OSU

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

Former starting point guard Fred Gulley has left the team and asked permission to transfer. When healthy, Gulley has been a fixture in the lineup, starting 7 games as a freshman, but multiple shoulder injuries and surgery have sideline him early in both seasons at OSU, and now he appears to want a change of scenery.
The point guard position was already problematic, as a team the Cowboys average barely 10 assists per game lead by Merkel Brown with just 1.8 apg. Brown also leads the team in rebounds, with 5.9 rpg. Reger Dowell took Gulley’s place in the starting lineup against Alabama, but finished with no assists, and just 3 points. Brown also started, but had no assists. Even with Gulley, OSU lacked a quality set up man to feed their scorers, LeBryan Nash and Keiton Page. OSU is a very young and inexperienced team, their lineup is filled with sophomores, freshman and transfers, who have had very little time together as a team, so the lack of a real floor general has at times seriously hampered the offense.

The Cowboys leading scorer is freshman LeBryan Nash, a highly recruited 6’7” forward out of Dallas. Nash will launch an occasional shot from outside the three-point arc, but he’s really not a particularly good shooter, hitting just 27% from long range. Nash’s ga,e isn’t on the perimeter, itss in the paint, he’s a very strong, athletic player who goes hard to the basket, and is usually quicker than other post players. I havent seen much mid-range game from him in college, and he’s never been a great jump shooter, but when he plays to his strengths he’s very difficult to stop.

Senior Keiton Page is generously listed as 5’9”, and frankly he looks like the neighborhood kid who mows you lawn, but don’t be fooled, this kid is deadly. He’s currently fifth on the Cowboys career list for made 3-pointers, but at his current he should easily reach second place before the season ends, and has a realistic shot at breaking the school record. 2 weeks ago I watched him almost single handedly erase a 13 point deficit against New Mexico, and give OSU the lead (a game that OSU eventually lost after Page got his 4th foul, and the team didn’t score a basket in the final 7:30). Page has a very quick release, and will put up a shot as soon as the ball touches his hands, if he’s open. He has the green light to let it fly whenever he wants, In particular, he likes to spot up and hit the long jumper in transition. He needs space to get his shot off, necause of his size,, but that may be less of a problem for him against a team with small guards, like SMU. Page is a career 86% free throw shooter, putting him in the top 5 in Big 12 history.

Two transfers will probably join Nash starting in the front court, Phil Jurick and Jean Paul Olukemi. Jusrick is a load at 6’11 and 270 pounds, he eats up space in the paint and can bang people around on defense, but doesn’t contribute anything on offense. He’s had 4 double digit rebounding games, but averages less than 2 points per game. Olukemi is a 6’5” small forward who plays a similar game to Nash, he’ll put up an occasional jumper, but hes really much better slashing to the basket. Olukemi is 3rd on the team in scoring, with 10 points per game.

Two freshmen, 6’8” Micheal Cobbins, and 6’0” guard Cezar Guerrero are the primary subs, they combine for 12 points per game.

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

Just read that Dowell quit the team. Sorry, didnt keep up well over the holidays.