything yesterday, it's that you can never really project tournament seeding as an exact science. So when I tell you that ESPN has the Ladies projected as a six seed, you take it with a salt shaker, and you tune in tonight at 7:00 PM EDT on the worldwide leader to see where they're actually going to fall.

College Basketball

- The rest of the SEC probably isn't too happy about their seeding either: LSU is an 8 seed (no regular season SEC Champion had ever been seeded lower than 4) and plays pesky Butler in the first round, and has a date with North Carolina in Greensboro should they win. Mississippi State gets UDub as a thirteen seed.

- The SEC sends four teams to the NIT: Auburn is a one seed and will host Tennessee-Martin, Florida is a one seed and will host Jacksonville, South Carolina is a three seed and will host Steph Curry and Davidson, and the C-A-T-S CATS CATS CATS are a four seed and will host UNLV. It's a harsh reality for teams like Alabama, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss - used to be anything over .500 in the SEC would easily get you into the NIT, but when the league suffers we all suffer together, and only three teams going to the big dance means only four go to the small one. Full NIT bracket here.

- Don't forget to join the Rocky Top Talk March Madness Bracket Challenge (link fixed!) at Fun Office Pools.

Mizzou in the Big 12 Tourney: Statistical Champs

Bill C. — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:37:31 -0000

Yes, yes, yes. Since I didn't get a post up about the OSU game, let's make this a double. It'll be quick, as I'm fried and have homework to do, but it needed to be done...

Missouri 67, OSU 59

NCAA Basketball Stats

	Mizzou	OSU
Points Per Minute	1.68	1.48
Points Per Possession (PPP)	0.94	0.83
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.05	1.00
2-PT FG%	54.5%	48.6%
3-PT FG%	19.4%	16.7%
FT%	72.2%	65.0%
True Shooting %	46.6%	43.5%

	Mizzou	OSU
Assists	13	8
Steals	9	6
Turnovers	10	17
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.20	0.82

	Mizzou	OSU
Expected Offensive Rebounds	14	14
Offensive Rebounds	11	13
Difference	-3	-1

The numbers basically tell us what we already knew--this game was u-g-l-y. Shooting ended up about even, and the game ended up decided by...you guessed it...BCI!! Despite having Reid Gettys' OMG favorite point guard of all-time (Byron Eaton), OSU was unable to match Mizzou's passing and turned it over about 4-5 times too many.

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
Leo Lyons	20.90	0.80	15 Pts, 7 Reb (4 Off), 2 Ast, 3 Stl
Zaire Taylor	19.68	0.63	19 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl
Matt Lawrence	13.75	0.55	11 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast
Justin Safford	5.39	0.67	4 Pts, 2 Reb
J.T. Tiller	4.45	0.13	8 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 TO
Marcus Denmon	0.81	0.06	2 Pts, 2 Reb
Laurence Bowers	0.81	0.27	0 Pts, 2 Blk
Miguel Paul	0.40	0.08	0 Pts, 2 Reb
Kim English	0.13	0.01	4 Pts
DeMarre Carroll	-0.27	-0.01	4 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 TO
Keith Ramsey	-1.21	-0.15	0 Pts, 3 Fouls

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It does the same thing my previous measure of choice did (it takes points, assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls into account to determine an individual's "score" for a given game), only the formula is more used and accepted. The "adjustment" in Adjusted Game Score is simply matching the total game scores to the total points scored in the game, thereby redistributing the game's points scored to those who had the biggest impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

Leo Lyons and Zaire Taylor won this game, and Goose Lawrence applied the 3-point daggers at the end.
J.T. Tiller didn't do much of anything offensively, but holy crap did he play great defense in this game.

Missouri 73, Baylor 60

NCAA Basketball Stats

	Mizzou	Baylor
Points Per Minute	1.83	1.50
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.17	0.96
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.43	1.07
2-PT FG%	47.1%	50.0%
3-PT FG%	47.1%	25.0%
FT%	70.8%	62.5%
True Shooting %	59.3%	47.6%

	Mizzou	Baylor
Assists	17	8
Steals	7	7
Turnovers	11	13
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.18	1.15

	Mizzou	Baylor
Expected Offensive Rebounds	11	13
Offensive Rebounds	12	12
Difference	+1	-1

This was more Mizzou's style--a True Shooting % in the upper 50%'s, a BCI over 2.0, and even some nice rebounding numbers to boot!
Whereas 3-point shooting almost murdered Mizzou against OSU, 3-point shooting basically won the Baylor game.

