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I'm not gonna take the time to write a big preview for Kansas. Rock Chalk Talk does a good job of that. What I am going to do is tell you why I want Kansas to win it all this year. It's simple really. I believe that Bill Self needs 1-2 more National Titles before he will even consider coming home to Oklahoma State.

That could be done in 2 years or it might take another 10. Winning a title in basketball isn't easy. But Self has it too good up there to leave. He's continued the Kansas legacy and done things that his predecessor didn't do. The guy is good. We need him. But he's not leaving Lawrence for Stillwater any time soon, unless he wins so many effing titles that he gets bored up there.

Rock Chalk.

As you've probably already heard, Oklahoma State didn't make the tournament this year. So instead of drinking ourselves silly, we've adopted 4 teams that we are going to follow throughout this tournament. This is the second preview of four.

West Virginia

Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Enrollment: 30,000
Head Coach: Bob "Huggy Bear" Huggins
Mascot: The Mountaineer
Notable Alumni: Jerry West, Don Knotts

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As you've probably already heard, Oklahoma State didn't make the tournament this year. So instead of drinking ourselves silly and talking about Football, we've adopted 4 teams that we are going to follow throughout this tournament. This is the first preview of four.

Murray State

Location: Murray, Kentucky
Enrollment: 11,000
Head Coach: Steve Prohm
Mascot: Racer One (live thoroughbred); Dunker (costumed)
Notable Alumni: Jim Varney (You may know him as Ernest RIP), Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)

Starting lineup:
Isaiah Canaan, 6-2, Jr., (19.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 assists)
Donte Poole, 6-3, Sr., (14.2, 3.7, 1.5)
Jewuan Long, 6-1, Sr., (8.5, 3.0, 2.6)
Ivan Aska, 6-7, Sr.(10.9, 5.7)
Edward Daniel, 6-7, Jr., (6.9, 5.3)

Key reserves: Zay Jackson, G, 6-foot, Fr. (4.9, 2.1); Stacy Wilson, 6-3, Jr., F, (4.4, 0.9); Latreze Mushett, 6-5, Jr., G, (4.4, 5.0)

Click the Jump for More

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Being an Oklahoma State basketball fan seems to get harder each and every year. The program has been riddled with transfers, injuries, no shows, legal issues and bad luck for a while now.

Is it coaching? Maybe.

Is there a division one program that has dealt with as much in as little time? Probably not.

Is it just the valley that you must go through when you have several years of success? Hopefully.

But the past is the past. It's over. The Cowboys have about as much talent, when healthy, as they've had in years. Markel Brown, Le'Bryan Nash, Brian Williams and Mike Cobbins are underclassmen that have played big minutes. That experience will pay dividends next season.

The addition of incoming freshman Marcus Smart, by all accounts, is huge. JPO should be back. Cezar will get better. Jurick can fight back from Achilles surgery and give us big minutes. The point is, we have talent. What we need know is a little luck. 2 bad seasons in a row is unacceptable. Travis Ford has to know that it's time to get these Cowboys dancing again.

Perhaps our time spent in the valley is over. We've paid our dues. It happens to the best of 'em.

Until next time coach.

Well that was fun.

Oklahoma State dominated Texas Tech again and while winning is always fun, it doesn't always feel right when the competition isn't there. Texas Tech is not a good basketball team. I'll leave it at that. The Cowboys advance though and will have another crack at the Missouri Tigers. Rock M Nation has a pretty good preview if you're in to that kind of thing. Pistols Guy previews them as well.

Know Your Quarterfinal Rival: Oklahoma State - Rock M Nation

Previewing Mizzou | Pistols Firing

Bottom line here is that Missouri is a damn good team and we're playing them in Kansas City. Some say it's a recipe for disaster. I say it's March Madness. We're not supposed to beat them, but we've shown that it's possible once already this year. That's in their heads whether they'll admit it or not.

Here's how we're gonna win this game, after the jump.

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The 2006 Big East Basketball tournament is best remembered for Syracuse's improbable title run as a 9 seed. I was in New York City that week and all I remember is Gerry McNamara going absolutely crazy from the 3 point line. It seemed like every night, in my drunken haze, I would watch that annoying little kid hit a buzzer beater or a crazy shot that advanced his team to the next round.

In the first game they played, Devan Downey of Cincinnati stole an inbounds pass with 10 seconds left and was fouled. He made 1 of 2 free throws to put the Bearcats up by 2 with under 10 seconds to play. However, with a half second left Gerry McNamara made a RUNNING ONE HAND THREE POINTER to secure the victory. Final Score? 74-73.

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This is how Tyshawn Taylor's mom celebrates when her son does well. I love how it appears he is rolling his eyes at her...Maybe he was. Not the best quality but you get the idea...

Enjoy.

With Oklahoma State's top freshman Le'Bryan Nash on the bench with an injury, a win against soon to be SEC Bitch Texas A&M would be tough. The shift in the lineup however, seemed to work and the Cowboys rolled to a 60-42 victory in GIA.

