It's been a long road to Stillwater, Oklahoma for senior Mario Boggan, but what a sweet ride he's taking the Cowboys on now that he's there. Oklahoma State is the ninth school in eight years for the talented big man and for all those who haven't taken notice, he emphatically announced his arrival last night. With a leaning three pointer in the waning seconds of triple overtime, Boggan keyed Oklahoma State's victory over Big XII rival Texas. In a battle of the conference's two brightest stars, Boggan edged UT freshman standout Kevin Durant. Both led their teams with 37 points, while Boggan grabbed 20 rebounds to Durant's 12 boards.
While OSU's star had the bigger night, it's Durant's immediate impact that has taken the Big XII by storm. He's averaging over 30 points in conference play, peaking at 37 in two games this month. Surrounded by other talented freshman, the rangy wingman has drawn comparisons to former Syracuse standout Carmelo Anthony. Despite an off shooting night Durant scored in many different ways. He demonstrated excellent range, an ability to score down low, and most importantly commanded the ball with the game in the balance. It's clear that he'll be a one and done guy, but is already a leading candidate for Player of the Year honors. Texas must also be commended for how they fought back. Featuring a starting lineup of four freshman, the youngsters battled back in each overtime period. Freshman guard DJ Augustin looked very impressive getting to the basket and an aggressive defense led to fast break points to close gaps. With more collegiate experience, this will be a very dangerous team in March.
The most disappointing, albeit irrelevant, story line of last night was the OSU fans. Their team came in with a higher ranking, yet the fans stormed the court. Given the right circumstances, I'm certainly pro-court storming. It allows fans to interact with the players. The perceived accessibility of college athletes is part of what makes people more attracted to the NCAA than professional sports. But any game in which you are either ranked higher, favored, or should win prohibits a fan from rushing the floor. Great win for the Cowboys, huge loss for their fans.
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