Oklahoma State records 2nd highest point total in a half in Big 12 play this season in 52-40 loss at TCU

If you didn’t watch Oklahoma State’s latest offensive debacle in a 52-40 loss Saturday at TCU, we can sum it up in one stat: Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa went 0-for-13 from the field, 0-for-10 from behind the arc.

Here’s a serious question for you...

The answer to that question is....

3/9/2017 vs Iowa State. This comes with a HUGE asterisk however, as they played a combined three minutes. In fact this is the first time Waters has gone scoreless since then, therefore it’s the first time they both have gone scoreless when both played more than 5 minutes of the game. Before today, Waters had NEVER gone scoreless when playing at least 8 minutes. Color me shocked.

OSU managed to shoot 30.2% for the game which broke a two-game streak of under 30% (28.8% vs TT and 29.2% vs WV).

Boynton did try to change things up, starting Laurent instead of Anei as TCU came into the game as a very good three point shooting team. However as things progressed it was clear the offensive display was going to be offensive in nature, so he broke out some of the usual freshmen and thank heavens for Avery Anderson.

In starting Big 12 play 0-3, Oklahoma State has averaged a laughable 15 made FGs per game. Just when we all thought the 9-27 showing from behind the arc against Texas Tech was about as bad as we would see, OSU said “hold my beer” and went 3-39 in the last two games. Only one of those has come from either Waters or Dziagwa (who missed the WV game due to illness).

Even the FT line is not being kind to OSU, where they are 29-46 in this stretch (63%).

So, to sum up the start to conference play, Oklahoma State has done the following offensively:

• 45-153 from the field (29.4%)
• 12-66 from behind the arc (18.2%)
• 29-46 from the line (63.0%)
• 46 TOs (15.3/gm)
• 131 points (43.7/gm)
• 19 assists (6.3/gm)
• Getting out-rebounded32.3/gm)
• After scoring 30 points against Texas Tech in the first half, the next five halves produced 20, 19, 22, 17, and 23 points respectively....

Yes, you read that last one correctly. The Cowboys are averaging 20.2 points per half since halftime of the game in Lubbock. Anyone got some conspiracy theories to trot out?

Also not going to give the defense a pass on this. It’s high time Oklahoma State stopped over-playing the passing lanes. They don’t have the athletes across the board, and if everyone can’t do it then no one should be doing it because all it does is give up lots of open looks because the defense starts chasing. Brad Underwood came to this conclusion after his 0-6 start in Big 12 play back in 2016-17 and made the necessary adjustments that lead to a great run to end the season and an NCAA tournament berth.

Lindy’s shot is clearly broken. One of the purest strokes I’ve ever seen has gone awry. A career 40+% 3pt shooter coming into the season, he’s currently at 21-66 for the season (31.8%), 4-21 (19.0%) in conference play, and has registered just one make in his last 17 3pt attempts. Even his mid-range “Jimmy Chitwood” jumper is finding nothing but iron. Dziagwa gets a pass as he has been above his career average this season and is coming off of the flu. Cam has been haywire since last season, when for some reason he abandoned his physical play around the basket and that unique but very effective mid-range jumper. Yor Anei is limited with his ball-handling, so he’s not much of a threat to drive from 12 feet out, but he is a more that capable shooter from 10-15 feet so not sure why he is not put in that position more and encouraged. Likekele is great but he is a one-trick pony and absolutely MUST develop and outside shot. Add to this that there is literally NOBODY else on the team right now that seems to be able to reliably knock down shots (although Anderson, again, was a bright spot today and has shown some ability to create during this bad stretch), and you have the worst offense ever witnessed in the new GIA.

Coach Boynton’s crew is staring an 0-5 start square in the face with Texas and Baylor in Stillwater coming up, but if they don’t get a W at Iowa State then this could be the worse thing we’ve seen in like, well, I don’t remember it ever being this bad. The team looks lifeless for the most part, with the exception of Avery Anderson. He’s frankly been the only player capable of creating his own shot and has been getting some additional run because of it.

Unless the Cowboys rediscover some offense, even a modicum of it, this squad isn’t beating anybody coming up on the schedule.

Now before we go completely off the rails here, the first two opponents in Big 12 play have very salty defenses, and TCU is no slouch, but we watched the Cowboys miss LOTS of open shots and frankly run nothing that looks like an offensive scheme capable of playing to their strength (yes, only one) which is getting to the basket, and that is showing its limitations since OSU CAN’T HIT A BULL IN THE ASS WITH A HANDFUL OF RICE at the moment so defenses are going to pack it in.

That’s all I’ve got in the tank. This hurts so bad it’s funny, but not in the truly funny sort of way, more like the only way to feel not as depressed about it is to laugh at the absurdity of it.

Let’s hope Boynton goes back and watches some tape from his first season here as an assistant. Somebody should also start hitting some shots.

Onward to the Longhorns in Stillwater at 8pm ET next Wednesday on ESPN+ (that might be a blessing honestly).

GO POKES!!!