Oklahoma State University Athletics
Saturday, February 25
Stillwater, OK
1 P.M. CT
Oklahoma State University
vs
Kansas State
Cowboys Set To Play Host To Kansas State For Senior Day And Alumni Weekend
February 24, 2023 | Cowboy Basketball
Facing Kansas State- Here's The Scout
- Oklahoma State men's basketball will return home to face No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday as it looks to snap a three-game losing streak. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on ESPNU with Drew Carter and Fran Fraschilla on the call while Cowboy fans can listen to Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the Cowboy Radio Network or Varsity App.
- Kansas State enters the contest with a 21-7 record on the season, including a 9-6 mark in Big 12 play. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back ranked wins at home, first beating Iowa State last Saturday before beating Baylor on Tuesday. Now they come to Stillwater riding momentum, still only having won three of their nine road games this season.
- Kansas State leads the all-time series, 85-58, and added to it with its win over Oklahoma State in Manhattan earlier this season. The Cowboys had won four straight against the Wildcats before last season, but Kansas State has since taken two of the last three. OSU will look to make it four-straight home wins in the series on Saturday.
- The Wildcats won 65-57 in the first meeting between the teams on January 10th. Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell led all scorers with 20 while the Wildcats leading scorer Keyontae Johnson added 12. Oklahoma State struggled against the Kansas State defense, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three, but 23 points from Kalib Boone kept OSU within striking distance throughout the game.
- First-year head coach Jerome Tang waited patiently for his opportunity to lead a team, and he's making the most of it with the Wildcats. Tang has led Kansas State to its best season with a first-year head coach in program history, boasting a 21-7 record and top 15 national ranking. The Wildcats sit in a tie with Baylor and two games back of Kansas and Texas atop the Big 12 standings with three games to play.
- John-Michael Wright, a High Point transfer, brings experience and poise to the Oklahoma State locker room. In the 2021-22 season, his junior year of eligibility, he played and started in all 32 games for High Point while averaging 34.9 minutes per contest. He shot .410 from the field and .363 from behind the arc as he averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
- He finished the year with the eighth-best assist-turnover ratio in the Big South, the ninth-best field goal percentage, had the second-most free throw attempts (third-most made), led the conference in scoring average and had the eighth-most assists.
- Alongside Wright from the transfer ranks is Caleb Asberry from Texas State. He started all 29 games during the 2021-22 season, the only Bobcat to do that, as he led the team in scoring with a career-high 13.6 points and also paced the team in minutes played (847), steals (37), three-pointers made (63).
- Asberry was notably a two-time All-Sun Belt (2021: Third Team, 2022: First Team) selection.
- The lone freshman of the group, Quion Williams, joins the Cowboys from Jonesboro. During his high school career, Williams helped lead his team to two state championships and a 30-3 record.
- Woody Newton has started the last 11 games, marking the first 11 starts of his career, and has averaged 24.3 minutes with 6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 40.7 percent from three.
- After the Wichita State result earlier this season in Wichita, Oklahoma State has now held at least one opponent to less than 50 points in a game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016.
- There have been 17 seasons since the 2000-01 year that OSU had at least one game holding an opponent to less than 50 points while the program has done so in back-to-back seasons 13 times during the stretch.
- Just six teams, Baylor, Texas, TCU (twice), Kansas and West Virginia have scored more than 69 points on the Cowboys in 15 Big 12 games thus far while only three (TCU, Texas Tech and Kansas) have scored more than 60 in Stillwater.
- Only five teams (UT Arlington, Southern Illinois, TCU, Texas Tech and Kansas) have scored more than 60 points in GIA this season through the first 14 home games of the season.
- A big part of those numbers? The Cowboys have held a 74-30 blocked shots advantage at home, with Cisse leading the way at 26. Boone has recorded 17, himself.
- For the first time in his career, Kalib Boone was named the Big 12 Player of the Week last week. Boone averaged 21.5 points and 5.0 rebounds as the surging Cowboys won three straight games and five of six.
- For his efforts against Iowa State and Oklahoma last month, Oklahoma State's Avery Anderson III was named the Big 12 Player of the Week. He averaged 16.0 points per game. The honor was the first of his career.