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
DeMarre Carroll	19.23	0.60	20 Pts, 9 Reb (4 Off), 3 Stl
Matt Lawrence	13.44	0.54	13 Pts, 2 Reb
Leo Lyons	9.97	0.42	13 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 TO
Zaire Taylor	8.23	0.28	9 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast
J.T. Tiller	7.07	0.23	4 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast
Kim English	6.84	0.40	7 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 Ast
Keith Ramsey	6.26	0.42	4 Pts
Miguel Paul	3.36	0.56	3 Pts, 2 Ast
Marcus Denmon	1.16	0.11	0 Pts
Laurence Bowers	-0.46	-0.12	0 Pts
Justin Safford	-2.09	-0.35	0 Pts

DeMarre told Zaire Taylor that he was going to play well after an iffy OSU game, and that he did. He wreaked havoc on the interior of the zone (and even made a killer 3-pointer), and Goose came through big-time from behind the arc. Leo had a few too many turnovers, and it drove down his overall statline, but the three seniors really wanted this one, and they went and took it.

Throughout the season, different freshmen have stepped up at different times, but tourney time was senior time, and all three came through.

Big 12 Tournament

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
Zaire Taylor	14.22	0.50	12.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Leo Lyons	13.57	0.56	12.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
Matt Lawrence	12.79	0.58	12.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.3 APG
DeMarre Carroll	12.39	0.38	14.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
J.T. Tiller	8.03	0.25	8.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, badass defense
Justin Safford	3.14	0.34	3.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Miguel Paul	3.02	0.29	3.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Keith Ramsey	2.20	0.19	1.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Marcus Denmon	1.59	0.13	2.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Kim English	1.39	0.12	4.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Jarrett Sutton	1.22	1.22	1 minute
Michael Anderson Jr.	0.86	0.21	4 minutes
Steve Moore	0.37	0.18	2 minutes
Laurence Bowers	-0.24	-0.08	9 minutes

It's very indicative of this team that there was no statistically dominant player.

For the tournament, Mizzou's tourney MVP--DeMarre Carroll--was actually Mizzou's 4th-best player statistically. But his leadership in the finals, along with JT Tiller's defense and great contributions from different bench guys each game (Safford and Denmon against Tech, Safford against OSU, English against Baylor), won this tourney for Mizzou. Yes, they ended up with a favorable draw--beating the #7, #9 and #11 seeds on the way to the title, but a) they beat the teams that beat KU and OU, and b) I don't care.

And finally, not to be a downer, but to my buddy Jeffrey, who passed away at the end of January, I just want to say, I choked myself up a bit thinking about how you would have reacted to this, and I've been thinking about you a lot in this awesome run Mizzou has embarked upon in the last month and a half.

Oklahoma State: Know Your Rival

Bill C. — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:30:07 -0000

Once again, a fast run-through...

vs Big 12
Oklahoma State: 11-7

	OSU	Opp
Points Per Minute	1.94	1.89
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.10	1.08
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.36	1.37
2-PT FG%	50.6%	51.1%
3-PT FG%	36.3%	36.1%
FT%	75.8%	72.2%
True Shooting %	57.5%	57.1%

	OSU	Opp
Assists	195	229
Steals	130	97
Turnovers	214	256
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	1.52	1.27

	OSU	Opp
Expected Offensive Rebounds	218	213
Offensive Rebounds	168	175
Difference	-50	-38

Where OSU's good: Free Throw Shooting, Defensive Rebounding, 3-point shooting
Where OSU's not as good: 3-point defense, Offensive Rebounding
You do NOT want to get into a free throw shooting contest with them. Especially when you're Missouri.
Solid BCI for OSU, average BCI allowed.

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
James Anderson (So)	19.36	0.57	18.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG
Byron Eaton (Sr)	18.02	0.54	15.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.8 SPG
Terrel Harris (Sr)	13.80	0.43	13.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.8 SPG
Marshall Moses (So)	9.30	0.38	8.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG
Obi Muonelo (Jr)	9.17	0.34	10.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.4 APG
Keiton Page (Fr)	6.44	0.22	8.2 PPG, 1.0 APG
Nick Sidorakis (So)	1.48	0.19	1.1 PPG
Anthony Brown (Sr)	1.18	0.09	1.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Malcoln Kirkland (So)	0.12	0.02	1.4 PPG

This is a strict 8-man rotation with the "is that really how you spell his name" Malcoln Kirkland filling in as a 9th man if absolutely necessary. Do the math. Eight guys, 400 minutes of basketball played in the last two nights. They play fast, and they try to wear you down, only that's Missouri's strength too.
Marshall Moses has really done well down the stretch (last night's 0-point, 5-foul implosion aside). In the six games before last night, he was averaging 11.5 PPG and 10.3 RPG. He's short (6'6) but beefy (235), and he's learning how to use his size. He's EXTREMELY foul-prone, however, and if I'm Mike Anderson, I'm sending Leo Lyons, who draws three fouls simply going to the bathroom, at him early and often.

