Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Earns Third Straight NCAA Tournament Bid
March 15, 2015 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER - For the third straight year and the fifth time in the last seven seasons under coach Travis Ford, the Oklahoma State men's basketball team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament. The ninth seed in the West region, the Cowboys will face No. 8-seed Oregon at 5:50 p.m. CT Friday in Omaha, Neb. The game will be televised by TBS.
The Cowboys and Ducks faced off in the 2013 NCAA tournament, with Oregon securing a 68-55 win in San Jose, Calif. The only previous meeting between the two schools came in 1987, with the Ducks claiming a 68-55 win over the Pokes in Portland.
This marks the second straight year and the fifth time overall for OSU in the West region of the NCAA tournament.
With two NCAA titles, six Final Four appearances, 11 Elite Eights and 11 Sweet 16s to its credit, Oklahoma State has compiled a rich tradition in its previous 26 trips to the NCAA tournament. Only UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Louisville have more NCAA championships than Oklahoma State, who won it all in 1945 and 1946. The Cowboys earned a spot in the Final Four in 1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1995 and 2004.
The title-winning 1945 and 1946 squads were led by Hall-of-Famer Bob Kurland, who was recognized as the most outstanding player of the tournament both times. Bryant "Big Country" Reeves and John Lucas also earned NCAA tournament glory during their time at Oklahoma State, with Big Country earning most outstanding player honors at the 1995 East regional as well as a spot on the 1995 Final Four all-tournament team and Lucas recognized as most outstanding player of the 2004 East regional.
Oklahoma State is 12-5 all-time in the round of 64 and is 6-6 in the round of 32.
