Okay, let's all take a deep breath and break this game down a bit....
*Oklahoma State has had one consistent formula for beating the good teams in the Big 12 this year: Shoot it well and get points in transition. Check and check. The Cowboys shot 50 percent from behind the arc, making 11 threes, and they had 20 fast break points, which is WAY more than Tech ever gives up in a single game. OSU came out of the gates as hot as a team can possibly come out of a half. They scorched it. 9-9 from the field, and they were knocking down contested shots in addition to the transition shots. It was one of those nights where there just wasn't much you could do.
*But again, as I just mentioned, let's talk about the transition defense. I don't know what the deal was, but it was extremely poor for the first 8-10 minutes of the second half. The Red Raiders are usually fantastic at getting back and setting up in the half court. In fact, it's one of the most underrated things that Tech does really, really well. And OSU is terrible in the half court offense, so I figured this one would lean in Tech's direction pretty heavily. Well, wrong. Tech was sloppy for those 10 minutes in the second half with getting back and set up, and OSU - who is the best transition offense in the league right now - went bananas. That's no bueno, as this was the ultimate difference in the game.
*In fact, if OSU misses even two of those shots in that bonkers stretch, Tech wins. I say that because the Red Raiders about did the damn thing, even down 14 at one point on the road. They didn't panic, the defense set up, and they started played possession by possession. Should Jarrett Culver have decided to drive and go up instead of dish there late, it would've been a two point game in the final two minutes. The effort in the final 8 minutes of this game should be commended, because despite OSU having every single break fall their way, Tech's a couple makes from winning after being down big.
*So, let's talk about Keenan a minute. I think he clearly could move around alright with no issues, The biggest problem? He didn't have that trademark explosive step off the dribble that helps him cut to the basket. That, and I don't think he defended as well as he normally does. He's clearly not himself at all right now. Just really have to hope and pray that the toe continues to heal over the next two days and he can give you even a little bit of himself on Saturday.
*With that said, I think this offense, while it doesn't flow as well without Keenan and stagnated in stretches, still was acceptable overall. 71 points on the road, missing some easy shots, and Evans leaving a hole to fill? Yeah, 71 is fine. The decision making at times is still too poor, however. Whether it's Stevenson, Culver, or Francis running the point, they all still make some poor decisions that cost Tech possessions.
*My other one big complaint was too many threes. For the 100th time: This team has to drive it to win. It's in their DNA. They are not a 3 point shooting team. They have shooters, but they cannot live and die by the trey. 23 threes is too many. Doesn't matter if a team is in a zone. You have to find ways to get the ball to the paint with your guards.only 16 free throws is another big sign that they didn't drive enough.
*Tommy Hamilton hit two big threes for you, but outside of that, Tech got another big goose egg out of their bigs. Hamilton and Odiase are just so inconsistent right now in the paint on both ends. When they get a combined double double, this team is playing winning basketball. When they don't, they aren't. The up and down has to change into consistency in March.
*This is now two games in a row where Zhaire Smith has gone bonkers in the first half and disappeared in the second. Teams are starting to adjust for him at the half, and if that's going to happen, then the rest of the offense has to step up. Luckily, that happened tonight, as despite being the lone ranger in double figures at the half, Tech ended up with 4 players in double figures, a staple for winning basketball for this team.
*Now, where do we go from here? Well, I think if anyone is panicking, they need to calm down and reassess things. Yes, this team did not play well tonight defensively; This was their worst overall defensive performance in Big 12 play, if you ask me, and it just happened to come on a night when OSU went unconscious. And now, they're on a two game slide. The good news? You live to fight another day. Remember, this group lost 3-4 in Big 12 play a month ago before rattling off 7 straight wins. Now, Keenan Evans was a big part of that, and you're gonna need him to be your true self. But this team plays so hard at home, and they play great enough defense with enough quality scorers that they can still beat anybody in this conference on a night where they're hitting shots, even without Evans. But they have got to play their style of defense, and they have got to drive it more while continuing to move in the motion.
*And guess what? The Big 12 title race isn't over. A win on Saturday and this team is right back in the saddle. Do they have a hell of a three game schedule left here? Yup, sure do. But they've taken care of business against all three of these teams once already. They can do it. My hope here is that Evans, again, really gets his bounce back here soon. You do that and add Zach Smith back to the mix? You're rolling again.
