Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State releases Cowboy Basketball schedule
September 26, 2003 | Cowboy Basketball
'This is a very challenging schedule, with our inexperience and only two returning starters,' said head coach Eddie Sutton. 'We have several newcomers that need to adjust to our system, and that takes time. However, the non-conference portion of the schedule will prepare us for the always difficult Big 12 Conference.'
The non-conference schedule features nine home contests, including two exhibitions, and a game each in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The exhibition schedule will begin on Nov. 12 as the Cowboys host Athletes First.
The first regular-season contest will be Nov. 21, when OSU hosts Northwestern State. Oklahoma State will play Colorado State on Nov. 26 in the Mabee Center on the Oral Roberts University campus in Tulsa. The Pokes will then have two more home contests against Pepperdine and Texas-San Antonio before a true road contest vs. BYU in the Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz, in Salt Lake City on Dec. 6.
OSU will host NCAA Division II foe Southeastern Oklahoma State on Dec. 16. The Cowboys have faced Langston and St. Gregory's in the past, and decided it was something that would help support basketball in the state of Oklahoma.
'When we got to the end of our scheduling, we opted to take all the four-year colleges in Oklahoma, write their names on a piece of paper, and draw out of a hat,' Sutton said. 'We excluded Langston and St. Gregory's for obvious reasons. Two alums (of Southeastern) that I know quite well, Mick Thompson and Wren Baker, will be excited that their alma mater will be playing in Gallagher-Iba Arena.'
'We contemplated televising the drawing, like a lottery,' Sutton joked.
OSU will return to the road as the Cowboys travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Dec. 20, to face the Razorbacks. That will be followed by a pair of home games against Texas-Pan American and Samford.
Oklahoma State will face SMU on the hardwood on Jan. 3, as part of the Touchtone Energy All-College Classic. The Pokes and Mustangs will play at 6:30 p.m., and it will be televised by ESPN, one of four nationally televised contests for OSU. The Pokes will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Jan. 6.
Oklahoma State's conference schedule includes a total of 13 televised contests, including three Big Monday matchups. OSU will host Kansas on Monday, Feb. 9, and the following Monday, Bedlam from Norman will be on ESPN. OSU's home contest with Texas will be on Big Monday on March 1.
'When you play on Big Monday, its the best time slot you can have in college basketball,' said Sutton. 'We're thrilled that we're going to be on three times, especially with two of them being in Gallagher-Iba Arena, because this is one of the showcases for college basketball.'
