here is the DOK article...hope he can help.
Curtis Jones expected to make debut
STILLWATER — Curtis Jones was tired of the uncertainties. He needed honesty.
Mike Boynton provided it, drawing Jones to Oklahoma State after the guard elected to transfer from Indiana early last season. Having sat the rest of the 2017-18 season and the fall semester of this year at OSU, Jones is expected to be eligible for the Cowboys for the first time in Sunday’s game against Nebraska at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Jones, a top-100 recruit in the 2016 class out of Huntington Prep in West Virginia, signed with Indiana because of coach Tom Crean. But Crean was fired after Jones’ freshman season, and Jones decided to transfer after playing seven games for Archie Miller, Crean’s replacement.
Boynton knows how difficult a coaching change can be after a player’s first college season, with the questions and doubts that seep in. After his freshman year as a player at South Carolina, coach Eddie Fogler stepped down. Boynton elected to stay with the Gamecocks, but Jones sensed a connection with him regardless, smoothing the eventual transition.
“When I started talking to Coach Mike, it felt like I wasn't even talking to a coach,” Jones said this week. “Just like my friend or something, a regular guy. You get to know him, and you get to know how much he knows about basketball and how much he cares about people.
“I think it could've been harder, but coming here was perfect.”
Aside from exhibitions during the Cowboys’ European tour this summer, Jones has had to wait a year before stepping on the court for Boynton in a game. Although Boynton was unsure how many minutes Jones could immediately provide, he expects the junior to add a veteran presence to a team that ranks 303rd nationally in experience.
Jones’ first career game came against a No. 2 Kansas team; he scored 15 points in a Hoosiers victory.
“It’s not lost on me that he’s gonna have an understanding of the competitive level of college basketball,” Boynton said. “What you don't have is he hasn’t played in well over a year in a real game that matters. Practice is competitive, but it’s not the same. So I expect some jitters, but I expect his experience and his ability to score the ball to really help us immediately.”
Jones said competitiveness defines his game, with Boynton adding he’s a strong shooter, a solid defender and an effective passer.
After waiting a year to show off those skills, Jones should finally get his chance Sunday.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. "Going through that, I learned a lot, got mentally tougher. It wasn't the best situation, but I think I made something out of it."
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. NEBRASKA
• When: 6 p.m., Sunday
• Where: Sanford Pentagon; Sioux Falls, S.D.
• TV: Big Ten Network (Cox 280/HD 1348, Dish 410, DirecTV 610, U-verse 650/ HD 1650)
• Radio: KXXY-FM 96.1
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
•The neutral-site matchup will be Oklahoma State and Nebraska’s first meeting since the 2011 Big 12 Tournament, a 53-52 Cowboys victory in the Cornhuskers’ final game in the conference before joining the Big Ten.
•The programs’ rivalry dates to 1927, and they were both members of the Big Eight or Big 12 from 1958-2011. OSU has gone 54-63 in its 117 games
against Nebraska, its sixth most against any opponent.
•The Cowboys last played in the Sanford Pentagon in 2015, beating Minnesota, 62-60. Since, OSU has lost three straight to Big Ten opponents, including a 83-76 loss to the Gophers on Nov. 30.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Oklahoma State (4-5)
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb.
G Isaac Likekele 6-4 Fr. 8.2 4.7 G Thomas Dziagwa 6-4 Jr. 11.9 3.7 G Lindy Waters III 6-6 Jr. 12.1 4.8 F Cameron McGriff 6-7 Jr. 13.9 7.0 F Yor Anei 6-10 Fr. 6.0 3.4
Nebraska (8-2)
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb.
G James Palmer 6-6 Sr. 18.7 3.8 G Glynn Watson Jr. 6-0 Sr. 14.4 4.2 G Thomas Allen 6-1 So. 8.1 2.6 F Isaiah Roby 6-8 Jr. 9.6 5.7 F Isaac Copeland 6-9 Sr. 14.9 6.1
STAFF WRITER
Curtis Jones expected to make debut
STILLWATER — Curtis Jones was tired of the uncertainties. He needed honesty.