*Oklahoma State has had one consistent formula for beating the good teams in the Big 12 this year: Shoot it well and get points in transition. Check and check. The Cowboys shot 50 percent from behind the arc, making 11 threes, and they had 20 fast break points, which is WAY more than Tech ever gives up in a single game. OSU came out of the gates as hot as a team can possibly come out of a half. They scorched it. 9-9 from the field, and they were knocking down contested shots in addition to the transition shots. It was one of those nights where there just wasn't much you could do.
*But again, as I just mentioned, let's talk about the transition defense. I don't know what the deal was, but it was extremely poor for the first 8-10 minutes of the second half. The Red Raiders are usually fantastic at getting back and setting up in the half court. In fact, it's one of the most underrated things that Tech does really, really well. And OSU is terrible in the half court offense, so I figured this one would lean in Tech's direction pretty heavily. Well, wrong. Tech was sloppy for those 10 minutes in the second half with getting back and set up, and OSU - who is the best transition offense in the league right now - went bananas. That's no bueno, as this was the ultimate difference in the game.
*In fact, if OSU misses even two of those shots in that bonkers stretch, Tech wins. I say that because the Red Raiders about did the damn thing, even down 14 at one point on the road. They didn't panic, the defense set up, and they started played possession by possession. Should Jarrett Culver have decided to drive and go up instead of dish there late, it would've been a two point game in the final two minutes. The effort in the final 8 minutes of this game should be commended, because despite OSU having every single break fall their way, Tech's a couple makes from winning after being down big.
*So, let's talk about Keenan a minute. I think he clearly could move around alright with no issues, The biggest problem? He didn't have that trademark explosive step off the dribble that helps him cut to the basket. That, and I don't think he defended as well as he normally does. He's clearly not himself at all right now. Just really have to hope and pray that the toe continues to heal over the next two days and he can give you even a little bit of himself on Saturday.
*With that said, I think this offense, while it doesn't flow as well without Keenan and stagnated in stretches, still was acceptable overall. 71 points on the road, missing some easy shots, and Evans leaving a hole to fill? Yeah, 71 is fine. The decision making at times is still too poor, however. Whether it's Stevenson, Culver, or Francis running the point, they all still make some poor decisions that cost Tech possessions.
*My other one big complaint was too many threes. For the 100th time: This team has to drive it to win. It's in their DNA. They are not a 3 point shooting team. They have shooters, but they cannot live and die by the trey. 23 threes is too many. Doesn't matter if a team is in a zone. You have to find ways to get the ball to the paint with your guards.only 16 free throws is another big sign that they didn't drive enough.
*Tommy Hamilton hit two big threes for you, but outside of that, Tech got another big goose egg out of their bigs. Hamilton and Odiase are just so inconsistent right now in the paint on both ends. When they get a combined double double, this team is playing winning basketball. When they don't, they aren't. The up and down has to change into consistency in March.
*This is now two games in a row where Zhaire Smith has gone bonkers in the first half and disappeared in the second. Teams are starting to adjust for him at the half, and if that's going to happen, then the rest of the offense has to step up. Luckily, that happened tonight, as despite being the lone ranger in double figures at the half, Tech ended up with 4 players in double figures, a staple for winning basketball for this team.
*Now, where do we go from here? Well, I think if anyone is panicking, they need to calm down and reassess things. Yes, this team did not play well tonight defensively; This was their worst overall defensive performance in Big 12 play, if you ask me, and it just happened to come on a night when OSU went unconscious. And now, they're on a two game slide. The good news? You live to fight another day. Remember, this group lost 3-4 in Big 12 play a month ago before rattling off 7 straight wins. Now, Keenan Evans was a big part of that, and you're gonna need him to be your true self. But this team plays so hard at home, and they play great enough defense with enough quality scorers that they can still beat anybody in this conference on a night where they're hitting shots, even without Evans. But they have got to play their style of defense, and they have got to drive it more while continuing to move in the motion.
*And guess what? The Big 12 title race isn't over. A win on Saturday and this team is right back in the saddle. Do they have a hell of a three game schedule left here? Yup, sure do. But they've taken care of business against all three of these teams once already. They can do it. My hope here is that Evans, again, really gets his bounce back here soon. You do that and add Zach Smith back to the mix? You're rolling again.
