The Oklahoma State Cowgirls should have one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country. What else would you expect after landing Audi Crooks and Liv McGill?
Both Crooks and McGill averaged more than 20 points per game last season and head coach Jacie Hoyt and her staff have surrounded them with shooters. There's only one basketball to go around, but the points will be there for everyone.
It's part of the reason why many are bullish about Oklahoma State winning the Big 12 and making a long run in the NCAA Tournament. But their defense could hold them back. It could be the difference between being a very good team or an elite team.
Oklahoma State's Liv McGill. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Points allowed per game stands out from a season ago, especially in contrast to how well the Cowgirls scored. Their overall scoring margin was more than 16 points per game. But the Cowgirls built that margin on their incredible offensive output. Defensively, OSU gave up 64.2 points per game. In the context of the Big 12 that was solid. But nationally it was middle of the road, ranked No. 173 in the country.
In December, the Cowgirls will play the preseason No. 1 team, the South Carolina Gamecocks, who went to the national championship game last season. They allowed just 57.8 points per game, which was No. 28 in the country. From a basketball standpoint, that's a chasm. It's the difference between very good and elite. UConn was the sport's No. 1 defensive team at 50.4 points per game.
If Hoyt wants her team to be elite, the Cowgirls must be better defensively, even though their overall numbers suggest they were good defensively. What's the easiest fix? How do the Cowgirls level up to where USC and UConn are? Because that's what this season is about.
Two areas off the best bang for the buck early this season, so to speak. One is defensive rebounding. OSU was No. 10 in the Big 12 last season with 24.8 rebounds per game. The leader was TCU, which had 30.2 defensive rebounds per game. The Horned Frogs kept opponents off the defensive glass better than Oklahoma State by an average of six boards per game. Better team rebounding should help. Crooks can help boost the Cowgirls in that category.
The other area is opponent shooting percentage. The Cowgirls were 13th in the Big 12 allowing opponents to shoot 43% per game. TCU was the leader averaging 34% per game.
Better personnel should help the Cowgirls, especially with McGill defending the opponent's top guard. She averaged more than two steals per game last season at Florida. Oklahoma State will have to get better at contesting shots without fouling. The Cowgirls must defend well man-to-man and be in position to contest instead of just being in the area.
OSU is trying to go from being a very good team to being an elite team. So, the small things matter. The Cowgirls likely don't need major systemic changes to get there. Better personnel on that end will help. But focusing on better defensive rebounding and better defensive positioning to contest shots can help get them where they want to be.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as Oklahoma State Cowgirls Basketball's Biggest Preseason Concern Is Defense. Here's the Best Available Fix .