Mike Boynton provided it, drawing Jones to Oklahoma State after the guard elected to transfer from Indiana early last season. Having sat the rest of the 2017-18 season and the fall semester of this year at OSU, Jones is expected to be eligible for the Cowboys for the first time in Sunday’s game against Nebraska at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Jones, a top-100 recruit in the 2016 class out of Huntington Prep in West Virginia, signed with Indiana because of coach Tom Crean. But Crean was fired after Jones’ freshman season, and Jones decided to transfer after playing seven games for Archie Miller, Crean’s replacement.
Boynton knows how difficult a coaching change can be after a player’s first college season, with the questions and doubts that seep in. After his freshman year as a player at South Carolina, coach Eddie Fogler stepped down. Boynton elected to stay with the Gamecocks, but Jones sensed a connection with him regardless, smoothing the eventual transition.
“When I started talking to Coach Mike, it felt like I wasn't even talking to a coach,” Jones said this week. “Just like my friend or something, a regular guy. You get to know him, and you get to know how much he knows about basketball and how much he cares about people.
“I think it could've been harder, but coming here was perfect.”
Aside from exhibitions during the Cowboys’ European tour this summer, Jones has had to wait a year before stepping on the court for Boynton in a game. Although Boynton was unsure how many minutes Jones could immediately provide, he expects the junior to add a veteran presence to a team that ranks 303rd nationally in experience.
Jones’ first career game came against a No. 2 Kansas team; he scored 15 points in a Hoosiers victory.
“It’s not lost on me that he’s gonna have an understanding of the competitive level of college basketball,” Boynton said. “What you don't have is he hasn’t played in well over a year in a real game that matters. Practice is competitive, but it’s not the same. So I expect some jitters, but I expect his experience and his ability to score the ball to really help us immediately.”
Jones said competitiveness defines his game, with Boynton adding he’s a strong shooter, a solid defender and an effective passer.
After waiting a year to show off those skills, Jones should finally get his chance Sunday.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. "Going through that, I learned a lot, got mentally tougher. It wasn't the best situation, but I think I made something out of it."
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. NEBRASKA
• When: 6 p.m., Sunday
• Where: Sanford Pentagon; Sioux Falls, S.D.
• TV: Big Ten Network (Cox 280/HD 1348, Dish 410, DirecTV 610, U-verse 650/ HD 1650)
• Radio: KXXY-FM 96.1
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
•The neutral-site matchup will be Oklahoma State and Nebraska’s first meeting since the 2011 Big 12 Tournament, a 53-52 Cowboys victory in the Cornhuskers’ final game in the conference before joining the Big Ten.
•The programs’ rivalry dates to 1927, and they were both members of the Big Eight or Big 12 from 1958-2011. OSU has gone 54-63 in its 117 games
against Nebraska, its sixth most against any opponent.
•The Cowboys last played in the Sanford Pentagon in 2015, beating Minnesota, 62-60. Since, OSU has lost three straight to Big Ten opponents, including a 83-76 loss to the Gophers on Nov. 30.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Oklahoma State (4-5)
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb.
G Isaac Likekele 6-4 Fr. 8.2 4.7 G Thomas Dziagwa 6-4 Jr. 11.9 3.7 G Lindy Waters III 6-6 Jr. 12.1 4.8 F Cameron McGriff 6-7 Jr. 13.9 7.0 F Yor Anei 6-10 Fr. 6.0 3.4
Nebraska (8-2)
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Pts. Reb.
G James Palmer 6-6 Sr. 18.7 3.8 G Glynn Watson Jr. 6-0 Sr. 14.4 4.2 G Thomas Allen 6-1 So. 8.1 2.6 F Isaiah Roby 6-8 Jr. 9.6 5.7 F Isaac Copeland 6-9 Sr. 14.9 6.1
STAFF WRITER