- Mike Boynton's teams continue to peak at the right time. In the last four seasons, his teams are 17-14 in the month of February, including a 4-3 mark this season. In March, his teams are 16-7 in his six seasons at the helm, including a 4-3 record in the Big 12 tournament.
- Oklahoma State is currently listed in the "last four byes" section and as an 11 seed in ESPN's bracketology. The Cowboys next two opponents are each ranked in the top 15 nationally (Kansas State and Baylor) while their final opponent, Texas Tech, is listed as "next four out."
- The Cowboys are 42nd in the N.E.T rankings while they rank 39th in the KenPom. Their recent losses dropped them from the 29th spot in both the N.E.T and KenPom last week.
- If the season ended today, OSU would enter the Big 12 tournament as the seven-seed. Mike Boynton's teams have fared well in the conference tournament during his tenure, making a run to the title game while knocking off top-ranked Baylor on the way in their last appearance in 2021. Boynton's teams hold a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Tournament in his six seasons at OSU.
- Oklahoma State has made one NCAA Tournament appearance during Mike Boynton's six seasons in Stillwater. Not only did the team make the tournament in 2021, but it won its first-round game, marking OSU's first NCAA Tournament win since 2009. The Cowboys would fall in the Round of 32 to Oregon State.
- Oklahoma State guard Avery Anderson III has missed the last six games and is out indefinitely. In 22 games this season, Anderson III averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Anderson III was also one of two Cowboys (Kalib Boone) to be named Big 12 Player of the Week this season.
- Anderson III's absence has opened the door for Oklahoma State's other veteran guards to step up. John-Michael Wright has done just that, averaging 14.0 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three in those six games.
- Bryce Thompson has also taken on a portion of the scoring load, averaging 14.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals while playing 32.5 minutes per game in his last six.
- Caleb Asberry has entered the Cowboys lineup during this recent stretch, starting all six games in Anderson III's absence. Asberry is scoring 11.7 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field in 30.9 minutes per game during this stretch.
- Avery Anderson III joined Oklahoma State's 1,000-career point club against Oklahoma earlier this month in Gallagher-Iba Arena. While teammates Caleb Asberry and John-Michael Wright won't count toward the OSU records, as they transferred in at the start of the season, they are both part of the larger club that spans the nation.
- Around the league, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas all have four on their current roster while Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have three. Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia and TCU have two.
- For Wright, he currently has the 43rd-most career points in Division I basketball and is fourth among current Big 12 players.
- Wright reached a career-milestone against West Virginia on Monday with his first assist of the game, giving him 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in his career.
- Based on his first 15 games in Stillwater last season, in comparison to the final 15 of last year, the evidence shows Moussa Cisse got better as the year went along and was playing his best basketball at the end of the season.
- Through his first 15 contests as a Cowboys, Cisse was shooting 49.2 percent from the field while averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 points and was playing 17.5 minutes per game.
- Flip it to the last 15 games, and Cisse shot 61.5 percent from the field while averaging 7.5 rebounds with 8.1 points and was playing 22.4 minutes per game.
- Just looking at the last 10 games of the season, he recorded a double-double in three contests (West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma) and had multi-digit rebounds in six of them, including all of the final four.
- In that stretch of games down the stretch, the numbers immediately jump out from the West Virginia win on Feb. 12. Cisse posted 18 points with 10 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive side of the ball.
- Oklahoma State's Avery Anderson III and Kalib Boone both played in their 100th game in a Cowboy uniform against Kansas in the Big 12 opener for the Cowboys. In doing so, they became the first two players on the current roster to play 100 college basketball games. John-Michael Wright, who transferred in, played his 100th basketball game against West Virginia.
- Other notable members of the club include Darwyn Alexander, Joe Adkins, James Anderson, Markel Brown, Terry Collins, JamesOn Curry, Byron Eaton, Marcus Dove, Phil Forte, Isaac Likekele, Desmond Mason, Ivan McFarlin, Marshall Moses, Keiton Page and more.
- Anderson III's first game came on Nov. 6, 2019, in an 80-75 win against Oral Roberts in Gallagher-Iba Arena. He played 13 minutes with five points, two steals and an assist.
- Kalib Boone's first game was the same night. He played 10 minutes, bringing in four rebounds and recorded two blocks.
