Cowboys Set To Open Big 12 Championship On Wednesday Against Oklahoma

Facing Oklahoma- Here's The Scout

Oklahoma State men's basketball will head to Kansas City to take on Oklahoma on Wednesday in the opening round of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Tip is set for 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU with Rich Hollenberg & Fran Fraschilla on the call while Cowboy fans can listen to Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the Cowboy Radio Network or Varsity App.
The Cowboys enter the tournament as the No. 7-seed while the Sooners are the No. 10-seed. OSU won both meetings against Oklahoma in the regular season, completing a sweep of the Sooners for the second time in the last three seasons. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 134-105, but the Cowboys have won six of the last seven meetings between the teams.
Oklahoma State ended a five-game skid with its 71-68 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. The win was the Cowboys' sixth in their last seven with the Red Raiders while it marked their sixth quad-1 win of the season, tied for 18th most in the country. It also completed OSU's third sweep of a Big 12 opponent this season, along with Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Oklahoma closed the season winning two of its final three games, both coming against ranked opponents. First, the Sooners knocked off No. 23 Iowa State in Ames before beating No. 22 TCU in Norman two games later to close their regular season. OU upset Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament last season before falling to Texas Tech, 56-55, in the semifinals.
The Cowboys outscored Oklahoma by an average of 13 points in their two wins against the Sooners this season. They also out-rebounded OU by 7.5 per game while holding the Sooners to 38.2 percent shooting from the field and 24.3 percent shooting from three in the two games. Kalib Boone led the charge for OSU offensively, averaging 16.5 points in the two wins. Bryce Thompson also added 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game himself.

The Big 12 Championship - A Breakdown

Oklahoma State enters the postseason as the No. 7-seed and will play 10-seeded Oklahoma in one of two opening night games on Wednesday. West Virginia and Texas Tech will play in the opening game of the championship event, right before OSU and OU on Wednesday.
The winner of Oklahoma State-Oklahoma's opening round game will play two-seeded Texas in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 6 p.m. Last season, Oklahoma upset Baylor as the seven seed in the second round of the event.
The semifinals will take place on Friday with the championship game slated for Saturday at 5 p.m. In the Cowboys' last appearance in the Big 12 Championship in 2021, they advanced to the championship game as the No. 5-seed after beating West Virginia in the first round before upsetting top-seed Baylor in the semifinals.
Mike Boynton's teams have a history of peaking this time of year, as they are 17-7 in March in his six seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State, including a 1-0 start this season. Boynton's teams are 4-3 in the Big 12 Championship during in tenure at Oklahoma State, including the championship game appearance in 2021.

Late-Season Quick Hitters

Woody Newton has started 13 of the last 14 games, marking the first 13 starts of his career, and has averaged 22.4 minutes with 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 34.2 percent from three.
In the absence of Avery Anderson III, Caleb Asberry has started the last nine games, averaging 13.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 32.0 minutes per game.
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.
Only seven teams (UT Arlington, Southern Illinois, TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Kansas and Baylor) scored more than 60 points in GIA this season in 16 home games.
A big part of those numbers? The Cowboys have held a 81-32 blocked shots advantage at home, with Cisse leading the way at 27. Boone has recorded 20, himself.
For the first time in his career, Kalib Boone was named the Big 12 Player of the Week earlier this season. 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 in January, 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.
The Cowboys have led the Big 12 in blocks most of the season, ranking 16th nationally at 4.9 per game. They also lead the conference in field goal percentage defense, ranking 22nd in the nation, holding opponents to just 40.3 percent shooting from the field.
Moussa Cisse surpassed his block total from last season in the win over Texas Tech, now sitting at 55 on the season and counting. He now sits 12th in program history for blocks in a season with a chance to continue moving up throughout the postseason.

The Path to the Tournament

Oklahoma State is currently listed in the "First Four Out" section in ESPN's bracketology. The Cowboys will have an opportunity to boost its resume in the conference tournament, as seven Big 12 schools are currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Cowboys are 43rd in the N.E.T rankings while they rank 40th in the KenPom. The win over Texas Tech on Saturday gives OSU six quad-1 wins this season, tied for 18th most in the nation.
OSU enters the Big 12 Championship as the No. 7-seed. Mike Boynton's teams have fared well in the conference championship event during his tenure, making a run to the title game while knocking off top-seeded Baylor on the way in their last appearance in 2021. Boynton's teams hold a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Championship 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.

Filling the Void

Oklahoma State guard Avery Anderson III has missed the last nine 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 13.0 points per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three in those nine games.
Bryce Thompson has also taken on a portion of the scoring load, averaging 13.9 points, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal while playing 32.1 minutes per game in his last nine.
Caleb Asberry has entered the Cowboys lineup during this recent stretch, starting all nine games in Anderson III's absence. Asberry is scoring 13.2 points per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field in 32.0 minutes per game during this stretch.

1,000-Point Club

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 fifth among current Big 12 players.
Against West Virginia, Wright reached 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists for his career.

The 100 Games Played Club Gained Two More

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.

