OSU basketball notebook: Celebrate good times
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Sunday, February 03, 2013
2/03/13 at 7:04 AM
After Saturday's win against No. 2 Kansas, TV cameras caught Oklahoma State freshman Marcus Smart doing a back flip during the postgame commotion.
"After big games like that, I just decide to," said Smart, who also did flips after his high school, Flower Mound Marcus, won back-to-back state titles in Texas.
"I had so much energy and I was so excited about the victory, it was just kind of second nature."
Smart tied a career-high with 25 points, plus nine rebounds and five steals.
"He was terrific down the stretch," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He definitely whipped our guards. It was a physical beatdown that he put on our guys."
Strange look: The Cowboys had major foul trouble in the second half. Le'Bryan Nash picked up his fourth foul with 15:43 left, and he and Michael Cobbins eventually fouled out. Philip Jurick got his fourth at the 12:34 mark.
With his big men on the bench, Travis Ford went to smaller lineups, including unseen ones.
"We had lineups out there I've never even experimented with in practice," Ford said.
Close call: Late in the game, Markel Brown went down with a left-shoulder injury and writhed in pain on the court before being taken out of the game. He later returned and appeared OK.
"I've been struggling with it this season," Brown said. "It was like the third time I've hurt it. I'll be fine."
Brown's seven 3-pointers were a career-high, and his 7-of-10 3-point shooting was the best by a KU opponent in a decade.
Forte seals win: Although it wasn't Phil Forte's best shooting night (1-of-8 on 3-point shooting), his free-throw skills were still sharp. He hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds, and for the season has converted 90 percent of his free throws.
Because Forte's father, also named Phil, played football at Kansas, he grew up a Jayhawk fan.
Familiar face: Among the 16,300 in the soldout crowd was Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti, who was likely there scouting Smart and Kansas freshman guard Ben McLemore, who had 23 points.
Up next: "Good win, no question, but it's one win," Ford said after Saturday's game. "We've got Baylor on Wednesday."
OSU hosts the Bears (14-7, 5-3 Big 12) at 6 p.m.