So how'd they do it?

For starters, the Cowboys played great defense, limiting the Aggies to just 16 second half points. Texas A&M had just 2 points in the final 5 minutes. Brian Williams continued to impress with a team high 17 points. Markel Brown had 12 points and Keiton Page finished with 15. Oklahoma State also got big minutes from Mike Cobbins and Phillip Jurick. Marek Soucek went on a little run in the second half that was impressive. It was just a nice team effort.

Oklahoma State improves to 14-15 overall and will begin the prep for a big Monday game against Kansas. It will be the final regular season game in GIA this year. The Cowboys will then travel to Manhattan for a regular season road finale against Kansas State.

I'm very pleased with the way we're locking down GIA this year. It's becoming a tough place to play again, even with the limited fan support. There is no reason we can't whip Kansas on a big stage Monday night. Go Pokes.

1. Yeah, so 12 points in a half of basketball is never going to get it done. Ever.

2. Nash seemed intimidated, overwhelmed and lost.

3. Keiton shot his way out of a cold spell. That is what good shooters do.

4. Toby Keith sucks really really bad.

5. The Cowboys set a Big 12 record for fewest points in a half. Congrats!

6. Travis Ford just wants this to be over. Sure, he'll take a win but he wants to restart.

7. I'm shocked that there are any OU fans at the games in Norman.

8. Markel Brown is a beast that isn't done growing.

9. This team is getting better, just not there yet. Next season will come with expectations of a tourney appearance.

10. Reid Gettys is insane.

11. Word is Nash has a cast on and T Ford is "worried" - uh oh.

12. OU is still terrible

2004. The last time Oklahoma State won a basketball game in Norman. That was also the last time Oklahoma State went to the Final Four. My how things have changed. The Cowboys are now playing for a .500 record, and perhaps a long shot post season miracle.

The good news is, the Oklahoma Sooners are terrible. They've lost 6 straight and are about to endure a fairly brutal (especially if you're OU) road stretch to close out the season. So we could either see a team that is fighting for their last shot at a win, or a team that has thrown in the towel completely. There is no doubt that Oklahoma State is the better team here, but it's Bedlam so anything can happen.

A few things to watch when the Cowboys and Sooners tip off at 7:00 on the Big 12 Network after the jump...

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The 2012 Oklahoma State Football schedule was released yesterday so in my mind, it’s time to start speculating. We’ll see some key changes on offense so the question that will be on everyone’s mind is: What will this team look like? I’ve come up with a few scenarios that could play out.

Scenario #1 – The System Works

Yes, we lost Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon but the system that made those guys doesn’t fail. The O-Line continues to dominate, we continue to run the ball with authority and Chelf steps in and develops a quick rapport with Tracy Moore. The defense continues to improve and "C2M" shirts are created. Anything less than 9 wins under this scenario would be a step back.

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Sept. 1 Savannah State First series meeting

Sept. 8 at Arizona Teams meeting for third straight year

Sept. 15 Louisiana UL coming off bowl victory

Sept. 29 Texas The Longhorns play at OSU for first time since 2009

Oct. 13 at Kansas OSU looks for fifth straight win in Lawrence

Oct. 20 Iowa State OSU leads series, 25-18-3

Oct. 27 TCU Schools have played just four times since 1971

Nov. 3 at Kansas State OSU won a thriller in 2011

Nov. 10 West Virginia First regular season meeting since 1929

Nov. 17 Texas Tech Cowboys have won last three meetings

Nov. 24 at Oklahoma OSU in Norman after two straight Stillwater meetings

Dec. 1 at Baylor OSU has won 15 of last 16 meetings

A few good links to get the week going, and a couple of thoughts.

Can't really be too upset with the effort the guys gave in Lawrence. That's a tough place to play when you're a top 5 team so the guts shown in the second half is impressive. I was a little hard on Ford early in the season but I'm back to giving him another year. He's got the team playing better defense and they haven't quit. I fully expect this team to get another win over a top 5 team this year.

Tough loss with Michael Harrison being "dismissed" from the program. I guess that explains the rash of receivers signed in the new class though. We'll be fairly young at the position with starters being Tracy Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Josh Stewart. I've always like Moore. The rookies are gonna have a real chance here.

#occupyGIA

Oklahoma State sweeps National Duals - Sports - The Daily O'Collegian - Oklahoma State University
Domination

OSU basketball: Cowboys gave a flash of the future in second half vs. Kansas | NewsOK.com
The first and second halves inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday provided a stark contrast for the Cowboys.

OSU football: Jeremiah Tshimanga's extended Richland family helped get him to where he is | NewsOK.com
Jeremiah Tshimanga stood proudly before a packed classroom at Richland High School on National Signing Day wearing an orange jacket with the Oklahoma State logo on the chest.

