Tulsa World: Cowboys' eyes on Baron

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Cowboys' eyes on Baron
Rhode Island guard is a prolific 3-point shooter.

UP FOR THE JOB
Terrel Harris: Will assume his role on defense of guarding the other team's best player. He'll go against URI's Jimmy Baron, one of the nation's best 3-point shooters.

By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 12/20/2008 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 12/20/2008 2:27 AM

You've heard of the basketball player who can't throw it in the ocean?

Rhode Island guard Jimmy Baron doesn't have that problem. Baron majors in making basketballs fall through hoops and — taking no chances about the aquatic thing — he minors in oceanography.

Baron ranks fourth among active Division I players in career 3-pointers, trailing Chicago State's David Holston, Davidson's Stephen Curry and Texas' A.J. Abrams.

Someone from Oklahoma State will get the pleasure of guarding Baron when the Cowboys face the Rams in the first game of an All-College Classic doubleheader Saturday in Oklahoma City.

Terrel Harris figures he is that someone.

"That's my role this year is to guard the other team's best player and try to take them out of their game," said Harris, who had seven steals (one shy of a school record) in a Wednesday win over Mercer.

No one will need to introduce new OSU coach Travis Ford to Baron. Ford spent the last three seasons at Massachusetts. He faced Rhode Island twice per year because they were Atlantic 10 Conference rivals.

Ford, who was 4-2 against the Rams while at UMass, said, "I know this team pretty well. And they are very, very talented and very tough and aggressive and they love to run. They will definitely run with us. It should be a very up-and-down game."

Ford described Baron as a player considered by some to be the best shooter in college basketball. In fact, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski might make that claim.

Baron didn't just hit eight 3-pointers against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. He hit a school-record eight 3-point attempts in a row, including seven in the second half.

After Duke held on for an 82-79 victory, Krzyzewski said, "Baron had one of the great halves of any kid that's played against us."

Or, as Harris said more succinctly, "He lit up Duke."

Asked if Baron is similar to any other player, Harris said Baron "looks just like J.J. Redick. That boy can shoot."

Harris has experience in defending at least one player (Abrams) who ranks ahead of Baron on the career 3-pointer list. In three OSU-Texas games last season, Harris pestered Abrams into shooting 8-of-35 from the field and 1-of-19 from 3-point range.

Rhode Island is a top-50 RPI team and OSU needs as many quality wins as possible to build a postseason resume. The Cowboys' remaining nonleague games are against Arkansas State, Northwestern State and Savannah State.

Immediately after a 30-point win over Mercer, Ford told his players to start focusing on Rhode Island, according to Obi Muonelo.

Harris hinted that the Cowboys want to beat the Rams for Ford. Said Harris, "It's going to be a game we really put a lot of effort into for coach."

Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer

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