Guess Who's Back? Bowman Ready To Hoop It

I always love to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong on the timing for possible help for the Oklahoma State basketball team. Oklahoma State wide receiver Adarius Bowman flew into Oklahoma City this afternoon, a little early for the start of the second semester, in order to get started with trying to become a two-sport athlete at Oklahoma State.

Bowman was back in Stillwater early this evening and will participate in shootaround practice Saturday morning with the Cowboys as they prepare for their 5 p.m. tipoff in the Big 12 Conference opener with Baylor.

Bowman is expected to be on the bench in street clothes for the game Saturday before practicing full time with the Cowboys starting on Sunday.

OSU basketball head coach Sean Sutton and his staff want to see where Bowman is in his basketball skills, his conditioning for basketball, and get an idea for how long it will take for Bowman to pick up on offensive sets and plays and defense before he might be able to help in any situation other than practice.

As for the football end of it, a source close to the situation told Go Pokes that head coach Mike Gundy, offensive coordinator Larry Fedora and wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer discussed it and all agreed that Bowman is at greater risk for injury by playing pick-up basketball than he would be in the organized situation of Oklahoma State basketball practices and games.

The football coaches also believe that the conditioning involved in basketball and the lifting the basketball team does wouldn't lessen Bowman's ability for the future in basketball. However, Bowman may be asked to lift more than the basketball team.

Realistically, Bowman could be in a Cowboy hoops uniform for the first time next Wednesday in Lawrence, Kan., when the 12th-ranked Cowboys visit the Big 12 favorite Kansas Jayhawks for a televised game.

How much Bowman plays and contributes other than practice will be determined by what he is able to show Sutton, his staff, and the seven current Cowboys that get the bulk of the playing time.

There was no mention, other than Bowman, of any other OSU football players reporting back to school early to attempt to play basketball.