James Anderson is the youngest player on Oklahoma State's team, but he already has become a household name among college basketball fans.

Anderson, a 6-foot-6 swingman, is one of the top freshmen in the country. He is averaging 20.8 points per game and ranks among the top 30 scorers in NCAA Division I.

"We knew he was good. He was a McDonald's All-American," said Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton, whose squad will play No. 11 Pitt today in a non-conference game at the Petersen Events Center. "He's got a great knack for scoring. He plays with a lot of poise and confidence. He just makes plays. He's one of those guys who wants the ball when his team is struggling."

Anderson is one of seven new players on Oklahoma State's roster. The Cowboys have changed a lot since last December when they beat Pitt, 95-89, in double overtime in Oklahoma City. Forward Mario Boggan scored 30 points and JamesOn Curry 20 in an exciting game that had 19 ties and 19 lead changes.

But Boggan graduated and Curry left a year early for the NBA, leaving Anderson as the top player on an inexperienced team.

"He was going to start anyway, but with JamesOn Curry's decision to go to the NBA, he became even more important to this year's team," Sutton said. "We've probably had to rely on him more than any other freshman we've had here in a while."

Anderson most certainly will be the focus of Pitt's defensive game plan. He has scored 22 or more points in five of Oklahoma State's games and is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range. He averages almost twice as many points as any other player on the team.

"This kid can really score," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "He really shoots it well and gets out in transition. He can put it on the floor. He has good length. He goes to the offensive boards. He does a lot of good things."

The only two teams to hold Anderson below 15 points were Marquette and Illinois. Oklahoma State lost both games. But he scored 25 against LSU and 22 against Washington, and the Cowboys won those games.

"He's a good player," said senior guard Mike Cook, who will be matched up against Anderson. "He has good size. He can shoot the ball. We'll have to stick to him a lot more. The main thing is not to leave him and keep my hands up on the shots."

Oklahoma State (5-3) is feeling its way through a challenging early season schedule. Pitt is its fifth opponent from one of the six major conferences in the first nine games. Most of Oklahoma State's troubles have come away from home. The Cowboys are 1-3 at road or neutral-site games.

"This team is pretty young," Sutton said. "It's been a transition and a slow process. We haven't been as consistent as some of the teams we've had in the past. But it's still a good team. This team's strength is on the perimeter. Last year, we had a good blend inside and outside."

In Oklahoma State's last game against East Tennessee State, Sutton went to a four-guard lineup with the score tied, 65-65, and seven minutes remaining. The Cowboys scored the final 13 points to win.

Sutton liked the four-guard look and said he could use the lineup again today against Pitt, especially if the Panthers are having success in transition.

"We'll probably start with our normal lineup, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of using four guards if we have a hard time containing them and keeping them out of transition," Sutton said. "That's one thing I see in them this year where they're much better scoring in transition.

"Sam Young has made tremendous improvement. Cook and [Levance] Fields are much improved. [DeJuan] Blair is doing a good job inside for them. They're definitely a top-10 team and a legitimate Sweet 16 type of team.

"If they play well in March, they have a chance to make the Final Four because they're so good defensively and so tough."

Today

• Game: No. 11 Pitt (9-0) vs. Oklahoma State (5-3), noon.

• Where: Petersen Events Center.

• TV: ESPN.