Charlotte @ Oklahoma State preview

Having proved it can win without its best player, Oklahoma State may get a chance to do it again Monday against visiting Charlotte. Minus Jeffrey Carroll, the Cowboys used a balanced approach on offense to win their season opener and will now get a crack at the 49ers and Jon Davis.

Carroll, a unanimous preseason All-Big 12 honoree, is being held out of games pending a review of the basketball program in the wake of the arrest and firing of former associate head coach Lamont Evans in the FBI's investigation into bribery and corruption. Carroll's absence didn't matter in the opener against Pepperdine as the Cowboys dominated the Waves on the defensive end and received double figures from five players, including Lindy Waters III and Tavarius Shine. The 49ers also dominated a lesser opponent in their opener, but will need to be much better when facing the Cowboys with or without Carroll. Davis, who had 15 points and eight assists in the opener against Methodist, averaged 19.6 points last season for coach Mark Price, who is a native of Enid, Oklahoma, and a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

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ABOUT CHARLOTTE (1-0): Price tapped the Serbian pipeline with the signing of a pair of freshmen in Milos Supica and Luka Vasic. Supica, a 6-9 forward who spent the last two seasons playing for Freedom Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C., had an outstanding debut for the 49ers with 18 points in 13 minutes. Vasic, a 6-8 guard who was rated the No. 6 player in Connecticut by ESPN after playing for Avon Old Farms prep school, began his career for the 49ers with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (1-0): Knowing that replacing Jawun Evans was going to be one of the keys to the season for the Cowboys, new coach Mike Boynton had to like what he saw from his point guards in the season opener as the duo of Kendall Smith and Brandon Averette combined for 13 assists against only three turnovers. If Carroll remains out, Smith may have to score a bit more, something he proved he could do last season when averaging 16.7 points for Cal Northridge. Zack Dawson, a four-star recruit and the No. 15 point guard in the country as rated by ESPN, did not play against Pepperdine.

TIP-INS

1. The Cowboys, who can start 2-0 for the 10th straight season, have a 41-7 record against teams from Conference USA, including 1-0 against the 49ers.

2. Mitchell Solomon ranks 10th in school history in offensive rebounds (200) and 13th in blocks (75) for Oklahoma State, which is 209-7 in non-conference home games since 1989.

3. Davis, a junior guard, needs 11 points to become the 27th player in Charlotte history to record 1,000 career points.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 80, Charlotte 70