Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State Basketball up against Liberty Flames
By Karl Heiser
Perimeter Defense
Liberty is one of the best teams in the entire tournament as far as shooting is concerned. They shoot 38.8% from three-point range (5th of all tournament teams) and boast a 57.4% Effective Field Goal Percentage (4th of all tournament teams). They are 52nd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency per KenPom.
It will be key for Oklahoma State to limit Liberty at the perimeter, especially considering that the Flames have the highest Three Point Rate of any tournament team at 47.5%. Teams that shoot as well and as often as Liberty can ride their hot shooting to upsets.
Fortunately for OK State, their defense has been pretty solid this season. They are 22nd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Furthermore, they hold opponents to 31.9% from deep, which is fairly respectable. The Cowboys force turnovers at a higher rate than the Flames and will look to exploit that advantage to score easy points on the other end.
Mike Boynton’s team has faced Baylor, Division I’s top three-point shooting team, three times this year. In their final meeting, the only one the Cowboys won, they held the Bears to 21.4% from three. They’ll need to tap into that type of defensive effort if they want to avoid an upset to Liberty.