Utah Focused On Cleaner Performance Against Oklahoma State
Jan 10, 2025, 1:18 PM | Updated: 1:32 pm
Utah basketball Mason Madsen, Gabe Madsen, Mike Sharavjamts, Jon M. Huntsman Center. PHOTO courtesy Utah Athletics
SALT LAKE CITY—Craig Smith and the Runnin’ Utes have received a tough welcome to Big 12 basketball. They’ve opened league play with three consecutive losses against some of the conference’s top contenders.
On Saturday, the Utes will return to the comfortable confines of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. They will host Steve Lutz and the Oklahoma State Cowboys for a 5:00 p.m. MST tip-off.
🚨UP NEXT🚨
🙌Ute Proud Night‼️
🆚Oklahoma State
📆Saturday, January 11
⏰5:00 PM
📍 Jon M. Huntsman Center
📺ESPN+
🎟️https://t.co/KW5Q8b6DzPSee U there‼️#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/KTpEsMvuzw
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) January 10, 2025
Following 18 turnovers against No. 3 Iowa State, the Utes aim for a much cleaner performance against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State vs Utah, How To Watch, Listen
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2025
Tip-Off: 5:00 (MST)
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN 700 AM
Lowell Galindo and former Cowboy Bryndon Manzer will call the action for fans on ESPN+
Cleaning up the turnovers is an absolute must for Utah
“Turnovers were the biggest thing, I mean, 18 turnovers led to 25 direct points for them,” Craig Smith said of Utah’s biggest issue against Iowa State.
That’s been a big bugaboo for Utah to open Big 12 play. The Utes have committed 44 turnovers in three conference games. Colorado has the most in the conference, with 55; Arizona State is second with 48, and Utah is third. However, Utah has the worst turnover margin in the Big 12, at -6.33, because opponents have only turned the ball over 25 times against them.
RELATED: Takeaways From Utah’s 82-59 Loss To Iowa State
Oklahoma State is right behind Utah in turnovers at 43, but their opponents have turned it over 46 times through their three games. That gives the Cowboys the sixth-best turnover margin in the Big 12.
“We’ve got to do a much better job of taking care of the ball, valuing the ball,” he continued. “We did a good job against Texas Tech, who also forces a lot of turnovers, but two of the three games we did not, and so we’ve got to clean that up.”
Utah must do a much better job of protecting the ball while forcing more turnovers on the defensive end. Although playing at home should benefit Utah, as they only turned it over nine times against Texas Tech last Saturday, that can’t be taken for granted.
Miro Little’s positive response
For players, it’s never easy to lose a starting position. However, after moving to the bench two games ago, Miro Little has responded positively with his play.
“He’s handled it really well; of course, he wasn’t happy, but he handled it very professionally,” Smith said of his sophomore guard.
Little scored 13 points against Iowa State and 8 against Texas Tech. He also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 4 assists between the two contests. He still needs to improve his ball security, as he had 4 turnovers against Iowa State, but he has played much better off the bench.
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“I’ve thought he’s played a lot better in the last couple of games, but he’s clearly played better,” he continued. “He’s played with more of an edge, more purpose, and more gumption.”
It’s evident that Smith has a lot of belief in the Finnish product. Little has responded positively in his move to the bench and it will be incredibly important for him and Utah to sustain that level of play moving forward.
Getting to know the Oklahoma State Cowboys
“Frenetic, they fly around, they play 10 guys constantly subbing guys, and they force turnovers,” Smith said of the Cowboys. “They’ve created havoc, and they’ve created a lot of turnovers, I think 25% -35% of their scoring has come off turnovers.”
Led by first-year coach Steve Lutz, Oklahoma State is 9-5 on the season, including 1-2 in Big 12, and just earned a big victory over Kansas State, 79-66.
Oklahoma State averages 74.2 points on 42.3 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from 3-point range. On the defensive end, they’re allowing 73.1 points on 45.7 percent shooting, including 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
Senior big man Abou Ousmane leads the Cowboys. The 6-foot-10, 245-pounder is averaging 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. He works primarily inside but has knocked down 6-of-10 shots from 3-point range this season.
The Cowboys’ second-leading scorer comes off the bench. Marchelus Avery, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward, plays with an aggressive, offensive mindset. He averages 12.6 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, and 37.5% shooting on 5.2 attempts from 3-point range.
