2010-11 College Basketball Predictions: Oklahoma State

November 22, 2010

Head coach Travis Ford vowed to run an up-tempo style here at Stillwater, and he should now have the parts in place to execute it. The Cowboys were taken almost single-handedly to the NCAA Tournament last season by James Anderson, who Ford had to build the team around. The Cowboys went 22-11 and earned an at-large bid last year before losing in the opening round. Anderson averaged 22.3 PPG to top the Big 12 and 5.8 RPG. Obi Muonelo is the other big departure for Oky State. Still, the team returns several key players and signed five potential impact recruits that are better-suited to run the up-tempo style Ford believes in.

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Jack Jones is here to help you cash this year with his college basketball picks. Jack is among nearly 80 handicappers who specialize in beating the odds each day, and he is on a 37-23 (62%) CBB run as of this article.

Frontcourt:

Matt Pilgrim eventually came on at the end of last year after transferring from Kentucky, averaging 10.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG over his last 12 games. He is a outstanding athlete who can get up and down the floor and is the perfect forward in Ford’s system. Senior Marshall Moses must be much better on and off the floor after a frustrating junior season. Junior college transfer Darrell Williams is a 6’8” 250-pounder who gives them some size in the middle. J.P. Olukemi joined the school in the spring semester and competed against James Anderson every day while redshirting. He is more of a slashing forward who impressed while learning from one of the tops in the country. Forward Roger Franklin and center Jarred Shaw drew valuable experience while earning time as true freshman last season. 6’8” freshman Michael Cobbins has the worth ethic and skills to be potentially great for the Cowboys, but must bulk up if he’s going to be able to handle the grind of a brutal Big 12 schedule.

Backcourt:

Point guard Ray Penn got injured last February with a knee injury, but should be at 100% this year. Ford believes he will be the catalyst of this offense, running the fast-break. Freshman Markel Brown led Peabody Magnet High to the Louisiana Class-4A Championship by scoring 32 points en route to leading his school to an unbeaten 41-0 record. He is versatile and can fill in either the 2 or the 3, and should be the ideal player to help fill the holes left by Anderson and Muonelo. Keiton Page was forced to play the one when Penn went down to injury, but should be able to get back to his more comfortable role of knocking down the 3-pointer. Senior Nick Didorakis has been named a captain due to his gritty play on both sides of the floor, and his smarts. Fred Gulley, Reger Dowell and freshman Brian Williams will probably be role players.

Jack’s Prediction: 7th Place in the Big 12 – Just like most coaches in their third season on a new team, Ford has his recruits in place. He has a more athletic and versatile roster to run the up-tempo game he desires. The Big 12 is certainly up for grabs this year, and even with the departures of Anderson and Muonelo Oky State has enough talent to make some noise. A third straight NCAA Tournament berth is likely, especially if Penn can stay healthy and Brown can live up to the hype.

Written by admin · Filed Under College Basketball Predictions