The Winning Formula This Year

In its 17 wins this season, Oklahoma State has four players (Avery Anderson III, Bryce Thompson, Kalib Boone and John-Michael Wright) averaging at least 10 points per game.
The Cowboys have shot 35.3 percent from behind the arc in their victories while allowing their opponents an average of just 60.8 points per game.
For comparison, in 14 losses just three players, Boone, Thompson and Asberry, have averaged at least 10 points or more while OSU has shot 27.9 percent from three. Opponents have still shot only 43.8 percent from the field in Cowboy losses.
Sharing the ball, alongside sharing the scoring, has been key as well. OSU has averaged 13.9 assists per game in wins while averaging 11.4 in losses.
Oklahoma State has fared well when shooting a better field goal percentage than its opponent. The Cowboys are 16-3 this season when shooting a better percentage than their opponent, while they are 1-11 when shooting the same or a worse percentage.
The Cowboys also find success when they rebound well. OSU is 14-6 when it out-rebounds its opponent, as opposed to 3-8 when it doesn't.

The Upcoming Schedule

Oklahoma State enters the Big 12 Championship as the No. 7-seed and sits on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. They'll open the tournament against 10-seeded Oklahoma on Wednesday looking to beat the Sooners for the third time this season.
Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech on Saturday in its season finale to end a five-game losing streak. The win completed a sweep of the Red Raiders, marking the Cowboys' third this season against a Big 12 opponent. It also gave them six quad-1 wins this season, tied for 18th most in the country.
The Cowboys will take on an Oklahoma team that won two of its final three games to close the season, with both wins coming against ranked opponents. The Sooners are currently ranked 66th in the N.E.T and 51st in the KenPom. Should OSU win its first-round game on Wednesday, it would match up with two-seed Texas in the quarterfinal.
Mike Boynton's teams have a history of peaking this time of year, as they are 17-7 in March in his six seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State, including a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Championship. The Cowboys will look to make a run in the conference tournament to solidify a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...

Improve the Cowboys to 106-134 in the Oklahoma series dating back to 1916.
Improve the Cowboys to 5-1 against the Sooners in Big 12 Championship games.
Improve the Cowboys to 2-2 in neutral site games this season.
Improve the Cowboys to 5-3 in the Big 12 Championship in the Mike Boynton era.
Improve the Cowboys to 18-7 in March in the Mike Boynton era.
Give it three-straight wins in the first-round of the Big 12 Championship.
Give it three wins against the same opponent in a season for the first time since 2011-12.
Give it seven wins in its last eight meetings with OU.
Be Mike Boynton's 105th career win, putting him two shy of Paul Hansen for fourth-most in school history.

Streaks and Trends

OSU has made at least one three-pointer in 758 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 13, 2001.
The Cowboys have posted 10 or more assists in 26 of 31 games this season, including three of the last four.
Dating back to last season, OSU has held 30 of its past 35 opponents under their season scoring average.
Oklahoma State has reached double-digit second chance points in 13 of 18 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 27 of 31 games this season. OSU leads the Big 12 with 4.9 blocked shots per game, which ranks 16th in the country.
OSU has held 20 of its 31 opponents to 35 percent shooting or less from the three-point line while 15 of 31 have shot less than 30 percent. The Cowboys rank 69th in the country in three-point defense, holding opponents to 32 percent.
The Cowboys have made 10 or more free throws in 21 of 31 games this season after doing so in 18 of their 30 games last season.
OSU has forced 10 or more turnovers in 21 of its last 22 Big 12 games.
Oklahoma State has recorded at least five steals in 24 of its 31 games this season.
Kalib Boone has scored 13 or more points in 10 of his last 17 games and has scored 18 or more in six of the last 12.
John-Michael Wright has scored at least 12 points in six of his last nine games. During this stretch, he is averaging 2.6 made threes per game on 35.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Caleb Asberry has started the last nine games for the Cowboys. In those starts, Asberry is averaging 13.2 points on 2.1 made threes per game.
Asberry has made at least one three in 11-straight games and 17 of 18 conference games.
OSU has recorded five or more blocks in seven of its 12 road games this season.
Bryce Thompson continues to shoot the three at a high clip in conference play, making 39.3 percent of his attempts while averaging 1.8 makes per game.
The Cowboys have shot better than 40 percent from the field in 12 of their last 14 games.
Oklahoma State is 16-3 when they shoot the same percentage or better than their opponent from the field this season. They are 1-11 when their opponent has a higher field goal percentage.
OSU has made at least 14 free throws in six of its last eight games.
The Cowboys are 14-5 this season when out-rebounding their opponent. When getting out-rebounded, they are 3-8.
OSU has reached double-digit offensive rebounds in four of its last six games. The Cowboys' 22 against Baylor was their most in a game since 2011.
Moussa Cisse has blocked three or more blocked shots in nine games this season.

Cowboys Set To Open Big 12 Championship On Wednesday Against Oklahoma

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Anderson III

Caleb Asberry

Kalib Boone

Moussa Cisse

Isaac Likekele

Woody Newton

Bryce Thompson

John-Michael Wright

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Cowboys Set To Open Big 12 Championship On Wednesday Against Oklahoma

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Anderson III

Caleb Asberry

Kalib Boone

Moussa Cisse

Isaac Likekele

Woody Newton

Bryce Thompson

John-Michael Wright

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