Five Thoughts at Halftime: Kansas

It’s the final game of the regular season and Oklahoma State finds themselves trailing Kansas 43-40 after the first 20 minutes. It’s the last game inside Gallagher-Iba Arena for seniors Leyton Hammonds and Phil Forte, so I expect to see both show out in the second half.

I had a lot of thoughts during the first half (including that freebie in the intro), here are the five best.

• There are WAY too many Kansas fans in the building. There should not be that much cheering for the Jayhawks. Their fans sound louder than any other fan base (other than OSU) I’ve heard this season. If you are an OSU fan, and helped a KU fan get into the building, shame on you.
• It’s not even my point, but it deserves recognition, so I’m just going to leave it here.

• I would like to follow that up by saying, don’t blame the zebras for the first half. OSU had nine fouls, Kansas had eight. That’s not the problem. Kansas is shooting 55% in the game. That’s not on the refs, that’s on the Cowboy defense. The team should be prepared to face a team that runs as hard as Kansas does.
• Lunardi said if OSU loses, they’re likely a seven seed - barring some wins in the Big 12 tournament. A win tonight, would help solidify a six seed. That’s the difference between playing a two or three seed in the second round. Landing a six seed would be UUUUUGE!
• Oklahoma State is down by three points. Evans and Forte, who average a combined 32 points a game, have scored a total of 10 in the first half. I don’t know if that’s a reason to be encouraged or concerned. I do know this, the second half of games is the “Jawun Evans Show”, so I can’t wait to see what he does in what could be his final game in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

BONUS POINT

Oklahoma State will face Iowa State in the 4 vs. 5 game at the Big 12 Tournament, thanks to Baylor’s win over Texas in Austin today.

I love this matchup. I think Oklahoma State can absolutely beat Iowa State on a neutral court. They almost did it on the road just a few days ago. Plus, a win over Iowa State means a (likely) rematch with Kansas in the second round. Those are both great opportunities for not only for big wins, but to boost the RPI. With the Pokes fighting for a six seed, that’s exactly what they need.