Oklahoma State hoops discussion with The Oklahoman's John Helsley

John Helsley is the Oklahoma State basketball beat writer for The Oklahoman. Earlier this week, he took some of his time out for a back-and-forth email discussion with me about everything OSU hoops.

Anthony Slater

This season, the Cowboys have had three chances against big conference teams. Each time, they exited Madison Square Garden with a loss. But of those three, Saturday's setback against Pittsburgh had to be the most encouraging. What's been the key to improved play as of late? And is this team where you thought they would be at this point?

John Helsley

I agree, the Pitt game offered encouragement. Now, the Cowboys just have to figure out a way to avoid those stretches in games where they fall into a funk and dig a hole that's tough to climb out of, particularly against the better teams.

One key to the improved play is the continued progression of Le'Bryan Nash. After a bit of a hiccup to start his career, he's starting to figure out what it takes at this level, adjusting his game and his motor. Expect that to continue and the Cowboys to benefit from it, across the board.

With a young roster, the early portion of the schedule always shaped up as time of growth for this team. That said, I thought we'd have a better feel for who these Cowboys are and what we could expect going forward. Those questions remain unanswered.

Anthony Slater

And I think the biggest of those questions has to be the point guard position. It's become such a mystery that Ford just starts whoever played best in the previous game. There is no continuity or fluidity. For this team to elevate its game, Fred Gulley, Reger Dowell or Cezar Guerrero has to take control of the position. But the question is, are any of them capable of consistent play? And if so, which one do you see starting when Big 12 rolls around?

John Helsley

Point guard is a problem, both in terms of the seemingly revolving door and with none of the three guys really staking a claim to the spot. For the offense to flow, this team needs a floor general. And that requires finding a guy and living with a guy, at least primarily one guy. Now, are any of these guys capable? All have strengths and weaknesses. I'm on record for being in Guerrero's corner. He's going to make some mistakes in the interim, but get it out of his system now, so that he's ready for Big 12 play. I'm not saying that's the way it's going to go down, but I see Guerrero as the best fit.

Anthony Slater

Now looking at the coaching perspective. Ford has done a great job roping in talent and forming his type of team. Like you said, it's a young squad that needs time to grow, but how much time can be given? A second straight omission from the NCAA tournament would be tough for this success-starved fanbase to handle. First off, do you think Ford is feeling pressure? And gut feeling, is this team dancing come March?

John Helsley

I'm not ready to grade Ford too tough, yet. This is the first time he's really assembled a roster of his kind of players. And it's a young roster, so he needs time to shape these guys. The thing I'm interested in seeing from Travis is how he develops the point position. He's an old point guard, so I'd expect him to be able to get more out of that spot than he has the past three seasons. Is he too tough on those guys? Does he lack the trust to just let them go? That's a key for this team going forward. More than missing the Tournament, the thing to watch with this group is if they make real progress. A long-term contract is in place, so I'm not sure there's a lot of pressure on Ford -- yet. Like last year, the NCAA will be searching far and wide for teams to fill the bracket in March. The Cowboys nearly made it a year ago. This year, they find a way.

Anthony Slater

And I can't let you get out of here without giving your opinion on the most-talked about Cowboy freshman in a long time. Four straight productive games from Le'Bryan Nash, even looking like a legit go-to scorer at times. Has he figured it out? And can he be a force in conference play?

John Helsley

I do think Nash is figuring things out. For a lot of high school stars, things come really easy in high school. Some of that stuff Nash was bringing in the early games just wasn't going to get it done at this level. But he's showing signs of adjusting, which is a great thing for the Cowboys going forward. And I believe there's still a lot more to come from the kid.