Nothing gets the weekend started like a system play, and this matchup features one that I hold near and dear to my heart. Let me paint the scene. Wednesday evening, the Oklahoma State Cowboys took down No. 16 BYU 99 to 92 as eight-point underdogs. After the final buzzer, the Oklahoma State faithful stormed the court in celebration over a top 25 opponent. Rightfully so, but that storm comes with a price.
System Play
Which leads into the system play, fading the storm. If a team storms the field or court after a win, they must be faded in their next matchup. Lucky for us, the Cowboys now have to go on the road to take on No. 1 Arizona. Even better, this marks the Cowboys fifth true road game of the season. Their road numbers are not the sexiest. Sure, they are still top 80 in offense and top 50 on the defensive side of the ball. However, Oklahoma State is bottom 100 in turnover defense, offensive rebounding, free throw rate offense and block percentage defense.
In those four games, the Cowboys own a 1-3 record. Those three losses came against TCU, Iowa State and Texas Tech. Oklahoma State lost by an average of 12.3 points in those games, most notably a 102 to 80 loss to Texas Tech on January 2nd. I do not see this going well for them against the number one ranked team in the country.
Through nine games against top 50 opponents, the Wildcats rank 21st in offense and fourth defensively. They are one of the most complete teams in the country. They attack the glass on both ends, get to the line at a high rate without fouling, and pressure the rim offensively while defending it at an even higher level. The spread is high for a reason.
With this being Arizona's first game in a week, and Kansas on deck this coming Monday, I fully expect the Wildcats to use this as a tune up for Allen Fieldhouse. What better spot than against a team coming off its biggest win since December 6th, a victory over Grand Canyon. Give me the kitty kitties.
FADE THE STORM!
