Anderson brings spark during Cowboys' poor start
STILLWATER — Avery Anderson III wants to be the spark.
It's in his nature as a point guard. Anderson did it as a star at Northwest High in Justin, Texas, where he was the lightning bolt that led the way to two- straight state tournaments.
He scored in bunches. He locked down opponents. There was little he couldn't do.
Right now, Oklahoma State could use a little of that juice.
The Cowboys are mired in a shooting slump that hasn't been seen inside GallagherIba Arena since Henry Iba was in charge, and then it wasn' t considered a bad thing.
Three straight games of 50 or less points. Shooting percentages failing to reach even 30%. Three total 3-pointers in two games.
As OSU prepares to host Texas at 7 p.m. Wednesday, the Cowboys are searching for answers in a lackluster 0-3 Big 12 start. But in searching for something positive, there is this: Anderson has found his form, becoming their most consistent player the past three weeks.
“I t was expected on my end,” OSU star Isaac Likekele said. “Really, what y'all are seeing now is not really a testament to half of what he can do. Once he gets more comfortable, he's going to be a great player for the team and a great asset.
“He'll have some nights where it looks like he's the best player in the country.”
In 12 nonconference games, Anderson averaged 4.1 points per game. He was turnover prone, committing 21. But on Dec. 21 against Minnesota, he turned a corner. He scored 16 points, had two assists and two rebounds.
That carried into Big 12 play, where he's averaging 8.3 points. He's still committed turnovers, but less on bad decisions and more on trying to spark the offense.
“I' m finding my role, slowly but surely,” Anderson said. “Whatever the team needs me to do off the bench, that's what I'm willing to do.”
In high school, Anderson was the go-to guy.
He averaged 22.7 points per game as a senior. It' s one reason OSU coach Mike Boynton recruited Anderson so hard. But Boynton pushed Anderson to do other things besides score this season.
Anderson has 17 steals, often setting up a teammate or himself for a layup. He's found more comfort in running the offense off the bench. And there are also times he's on the court alongside Likekele.
But it hasn't been easy for Anderson.
When t he Cowboys were rolling to a 7-0 start in November, he was out of sorts. He committed 10 turnovers in that span. His
Texas at Oklahoma State
When: 7 p.m., Wednesday
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater
TV: ESPN+/Big 12 Now (online streaming only)
Radio: KXXY-FM 96.1
Three things to know
• OSU's three-straight losses to open Big 12 play is its worst start since the 2016-17 season, when the Cowboys started 0-6 in conference play. But they rallied to finish 9-9 and earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. •Cowboys coach Mike Boynton added “target practice” shooting sessions this week in an effort to break the players out of their shooting funk. OSU has scored 50 or less points in three-straight games for the first time
confidence was low, while his team mates' soared.
“He had his struggles early,” Boynton said. “He was able to play himself through that. Now, he's kind of come out on the other side feeling pretty good.”
Now, Anderson' s teammates are struggling. He said the team confidence in November was a nine on a scale of 1-10. Entering Wednesday, he classified it as a six.
He's looking to be the boost this time.
“Just helping my team trying to get back to what we were doing,” Anderson said.
since the 1965-66 season. The Cowboys are averaging 66.3 points per game, which ranks 300th in the country. Their 40.5% shooting percentage ranks 315th. •OSU's defense has been stout. The Cowboys rank 24th nationally in fieldgoal defense (37.9%) and 15th in 3-point field-goal defense (27.7%). KenPom. com, an analytics website, ranks the Cowboys at No. 21 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Oklahoma State (9-6, 0-3 Big 12) Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb. G Isaac Likekele 6-4 So. 11.3 4.6 G Thomas Dziagwa 6-4 Sr. 8.4 1.5 G Lindy Waters III 6-6 Sr. 12.0 4.9 F Jonathan Laurent 6-6 Sr. 2.9 2.2 F Cameron McGriff 6-7 Sr. 9.7 6.8 Texas (11-4, 1-2) Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb. G Matt Coleman III 6-2 Jr. 12.3 4.3* G Courtney Ramey 6-3 So. 11.1 4.3 F Jase Febres 6-5 Jr. 10.2 2.3 F Kamaka Hepa 6-9 So. 2.2 1.3 F Jericho Sims 6-9 Jr. 9.3 8.3 * — Assists