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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball team begins the 2011-12 season with a contest at Big 12 foe Oklahoma. The game can be heard live on 930 KSEI with
Jerry Miller calling the action. Live stats and audio can be found by logging onto isubengals.com.
SERIES INFO VS. OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma leads the overall series 2-0. Both games were played in Norman, with OU winning 112-59 on Dec. 8, 1992 and 99-75 on Dec. 14, 1982.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma welcomes a new coach, Lon Kruger, to the sidelines this year. The Sooners return 76 percent of the team's scoring and rebounding and six the top eight scorers last year were freshmen and sophomores. Those six players accounted for 70 percent of the team's points and 63 percent of the team's rebounds.
BCS SEASON OPENERS
Since the 2004-05 season the Bengals have opened the season against an opponent from a BCS conference in six of the last seven season. All six games have been on the road. Idaho State has opened the year at Oregon (2004), Kansas (2005), Marquette (2006), Iowa (2007), Iowa State (2009) and Colorado (2010). The only year Idaho State opened against a non BCS school during this time was in 2008 at home against Eastern Oregon, which was a 75-70 victory.
RECAPPING THE EXHIBITION WIN OVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN
In the Bengals only exhibition game of the season, they defeated Rocky Mountain College 86-69 on Nov. 5.
Jakub Kusmieruk led the scoring with 20 points on 9-for-11 shotting while
Andre Hatchett had 13 points,
Chase Grabau 10 and
Melvin Morgan 10. ISU shot 44.8 percent from the field and was 22-for-25 from the free throw line.
NOT BACKING DOWN FROM TOUGH COMPETITION
With games at Oklahoma and Utah this year, Bengal coach Joe O'Brien will have played 23 games against schools from BCS conferences since 2006. All 23 games have been on the road and ISU is still looking for a win against a BCS opponent under O'Brien. Idaho State did beat Utah at home in 2008 when the Utes were still in the Mountain West Conference.
THE VETERANS
This year Bengal coach Joe O'Brien welcomes a core of six players who have experience in his program over the last two years. The returning Bengals are seniors
Chase Grabau,
Abner Moreira and
Kenny McGowen. Redshirt junior
Sherrod Baldwin played as a sophomore during the 2009-10 season and sophomore's
Andre Hatchett and
Nick Mason both saw extensive playing time last year as a freshman.
Conner Moore, a sophomore from Ennis, Montana, was a member of the team last year but did not receive extensive time on the court.
