OSU-Harvard: Five Keys
By John Helsley
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The NIT comes to Gallagher-Iba Arena tonight.
Fired up?
Semi-sort of? Yeah, me, too. Not what I was expecting this season. I did think the Cowboys were in for a transition, losing Big Game James Anderson and Obi Muonelo and counting on so many kids. But I thought they’d find a way into the NCAA field.
Didn’t happen, as OSU’s offensive inadequacies made scoring a very difficult endeavor all season long.
So it comes to this. A chance to play on, maybe even get a trip to New York City and a spot in the NIT Final Four, which would be a nice bonus for these Cowboys… if they care.
That’s one of the always obvious questions with the NIT – do the players care? If so, teams can find a purpose in the postseason and make a deep run. If not, if they’re wishing instead for sandy beaches or ski slopes for Spring Break, it usually ends soon. Therein lies the challenge for coach Travis Ford.
Harvard, OSU’s visiting foe in this first-round game, figures to bring it. The Crimson has never been in the NIT and hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in 65 years.
So this is new. And exciting.
And that’s one thing to watch tonight, when the Cowboys come together at least one more time.
The Five Keys:
OSU's Marshall Moses goes to the basket between Kansas' Josh Selby, left, and Mario Little during the college basketball Big 12 Championship tournament game between Oklahoma State-Kansas in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, March 10, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
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John Helsley grew up in Del City, reading all the newspapers and sports magazines he could get his hands on. And Saturday afternoons, when the...