West Virginia football: Bob Simmons to join the staff? | Berry Tramel's Blog
Could Bob Simmons be back in the Big 12 soon?

The Cowboys will be in wonderful Phog Allen Fieldhouse today to take on a Jayhawk team that is fresh off a drubbing of the Baylor Bears in Waco. Oklahoma State is coming off a much needed win against Iowa State on Tuesday in Stillwater. Kansas owns this series, 104-53 and has won 15 straight in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to 1990.

Nash, Brown, Williams and Cobbins are athletic enough to compete with the Jayhawks. Page has a couple of wins against them. Soucek can go toe to toe with Withey. Just have to hit some early shots and play good defense. Easy enough right?

If nothing else, it will be a great learning experience for a young team. Tune in at 3:00 on the Big 12 Network. Go Pokes.

I was at the game last night and wondered to myself, Why don't I have a LobStilly T-Shirt on? Problem solved. At $20, it's a steal!

All proceeds go to making your life, as a CRFF blog reader, better. Oh, and beer.

Buy Here

Scott Christopherson's Buzzer-Beater vs. Oklahoma State (via isuvideo)

Iowa State needed a miraculous Scott Christopherson buzzer beater to beat the Cowboys in Ames back on January 18th. Markel Brown tweeted after the loss, apologizing to Cowboy fans and vowed to get them back at home. The Cowboys will have their shot at revenge tonight at 6pm Stillwater. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

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The Baylor Baptist Bears travel to historic Gallagher Iba Arena today to take on an Oklahoma State team coming off their first road win in 2 years. The Bears absolutely manhandled the Cowboys in Waco back on January 14, so it's interesting that the Cowboys are just a 6 point dog. Can the Cowboys compete with the bigger, longer Bears?

History says yes. Baylor hasn't won in Stillwater in nine years. The Cowboys are 24-2 All Time against the Bears in Stilly. But will it matter?

Like every other game from here on out, it's going to come down to 2 things. Can Le'Bryan Nash play like the Big 12 Freshman of the year and can Keiton Page hit his shots. If both players are "on" we can essentially get into a shootout of sorts, like we did with Missouri. The home crowd at GIA helps a lot in a shootout type game because the players feed off of the energy. This makes it hard for even really good teams to win close games against us.

That being said, we won't stand a chance if either of those guys have a bad day. We just don't have the depth to support that. So you'll likely know within the first 5 minutes whether or not we've come to play. Something tells me we will, but Baylor is just a little too good.

Final Score Prediction? Baylor 62 Oklahoma State 56

Signing day is here so this will be the center of all news regarding our Oklahoma State Cowboys. I'll be checking in throughout the day, adding news in the comments and treating this like an Open Thread.

Here is a link the official list of Oklahoma State Signees. It's not official until you see it here.

You can check on the National Scene, through the eyes of the mothership here. Here's a good link to the Rivals list.

We'll have a summary later today or tomorrow. Go Pokes!

Anniston Star - Oxford’s Trae Elston down to 3 final choices "A lot of people have talked to me about going out of state," Elston said. "But I want to go somewhere else and do something different." "They haven’t had anyone do that (play offense and defense) since R.W. McQuarters," he said. "So, I could make history there."

Recruiting Q&A: Commit Blake Webb has studied Oklahoma State receivers | NewsOK.com
Blake Webb has studied Josh Cooper, and the rest of the Oklahoma State receivers, since he first became a Cowboy fan during his freshman year of high school.

Stanford football: Why Barry Sanders chose not to attend same school as his famous dad - San Jose Mercury News
But anonymity at Stanford is attraction for Hall of Famers son

Reevaluating The Big 12 Basketball Race - SB Nation Kansas City
Remember when we were included in this kind of talk?

OSU basketball: Cowboys, Red Raiders are ripe for a victory | NewsOK.com
At some point, inevitably, Oklahoma State will win a Big 12 road game. The Cowboys' current conference road skid has reached 14 games, yet can't continue forever… right?

Big 12 learning curve with Mike Cobbins | Amarillo Globe-News
"Playing in Lubbock will be special because I get a chance to play in front of my family and friends," Cobbins said. "But on the other hand, I have to treat it like any other game and just go play as hard as I can."

Oklahoma State will look to build on Wednesday's upset of Missouri when they travel to College Station to take on the SEC bound Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies will be without starting Forward Khris Middleton and could very well be without starting PG Dash Harris. Even if Harris plays, he won't be 100% so yeah, this one is winnable. It's going to take another big effort from the team but a good shooting day could go a long way, especially if Texas A&M is forced to play without two of their leaders.

In my opinion, this game is just as big - if not bigger- than the Missouri game for head coach Travis Ford. If the Cowboys can win in College Station, it would be their first road win in 2 years. The Cowboys would then travel to Lubbock on Tuesday to face a very young, and beatable, Texas Tech team.

Two road wins just might give this team the confidence to play with Baylor, when they come to GIA next weekend.