OSU basketball: Cowboys, Red Raiders are ripe for a victory

“They'll be hungry,” said OSU's Brian Williams. “So we've got to take their best shot and respond to it.”

Gillispie said his squad, heavy on newcomers, was well aware of the difficult task ahead when thrown together with a first-year coach.

“I think they knew what we were in for at the start of the season, especially at the start of the Big 12 season,” Gillispie said. “And I think you have to commend them for continuing to get better.”

And Gillispie said the Raiders are getting better, although the results might not show it.

“I think they're getting better dramatically,” he said, “they're just having a hard time winning against really good competition. But I'm really excited about the direction they're headed.”

Cowboys coach Travis Ford said he won't be mentioning the direction his team is headed, which is on the road.

“It's nothing we've ever brought up,” Ford said. “And I don't think it's something with our basketball team that would do any good. We don't need to worry about who we're playing, where we're playing. We don't need to worry about the score.

“We just need to worry about playing hard, executing, playing defense, rebounding. We have enough to worry about besides all that other stuff.”