BYU head coach Kevin Young hit the nail on the head following the Cougars' previous game against TCU, "...hard fought game. It was an exciting game, they made plays down the stretch... we had a couple costly turnovers. That hurts. I thought that was really the story of the game." Late turnovers have plagued BYU in its last 3 contests--minus 13 in the turnover margin since the Houston game. The Cougars turned the ball over ten more times than the Horned Frogs on Saturday.
Oklahoma State is also coming off a disappointing 21-point loss to Utah on Saturday, a game in which it gave up 83 points to a Utes squad that had yet to achieve its first Big-12 win. The Pokes shot just 33% from the field and 26% from beyond the arc.
Now, we look ahead to tonight, a pivotal game to get BYU back on track against an Oklahoma State team that has lost three of its last four. This game also begins a stretch of four straight games against teams with a losing conference record, two of which have yet to claim a Big-12 victory.
Keys to the Game
Take Care of the Ball
So far this season, the Cougars are averaging 11.9 turnovers per game. They will likely have to keep that number below ten in order to win this game. The duo of young freshmen Kanon Catchings and Egor Demin are still adjusting to the college game, but they need to take better care of the basketball.
3-point Defense
TCU entered the game against BYU shooting 31% from beyond the arc, they shot a whopping 58% in the first half and finished the game at 37%. BYU decided to defend the Horned Frogs with a soft, underneath coverage and allow them to shoot open threes. Oklahoma State is a team willing to shoot from deep, as it averages 20 attempts per game.
Fire the Kanon
Kanon Catchings notched just nine minutes against TCU, mostly due to the fact that he turned the ball over three times in those nine minutes. This game is a perfect opportunity to turn him loose and let him show off the exact talent that brought him to Provo. Oklahoma State starts a trio of guards with an average height of 6'3", the exact type of matchup that might allow Catchings to dominate. His 6'9" frame typically gives him an advantage against smaller guards, as he is able to pull up off the dribble and shoot over his opponents.
Baller Prediction
Kanon Catchings nears or surpasses his career high of 21 points.