Five Thoughts At Halftime

Oklahoma State trails Kansas State 39-38 at halftime after trailing by as many as 14 in the first half. That was a wild first 20 minutes, and I had a few thoughts.

• OSU couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat to start this game. At least not the starters, they were a combined 5-19 shooting in the first half. The bench picked up the slack as Dillard, Averette, and McGriff combined to go 9-9.
• Davon Dillard has 9/2/1 at half. Without him, OSU is not in this game at halftime. This kid’s evolution might be the best thing about this season.
• I don’t love Evans shooting a lot of threes. I know he hit the one right before the half, but he’s only hitting 37 percent on the season. When he led that comeback against OU, it wasn’t by shooting a bunch of threes, it was by getting to the rim, using his speed to his advantage. He has a touch around the rim, where sometimes you can’t believe the shot goes in, but it does.
• I really didn’t have a big problem with the refs... except for this. How is this not a foul?

• This has the feel of a game between one team desperate for a win to stay in the hunt for a tournament bid, and a hot team that’s just having an off night. I don’t know how this game will end, but sometimes one team needs a win more than the other, and they play like it.

OSU isn’t out of it, not by a long shot. However, they’re going to need at least two of the Big 3 of Carroll, Evans, or Forte to find their shot, and soon.

BONUS

• Death, taxes and Kansas winning the Big 12. That’s 13 straight.