Men's Basketball: Oklahoma State
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Monday, February 25, 2013
2/25/13 at 6:27 AM
20-6 overall, 10-4 Big 12
THREE QUESTIONS
with Marcus Smart
Position: Point guard
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas
The front-runner for Big 12 Player of the Year, Smart also is getting consideration for various national awards. Last week, an ESPN.com straw poll of Player of the Year voters revealed one first-place, one second-place and four third-place votes for Smart.
Do you pay any attention to Player of the Year talk?
That's nothing I really focus on. Whatever happens happens. You can't really control that. You've just got to go out and play hard, play every game like it's your last game and let the results do the talking for themselves. Just take care of business and let everything else fall into place.
How hard was it to miss the end of the Kansas game after fouling out?
It was very difficult. I felt like I let my teammates down. I wish I was out there to savor that moment with them, help them out, and contribute in the way that I usually do, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way this time.
Are you hoping to get another shot at Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament?
Definitely. I can't wait for it. We're going to be ready just like we were (Wednesday). We'll go out there and play just as hard as we did.
THE BREAKDOWN
Looking back
The 14th-ranked Cowboys didn't capitalize on late opportunities Wednesday against No. 9 Kansas, falling 68-67 in double overtime after Smart fouled out with 2:25 left. OSU bounced back Saturday with a 73-57 victory at West Virginia despite Smart picking up three fouls in the first three minutes. The win was No. 100 for Travis Ford.
The week ahead
Wednesday: at TCU, 6 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Texas, 3 p.m.
This appears to be the least stressful week of OSU's conference portion of the schedule. A win at last-place TCU would provide a fifth consecutive road victory. Texas, which is 2-2 since Myck Kabongo's return, could be swept by the Cowboys for only the second time in the Big 12 era.
The big picture
Who else is in the 100-win club at OSU?
Henry Iba (1938), Paul Hansen (1986) and Eddie Sutton (1994). Ford needed 161 games to reach 100 wins, ranking behind legends Iba (132) and Sutton (137). Hansen's 100th victory came in his 180th game.
What happens if OSU wins out?
If the Cowboys win their final four games, they can finish no lower than second in the Big 12. If Kansas State is 3-1 with a loss to OSU to end the season, the teams will be tied for second assuming Kansas holds onto first place. The tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament would go to the Cowboys because they have a better record against KU (1-1 compared to the Wildcats' 0-2).
Are more fouls being called on OSU?
On Saturday, the Cowboys were whistled for a season-high 24 fouls. In the past five games, they are averaging 21.2 personal fouls, compared to 17.3 in the previous nine Big 12 games. Only four times in conference play has OSU had more fouls than its opponent, but three of those occasions have been in the past two weeks. Despite that, Big 12 opponents are averaging 1.5 more fouls per game.
Associated Images:
Oklahoma State's Markel Brown dunks during the second half of the Cowboys' game in Morgantown, W.Va., on Saturday. Oklahoma State defeated West Virginia 73-57. DAVID SMITH / Associated Press
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