MCGRIFF'S IMPACT MORE THAN SCORING
Cam McGriff played a key role in Oklahoma State's win over TCU on Monday despite failing to make a basket and not being fully healthy
STILLWATER — On a night where he did not make a basket in 31 minutes on Eddie Sutton Court, Cam McGriff still found ways to impact the result.
McGriff was Oklahoma State's leader in plus-minus in the Cowboys' 68-61 victory over TCU on Monday despite missing all seven of his shot attempts. Coach Mike Boynton joked that McGriff's night even included missing “probably the best play I've drawn up all year,” an alleyoop to open the second half, but the junior forward made the plays he needed to late.
Diving to the floor for a second-half steal. Rebounding his own 3-point miss and throwing it off a TCU defender to set up a crucial Lindy Waters jumper. Winning plays that showed maturity on a night his offense wasn't there.
“He's not 100 percent,” Boynton said. “And he's out there giving us everything he had because he cares.”
McGriff is 2-for-16 in the past two games as perhaps the wear of pushing 40 minutes with regularity takes its toll.
“His impact on the game goes beyond numbers,” Boynton said, “because of the toughness he brings, the hustle he brings, the energy he brings, and the comfort the other guys have on the court when he's out there with them.”
Cowboys return to aggressive defense
During halftime of the Cowboys' 28-point loss to Texas Tech, Boynton demonstrated to his players the difference in how the two teams guarded each other. The Red Raiders suffocated the Cowboys, while OSU's defense lacked the same pressure.
With seven available scholarship players after the dismissals, Boynton went against his background and began using zone defenses to keep his players refreshed and out of foul trouble, but the benefits it showed early had faded.
“I think the decision to look at zone was maybe kind of me trying to figure out how to play with a different team,” Boynton said. “Playing a zone, it was good, it was effective for a while, but there are really good coaches in this league, and if they get a steady diet of anything, over the course of time, they figure it out.”
So the Cowboys worked back toward their pressuring man defense in Saturday's loss to Texas before using it more consistently Monday night. OSU held TCU without a basket in the final 2:40 of Monday's game.
“We kind of sit back, play zone and let them come attack us, and we totally just flipped the page and went back to what we started doing, being the aggressors coming out,” Waters said. "That's who we are, and we got away from that for a little bit, but we're back."