Our own (or, more accurately now, Cedar Park’s own) Austin Toros welcome NBA D-League West Conference foes the Tulsa 66ers to the Cedar Park Center for games this Thursday and Sunday. (Friday and Saturday night off? Watch out, Sixth Street.) The 8-6 66ers currently hold a half-game lead over the 7-6 Toros. Austin is 3-2 at home while Tulsa is 4-3 on the road, so this looks to be quite a showdown at the CPC this week. Center Marcus Cousin is enjoying a great campaign thus far, having started all 13 games this season. He leads the squad in rebounds per game with 8.4 and is tied with guard Vernon Hamilton as the team’s leading scorer with 13.5 points per game. Cousin spent his first two years of college at Seton Hall before transferring to the University of Houston for the 2007-08 season. He started 32 of 33 for the Cougars as a senior where he shot .504 from the field and averaged 10.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. While in only his first year as a professional, Cousin hasn’t had his first cup of coffee in the NBA proper, but expect him to be get his first big break this season. And for fans of the Toros’ Capital City Dancers (and who isn’t a fan of these lovely and talented young ladies?), the first 500 attendees at Thursday’s game will receive a free CCD calendar. The gifts keep coming. Vs. Tulsa: Thu., Dec. 30, 7:30pm, and Sun, Jan. 2, 5pm. Cedar Park Center, 2100 Avenue of the Stars, Cedar Park, 512/600-5000. $5-100. www.austintoros.com.
This article appears in December 31 • 2010.