NIT will give Reger Dowell chance to make his case as OSU's point guard of the future

Dowell can create his own shot – usually around the rim with an explosive first step – something none of the other OSU point men could offer. And he's a bigger, more physical alternative to Page and Penn.

Before his recent surge, Dowell had mostly showed off.

Last year, Dowell was dogged by attitude questions as he adjusted to a reserve role as a true freshman. This season, his attitude is “much improved” according to Ford, yet his moments on the floor still featured more style than substance.

Suddenly, though, the light seems to have gone on for Dowell.

And for Moses, Dowell's roommate and friend, the A&M game confirmed it.

“From right then, I just knew he wasn't going to turn back,” Moses said. “Once somebody experiences success like that, it's hard for them to go the other direction. Being good is better than being bad. Playing is better than sitting.

“Guys like him don't go back to not playing.”

Moses can speak from experience, having experienced times of struggle that almost led him to quit the Cowboys early in his career.

And he's shared his wisdom with Dowell.

“He's a guy who was in the same situation I was in as a sophomore,” Moses said. “I went from not playing to playing a big role on the team. I told him, ‘It feels great to play. You've got to keep progressing to get better. And that's the only thing that can be on your mind.'

“I've never seen a kid more dedicated than he is. He walks around with a smile on his face. He's in love with hard work. He watches film. He takes film home from practice and breaks it down. Just to see stuff like that is great, and he's my roommate, so I see it all the time.

“The future is bright for him.”

And the future is now.

“We're headed to the NIT and we're going to make the best of that,” Dowell said.