Keys to the Game

Penetration and free throws. If OSU starts falling back on the 3-point shot, I don't think their legs will be with them enough down the stretch, and they will falter. But if they're getting into the lane, drawing fouls and making mid-range jumpers (an Eaton specialty), they can not only get Mizzou into foul trouble and rack up points, but they can get more rest periods in. The more fouls and stoppages, the better for OSU.
Rebounding. If Marshall Moses can hold his own (and stay on the court) inside, and OSU can stay close in the rebounding department (as they did at Gallagher-Iba), they'll stay in the game, as I expect there to be quite a few missed shots on both sides of the court. But if Moses is in foul trouble, or he's just getting dominated by Lyons/Carroll/etc., then OSU can't keep up unless somebody gets scorching hot from outside.
Turnovers. Always. No explanation needed. OSU had 19 of them when these two teams played in Stillwater, and they very nearly got run off the court in their own building before very nearly coming all the way back to steal a win. It was hard to get a feel for the matchups in that game because Mizzou was ridiculously hot for a while, and then OSU was ridiculously hot at the end, but OSU's guards seem high-risk, high-reward. Depending on the level of risk and reward, this could be a very interesting game.

Prediction

No prediction. I suck at them. Just know that OSU will likely come out hot and lively, and the game might end up being determined by how hot they're allowed to get, and whether they're able to build a cushion. I do not think their legs will be under them in the second half, but if they can build a lead and Mizzou misses some shots, OSU will have a solid shot of winning.

And by now, you know how Mizzou games unfold. As was mentioned in other threads, Mizzou is 1-5 when trailing by double digits at half, 25-1 when not. That's as telling a differential as you're ever going to see. If OSU can get hot early and make Mizzou play from behind, they're a good enough free throw shooting team that they might pull off the win. But if Mizzou's up heading toward halftime, OSU's got a MONSTROUS hike ahead of them, and weary legs carrying them up the hill.

Bedlam Recap: What The Heck Just Happened?

dishingoutdimes — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:08:43 -0000

Austin Johnson and Byron Eaton battle for a loose ball. Picture courtesy of the AP and espn.com

It's 70-69 Oklahoma over Oklahoma State. Byron Eaton misses a shot. 2.3 seconds remain on the clock. Blake Griffin skies for a rebound. James Anderson of OSU comes flying in to fight for the board and a whistle sounds. Everybody turns to the ref. Foul on Blake Griffin.

The officiating in this game was inconsistent at best. In the crucial moments of the game, they called a foul, but against the player who didn't initiate the contact. Going straight up for a rebound and being run into by an opposing player does not qualify as a foul.

But that's not the reason OU lost this game. The game was decided well before then, as we allowed Oklahoma State to hang around way too long. The reason OU lost this game comes down to a little six letter word:

Effort (n.) - exertion of physical or mental power, OR an earnest or strenuous attempt, OR something done by exertion or hard work. --Dictionary.com

Our guys didn't try hard at all. They were lazy. Oklahoma State tried extremely hard. They had their hands on their knees at the end of the game. They battled every possession. OU was sloppy and lazy. They seemed indifferent about everything. Nobody who watched that game could honestly say that OU put forth an earnest effort. Based on pure talent, OU is probably one of the best teams in the country, top 10 at least. But lately they have played terribly. When an extremely talented team underachieves, it has to do with a lack of effort and bad teamwork. Time for a few key moments in the game:

The Time: 1:31 left, 2nd half

The Score: 66-66 Tie

The Play: Willie Warren misses a three-point jumper

This was an excellent example I think of how I think OU seems to think they can coast to victory. Before this play, Willie was talking with Byron Eaton and they were clearly talking trash. Willie took this shot only 13 seconds into the shot clock, basically right after the ball crossed half court. It was crunch time, probably an NBA range three, but Willie thought that he had to one-up Byron. It was a stupid shot with a tie game and plenty of time to set up some offense.

The Time: 3:44 left, 2nd half

The Score: 64-62 Oklahoma St.

