Bradley press release: none
Oklahoma State press release: here
As is what might be expected of most BCS schools early in the season, Oklahoma State has dominated its early opponents. Also not surprising is that all four of the Cowboys wins have been against substantially inferior competition (Seattle, Southern, North Texas, Prairie View A&M).
But, mocking the schedule provides an unfair picture of the talent level of this team. The man Bradley must stop is NBA prospect and Preseason All-Big XII Team selection James Anderson. The 6'6" junior guard is a matchup nightmare for most teams, possessing the ability to shoot the three (sixth in Big XII in three-point shooting percentage) as well as get to the basket (he's already shot 30 free throws in only four games). Even though he's an inch shorter than junior guard Andrew Warren, look for 6'4" senior Chris Roberts to be assigned the task of slowing down Anderson.
If the Braves can slow Anderson, hopefully they can take advantage of the two small guards for Oklahoma State. Both Keiton Page and Ray Penn are 5'9" guards who have the ability to make three pointers in bunches. Though Penn is off to a slow start in his freshman season (2-of-15, 13 percent), Page has picked up where he left off last season (12-of-29, 41 percent). The Braves can't get caught sagging down low like against Wofford, otherwise this duo could be really problematic.
Maybe the most interesting matchup to watch will be Oklahoma State's Obi Muonelo (6'5" Senior Guard/Forward, 11.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG) versus Bradley's Taylor Brown (6'6" Soph. Forward, 17.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG). Both players will be two of the best rebounders on floor and if the Braves are to have a chance at winning, Brown will need to hold the upper hand here.
From a pure size perspective, Bradley might actually have a slightly bigger starting lineup. But with how well Muonelo and Anderson (9.0 RPG) crash the glass, Oklahoma State surely has the rebounding advantage on paper. The Braves will need to be aware of long rebounds with how often the Cowboys shoot threes (22.5 per game).
Much of this will come from the tempo of the game. Similar to the breakneck speed of the Wofford game, anticipate that both teams will push the floor for quick baskets. Even though they've had a series of blowout victories, Oklahoma State has just eight players averaging more than 10 minutes per game. Bradley has eleven guys who have put in double-digit minutes - contributions from the deep bench will be important.
Final Outcome
This is the first game of the season that is difficult to predict. Though the Cowboys have a talent advantage over the Braves, the similarity in lineup size should an advantage for Bradley. Oklahoma State has also been turning the ball over too much (54 assists to 47 turnovers) and if the Braves can force some mistakes, they should be able to keep this game close.
I expect the Cowboys to win this game but not by a significant margin. Also, don't be surprised at all if Bradley pulls the upset.
Oklahoma State 79 Bradley 73
No comments:
Post a Comment