Coach Dixon sounds the realistic and optimistic thoughts after the win over Oklahoma State.

“We have work to do,” Dixon said after the Oklahoma State game. “This is a good win, but we have a lot of work to do. I look forward to this next week as we can try to get better. We have improved a lot. There’s no question about it. But we have a lot we can improve on.”

…

“We’re off the radar because of our youth,” Dixon said. “We have six freshmen. It’s understandable. We didn’t want to be one of those elite teams in November. We want to be one of those teams late in the year.”

It wasn’t a great win, but another good win. We are seeing players make strides. Some are stumbling. It is all still, very uneven. So say it with me again: “Progress and improvement are not straight lines.”

Sophomore forward Lamar Patterson, a first-year starter, believes the Panthers are close to becoming a team that can control games from start to finish.

“I feel it,” Patterson said. “You can see it on the court. We have little [spurts] where you can see our potential. You can see how dominant we can be. Just being able to do that throughout the game, that will come with more experience and guys getting on the court more. We have so much potential. We’re just going to keep working.”

You can see some players like Lamar Patterson and Dante Taylor are finding a level of comfort right now. A better sense of how they should be playing and awareness of what they can and cannot do.

In the last 4 games since Taylor came back from his migraines, he has averaged just over 10 points and 7 rebounds per game (4+ average on offensive rebounds). All while shooting 68% (17-25). His defense will always be more Tyrell Biggs than DeJuan Blair, but he is putting much more effort into the defensive side then we have seen in the past. It is clear that the challenge for playing time from Khem Birch has his attention, he’s noticeably more energized coming off the bench at the start of games rather than being the starter. He still seems to have that one moment in every game where you just wonder what he is thinking — usually something on the offense. This time it was trying to lead the fast break lay-up.

Patterson had one of his best all-around games. I would say Wanamaker-esque. A double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) and 7 assists while not turning the ball over. Another guy that seems to be thriving with the challenge for playing time from J.J. Moore. Patterson doesn’t try do any one thing outstanding. He just plays complete games.

For all the talk of Moore not getting playing time for one reason or another, I honestly don’t think Moore is in Coach Dixon’s doghouse at this point. He’s playing decently. It’s just that Patterson is playing so well and as a part of the team, that it is harder to take him out. That’s why, I think Coach Dixon is toying with playing Patterson at a guard spot as well.

He’s an excellent passer, he’s a committed rebounder, and he starts at small forward for a top-25 team with an improving offense. After the game, for the second time in three days, Dixon mentioned playing Patterson more at shooting guard this season.

“We’ve got to use him more,” Dixon said. “We are finding ourselves as we go forward offensively. (The offense) we were running earlier in the year, we’re not running now. We’re going to find it. We’re going to get to it. We know what it is. It’s just getting them all on the floor to do it.”

That, of course, also has to do with the need to play without Travon Woodall at the moment and finding a way to get Ashton Gibbs a few more minutes of bench time. Coach Dixon is obviously not comfortable with the prospect of having to play John Johnson and Cam Wright on the court together. It isn’t just that Wright is a mainly defensive player and that Johnson is an offensive player at this point. It has as much to do with the rotation and chemistry. Neither is an outstanding ball handler or passer.

Johnson only has 1 rebound in 10 games, while Wright has no confidence when he tries to put up a shot. Johnson is a sparkplug, though, he definitely provides a bit of energy to the team (and fans) when he comes off the bench. Wright has made strides in recent games to play much more in the flow of the game and with his teammates. He’s stopped trying to do more than he should and is doing what he does best — play defense.

Birch struggled in this game. Oklahoma State had much more beef in their frontcourt, and it was not what Birch was expecting. He was easily bumped off the blocks, and he found what has been his strength used against him. When he gave space to find room to leap and block shots, the Oklahoma State players instead used the space to go around him to the basket or pass inside. Letting Birch take himself out of position. This was the first game (other than LBS where he only played 4 minutes) where he was a non-factor on the glass. Only one rebound in his 15 minutes.

Nas is just Nas. Another solid performance. Doing all the things he is supposed to do. The free throw shooting slump, though, is starting to hurt.

Gibbs, as I mentioned before, needs to find some time to rest. He isn’t going to be able to keep this pace. Especially when teams are absolutely focused on him. Making him work that much harder most of the game to get free for a shot. He’s getting better at giving up the ball on offense without Woodall. I think some of that is simply beginning to trust and know what his teammates can do. He also had no choice in this game, as OSU spent much of the game swarming him — forcing him to give up the ball.

The rebounding once again was very strong. Limiting OSU on second chance points. And the effort was consistent. 21 rebounds in the first half (7 offensive) and 22 in the second half (7 offensive).