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The Oklahoma State Cowboys welcome the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles to Gallagher-Iba Arena tonight for a non-conference matchup in Stillwater. The Cowboys are coming off wins over Pepperdine and Charlotte, while Oral Roberts is coming off a loss to Tulsa. An interesting storyline for tonights game is assistant coach Scott Sutton takes on his former school of 20 years for the first time.
The Cowboys are still without Davon Dillard and Jeffrey Carroll, and will have to overcome some adversity.
Let’s get to the preview:
Where: Gallagher Iba Arena- Stillwater, Ok.
When: Nov. 10, 2017-7:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Plus
Steam:Fox Sports Go
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
The Opponent:
The Golden Eagles come into Stillwater with a 1-1 record after a 90-71 loss to Tulsa on Monday night. This will be new head coach Paul Mills’ first time in Gallagher-Iba as a head coach. Although not his first time in GIA as a whole after being an assistant at Baylor.
Player to Watch:
Senior center Albert Owens earned a Preseason Summit League All-League First Team. And he’s lived up to the hype so far. He’s 6-14 from in the paint and has averaged 15 points per game through two games. He also is 3-7 from the charity stripe this season.
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Three Big Things:
Suspensions:
As of this morning, Davon Dillard and Jeffrey Carroll are still suspended indefinitely. With no return timetable for either, this is an opportunity for the reserves and role players to get some valuable minutes. While no suspension is a good suspension, getting young guys some extra minutes on the floor is quite valuable, especially in a coaching transition season. Keep an eye on the young guys tonight.
Defensive Intensity:
Mike Boynton has harkened back to the bedrock coaching principle of Eddie Sutton and has his team focusing on defense this season. Through two games, the Cowboys have held opposing teams to an average of 56 points per game. Compared to last season where Oklahoma State had one of the worst defenses in the Big 12, defense being played in GIA is a sight for sore eyes. It’s an easy way to get the crowd into a game, so we’ll see how that impacts things going forward.
Can Mike Boynton keep it rolling?
Oklahoma State fans everywhere met the hiring of Mike Boynton with hesitation, but after two games, it looks as if the Cowboys could be better than we originally thought. Of course, they’ve played the likes of Pepperdine and Charlotte, but still, they’re playing well without a lot of depth. With Dillard, Carroll, and Zack Dawson being suspended, and Yankuba Sima being unavailable until semester, there’s not a ton you can ask of this team.
But they’re playing hard. They’re playing defense, and they move the ball surprisingly well. There’s a ridiculous amount of basketball left to be had, and better opponents to be played, but as of right now, they don’t look half bad.