The Play: Technical foul on Marshall Moses, Foul on Marshall Moses. Austin Johnson makes 1/2 free throws. Blake Griffin makes 1/2 free throws.

Two clutch free throws would have put us up by 2, rather than at a 64-64 tie. Still, it is hard to fault free throw shooting tonight when we were 17-22 from the line (.772), well above our season average. Nevertheless, it hurts to watch two free throws miss with under 4 minutes remaining.

Anyways, it seemed like OU got to the point where the buzz built. They were a lock for the #1 seed if they could win in Texas. Everyone was singing their praises. And when that happened, I think they thought they could just coast the rest of the way and not try. Teams that put forth effort don't turn the ball over 19 times (like we did tonight). Teams that put forth effort don't commit stupid reaching fouls and then act surprised when it happens. Teams that put forth effort don't let a guy drive uncontested to about 10-15 feet away from the hoop and then drill an open jumper. Teams that put forth effort extend their perimeter defense against a three point shooting squad.

It is all about effort. OU deserved this loss because they put forth poor effort. And effort will take OU as far as they want in the tournament. But the players have to buy into trying.

No effort, and I bet we will be eliminated in the 2nd round.

In the meantime, the teams putting forth effort have advanced in the Big 12 Tournament. It's hard not to admire Baylor and Texas Tech. They need to win their games and they are finding ways to win them. Texas Tech made a 22 point comeback in the 2nd half against Texas A&M.

That is effort. I wish I had seen some in Norman recently.

OU's tournament prospects will be on the way in an upcoming post. That should discuss seeding potential, who we would want to see win in the remainder of the conference tournaments, and a few tidbits about the NCAA tournament.

Men's Basketball: Big 12 Tournament

Mark Kieffer — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:39:22 -0000

Next Game

Iowa St. Cyclones
@ Oklahoma St. Cowboys

Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009, 6:00 PM CDT
Big 12 Tournament - First Round - Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Complete Coverage >

Well, tonight is the first round of the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City. In all likelihood, this is the last game of the season for the Cyclones. I personally hope it isn't the last we see of Brackins, but I suppose we won't know that until a later date.

Last time we played OSU, it was literally the tale of two halves. This has been a common occurance for ISU, especially on the road. In the first half, we were able to contain the most underrated player in the Big 12 (in my opinion), Byron Eaton. He got into some foul trouble in the first half from my memory and that really helped keep the game close for ISU. Eaton really is the key to OSU. When he's clicking, their whole team really clicks. In the 2nd half, Eaton got rolling and OSU put up 50.

Overall, OSU is a much more athletic team than Iowa State. They have pretty much all guards, and they can run and put up points in a hurry. I do not like the way ISU matches up against Oklahoma State. On one hand, they don't have a huge post player to challenge Brackins, but on the other hand, we don't have a ton of athletic guards and wing players to challenge Eaton, Anderson (another player I love), and Harris.

Maybe ISU will surprise us. I certainly don't think OSU is unstoppable. I just think you have to go "Colorado" on them a little. What does that mean? On offense you don't turn the ball over, and you work the shot clock down on every possession. If you are able to do this, you can control the pace of the game, and make it slower. I think they way you beat an athletic team like OSU is to slow the game down. It gives you a chance to stay close, and prevents OSU from going on runs. If we go out there with the mentality that we're going to run with them, then I think it could turn ugly. If we take care of the ball and play a slow half-court game, that's ISU's best chance of winning in my opinion.

The winner of this game, will play Oklahoma tomorrow (March 12th) at 6pm CST.

Go State!

SB Nation - Byron Eaton

Big 12 All Decade Team

First Team All Big 12

Second Team All Big 12

Third Team All Big 12

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

Recap of "Five Questions For..."

Five Questions For... Oklahoma State basketball

What is the most pressing question for Ok State this year?

How far until the Tigers fall in Columbia?

When will the Missouri mens' basketball team pick up its first home loss?

During non-con play

During Big 12 play

The Tigers will go undefeated at home

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys: game preview

Observations from the stats

Cowboy players to watch

Other Stuff

The line ups

The stats

Talking Points - Dance Week Edition

Mizzou in the Big 12 Tourney: Statistical Champs

Missouri 67, OSU 59

Missouri 73, Baylor 60

Big 12 Tournament

Oklahoma State: Know Your Rival

vs Big 12Oklahoma State: 11-7

Keys to the Game

Prediction

Bedlam Recap: What The Heck Just Happened?

Men's Basketball: Big 12 Tournament

Next Game

vs Big 12
Oklahoma State: 11-7