- Oklahoma State is gearing up for the stretch run, with only three games left before the Big 12 conference tournament. Two of those three games will be at home - Kansas State and Baylor - while the Cowboys will travel to Lubbock to play Texas Tech.
- Before losing its last three, Oklahoma State had won five-straight games, its longest streak of the season. The streak began with a dominant win over Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge before the Cowboys completed a sweep of Oklahoma in Norman. They then returned home to knock off then No. 15 TCU and beat Texas Tech. The fifth win in a row took place in Ames, where the Cowboys completed a season sweep of Iowa State for the second time in the last three seasons.
- The Cowboys have dropped the last three games but will need to rebound quickly as its next two opponents are ranked in the top 14. Fortunately for Oklahoma State, both of those games will be played in Stillwater, starting with No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday before No. 9 Baylor comes to town on Monday. OSU will conclude its regular season with a trip to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech.
- Mike Boynton's teams have a history of peaking this time of year, as they are 17-14 in the last four seasons in the month of February, including a 4-3 mark so far this year. Boynton's teams are also 16-7 in March in his six seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State, including a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Tournament.
- Improve the Cowboys to 59-85 in the Kansas State series dating back to 1922.
- Improve the Cowboys to 37-28 against the Wildcats in Stillwater.
- Improve the Cowboys to 8-4 in games directly following a loss this season.
- Improve the Cowboys to 5-3 in February.
- Improve the Cowboys to 12-3 at home this season.
- Give it two wins in its last three games against the Wildcats.
- Give it four-straight home wins against Kansas State.
- Give it six wins in its last nine games.
- Be its fourth win against a ranked opponent this season.
- Be Mike Boynton's 24th career win against a ranked opponent.
- Be Mike Boynton's 104th career win, putting him three shy of Paul Hansen for fourth-most in school history.
- Be the Cowboys' eighth conference win this season, matching their total from last season.
- OSU has made at least one three-pointer in 755 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 13, 2001.
- The Cowboys have posted 10 or more assists in 34 of their past 40 games dating back to last season.
- Dating back to last season, OSU has held 27 of its past 32 opponents under their season scoring average.
- Oklahoma State has reached double-digit second chance points in ten of 15 conference games this season, with a high of 16 against Kansas State and Baylor.
- As a team, the Cowboys have reached at least three blocks in 26 of 28 games this season. OSU leads the Big 12 with 5.0 blocked shots per game, which ranks 16th in the country.
- OSU has held 20 of its 28 opponents to 35 percent shooting or less from the three-point line while 15 of 28 have shot less than 30 percent. The Cowboys rank 39th in the country in three-point defense, holding opponents to 30.8 percent.
- The Cowboys have made 10 or more free throws in 21 of 28 games this season after doing so in 18 of their 30 games last season.
- OSU has forced 10 or more turnovers in 18 of its last 19 Big 12 games.
- Oklahoma State has recorded at least five steals in 24 of its 28 games this season.
- Kalib Boone has scored 13 or more points in nine of his last 14 games and has scored 18 or more in five of the last nine.
- John-Michael Wright has scored at least 15 points in four of his last six games. During this stretch, he is averaging 2.7 made threes per game on 40.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
- Boone has posted 130 points while shooting 51-70 from the field in his last nine games.
- OSU has recorded five or more blocks in six of its 11 road games this season.
- Bryce Thompson continues to shoot the three at a high clip in conference play, making 39.4 percent of his attempts while averaging 1.9 makes per game.
- The Cowboys have shot better than 40 percent from the field in 10 of their last 11 games.
- Oklahoma State is 15-3 when they shoot the same percentage or better than their opponent from the field this season. They are 1-9 when their opponent has a higher field goal percentage.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
F
/ Cowboy Basketball
F
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy Basketball
G
/ Cowboy BasketballDoug Meacham Previews Cowboys vs. Arizona - Oklahoma State News Conference (9-29-2025)
Tuesday, September 30
Jacie Hoyt Preseason Media Availability (9-29-2025)
Monday, September 29
Hart Lee Dykes - Oklahoma State Hall of Honor 2025
Monday, September 29
Earl McCready - Oklahoma State Hall of Honor 2025
Monday, September 29
