OU looks to break .500 with win over OSU

The Sooners enter the game trying to win their third Big 12 Conference contest in a row after starting out the season 0-2 after losses to Kansas State and Kansas.

Last time out, the Sooners used a surprise comeback from sensational freshman Blake Griffin as the catalyst for a 77-71 win over the Baylor Bears in Waco.

Griffin managed to score 17 points and pull down 15 rebounds in only 22 minutes of play against a tough Baylor interior, but he should find things a bit easier against an Oklahoma State team with no true presence in the paint.

The Sooners were also bolstered by the play of Longar Longar who put up 13 points of his own and also helped the Sooners stymie the Bears inside game with Blake Griffin playing limited minutes.

But the biggest improvement for the Sooners last Saturday was the players outside of the paint. Tony Crocker continues to expand his offensive role and contributed 11 points while David Godbold and Austin Johnson were a combined 5-of-11 from three-point range in Waco.

Oklahoma State enters tonight's contest on a down. The Cowboys dropped their fourth straight Big 12 Conference game on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena as Texas A&M defeated the Cowboys 59-56.

It was also the second straight loss in GIA for the Cowboys in conference play.

Oklahoma State is suffering through inconsistent offensive play during their 1-4 conference start.

Part of OSU's offensive struggles rest with starting point guard Byron Eaton. Eaton had four turnovers against the Aggies on Saturday and only two assists in 31 minutes of play.

Oklahoma State can't find a consistent scorer on the perimeter either as Terrell Harris was expected to be a mainstay beyond the three-point arc. But he only scored one point in 37 minutes of action on Saturday.

Obi Muonelo has been one of the biggest bright spots for the Cowboys this season, but for one reason or another, he hasn't seen enough time on the floor.

Muonelo was 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range against Texas A&M. His 10 points were the third highest game totals of the day, but he only logged 15 minutes of action.

But the biggest impact on offense for Oklahoma State this season has come from freshman James Anderson. Anderson has been a bit inconsistent since conference play began.

But during the non-conference slate, it appeared Anderson would be included right alongside Blake Griffin and Michael Beasley as one of the top newcomers in the conference.

Anderson did get back on track against Texas A&M on Saturday as he lead the Cowboys in scoring with 15 points making 4-of-6 three pointers on the day.

But the sum of the parts have not been greater than the whole for a Cowboys team that just can't seem to click offensively.

Part of the problem for the Cowboys has been the lack of a big man.

Teams have zoned the Cowboys to death in conference games and second-chance opportunities have been few and far between.

The Sooners will look to muscle their way inside against the Cowboys as Griffin and Longar have a decided advantage over the Pokes when it comes to playing in the paint.

The only hope for Oklahoma State is to get hot from the outside and hope Griffin and Longar get in early foul trouble.

The Cowboys are capable of playing tough defense, so the score shouldn't get too out of hand tonight.

With upcoming games at College Station and against Texas in Norman, the Sooners need a win in Bedlam to get back above .500 in conference play and to make a stronger run at the NCAA tournament.

That should certainly happen tonight in Norman.

PREDICTION: OU 68 OSU 60