I just rushed back here to “Camp Erwin” after my Spanish class, having been mulling over something for most of the 50 minutes. In my Oklahoma State preview this morning, I completely overlooked the one big difference between tonight’s game and the one played on January 16th — a 6-foot, 10-inch, 290-pound difference. When the Pokes and Horns tangled last month, the only significant bench minutes in the frontcourt came from Connor Atchley, who had to step up with Damion James in foul trouble. Atchley played 22 of the 55 minutes, while Matt Hill came in for a three-minute stint in which he only recorded a block. Between that game and tonight’s contest, Coach Barnes has made a commitment to playing Dexter Pittman more. It’s just one small way to try to make up for our small lineup and lack of a post presence. And while Big Dex has yet to play more than nine minutes in a conference game, he is active down low in the short times he is on the floor. Tonight I’m expecting to see a good seven to ten minutes from the big man, spread out over short appearances like those given to him against ISU on Saturday. Hopefully the small time frames will still allow Dexter a chance to make a difference offensively, as it would be huge for him to pick up some fouls in the paint on Boggan and Monds. If the small chunks make it tough for him to get into the flow, we may end up getting no discernable benefit besides keeping some fouls off of James and Kevin Durant. So here’s to a solid night from Dex. Eight minutes, five points, and five boards sound good? Works for me, too. |