Cowboys-Sooners collide Saturday in OKC

Saturday, December 14

Paycom Center / Oklahoma City

7:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma

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December 12, 2024 | Cowboy Basketball

Cowboy Notes (PDF)Sooner Notes (PDF)Watch Listen Live Stats Tickets Series History

OKLAHOMA STATE (6-2) at No. 13/17 OKLAHOMA (9-0)
Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas Bedlam Rivalry
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 | 7 p.m. CT
Oklahoma City, Okla. | Paycom Center

Tickets: okstate.com/tickets
Watch: ESPNU (Mark Neely & Tim Welsh)
Listen: Cowboy Radio Network & The Varsity App (Dave Hunziker & John Holcomb)
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
The Series: OU leads 143-106 (OSU leads 2-1 in OKC)
Last: Feb. 24, 2024 in Stillwater (OU, 84-82 in ot)

Watch: The game will air on ESPNU with Mark Neely and Tim Welsh with streaming available to verified subscribers through the ESPN app.

Listen: Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb describe the action on stations across the Cowboy Radio Network. Fans outside the listening area can tune in via the Varsity Sports App or at okstate.com/listen.

The Steve Lutz Radio Show: Get the latest insights into Cowboy Basketball on head coach Steve Lutz's weekly radio show -- Thursday night's from 6-7 p.m. on the Cowboy Radio Network.

Opening Tips:

The Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday evening at Oklahoma City's Paycom Center in the 250^th men's basketball edition of the Bedlam series.
This is the beginning of a new chapter for this rivalry, following Oklahoma's summer move to the SEC. The two schools had shared a league since 1958 (Big 8 then Big 12) they've played at least once in every season since 1927-28.
The people of Oklahoma Oil and Natural Gas is the new title sponsor of the Bedlam Rivalry series, an annual all-sports competition between the two athletic departments. OSU has won nine of the last 11 trophies.
Cowboy Basketball has played a part in that run, winning seven of its last 10 against OU but will be looking to avenge a pair of close losses from last year.
On Feb. 24, 2024 at GIA, OU's Javian McCollum hit an off-balance three as time expired to give the Sooners an 84-82 overtime victory in the final Big 12 era contest.
Steve Lutz will get his first taste of Bedlam on Saturday. Likewise, Bedlam will get its first taste of Lutz. OSU's new head coach brings a fast and physical brand of basketball to Stillwater after rapid rebuilds at Western Kentucky and A&M-Corpus Christi.
A year ago, Lutz's Hilltoppers led the nation in adjusted tempo, per KenPom, and the current Cowboys rank 18th.
OSU is also among the NCAA leaders in steals (15th, 10.0), takeaways (19th, 16.5), turnover margin (17th, +5.1), fastbreak points (14th, 17.3) and free throws made (17th, 19.3).
Playing fast requires a deep bench. OSU reserves are contributing 39.5 points (7th) while logging 43.4% of the minutes (9th). A group of 10 rotation players all average between 12 and 23 minutes.
OSU scored 58 points off of 37 turnovers last week in road wins at Tulsa (76-55) and Seton Hall (85-76).
One of just three returning lettermen from last year, Bryce Thompson became the 45th member of OSU's 1,000-point club during the Charleston Classic. He's averaging 11.3 points while shooting better than 40% from three.
Lutz brought in 13 newcomers this summer (all but one of them transfers), including leading scorer and rebounder, Abou Ousmane (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and sixth-man Marchelus "Chi Chi" Avery (12.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
This is the last of six consecutive road and neutral site games for OSU, which will be home next Wednesday for the first time in 34 days against Tarleton State (7 p.m. CT, ESPN+).

Last Time on Cowboy Basketball:
Sunday, Dec. 8 in Newark, N.J. | OSU 85, Seton Hall 76

OSU rattled Seton Hall with its defensive pressure, using a series of turnovers and fastbreak baskets to build a 19-point halftime lead on the way to an 85-76 road win.
The victory clinched a 6-5 decision for the Big 12 in its annual challenge series with the Big East
Robert Jennings II and Jamyron Keller scored 14 each, Khalil Brantley tacked on eight assists, and junior guard Arturo Dean tallied four steals including the 200th of his collegiate career.
OSU shot 56.9% to Seton Hall's 50%.
The Cowboys made 11 of their first 13 shots, including 5-of-7 from three, during a 27-9 start and led 45-26 at the intermission. They registered 10 first-half takeaways while outscoring SHU 17-2 off turnovers and 16-0 on fastbreaks.
Seton Hall committed just four more turnovers after halftime and succeeded in cutting a 25-point to as little as seven with 54 seconds to play, but the Cowboys finished the game with eight consecutive free throw makes.

More Seton Hall Leftovers:

OSU had its most efficient offensive performance of the young season (1.25 points on 68 possessions) against a Seton Hall team that's currently ranked 32nd in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metrics.
Seton Hall had entered the day ranked third nationally in scoring defense (56.6 points). The Cowboys reached that mark with over 12:00 to go and added 29 more the rest of the way.
Jamyron Keller shared high scoring honors with Robert Jennings II and became the seventh different Cowboy to take a turn atop the chart.
Khalil Brantley's eight assists were the most by an OSU player this season.
OSU is 2-1 when allowing its opponent to shoot 50% or better from the field. Last year's team was 1-9 in those instances.
The Cowboys' .569 shooting percentage was a season best, as were their 21 assists (on 29 baskets, .724 Ast%). They matched another with 10 three-point field goals.
OSU attempted a season-low 19 free throws but converted a season-high 89.5% of them (17-of-19). Notably, there are 148 Division I teams AVERAGING fewer than 19.0 attempts per game. The Cowboys made 13-of-14 second half free throws attempts, including eight straight in the final 60 seconds to help ice the game.
Seton Hall grabbed just 24 rebounds -- fewest by an OSU opponent since Dec. 10, 2023 when they limited Tulsa to 23 boards in a 72-57 victory inside the Paycom Center.
The Cowboys converted 19 of their 25 shots from inside the arc (.760). It was the sixth-highest 2-point percentage in program history and the best by an OSU team in a true road setting.

OSU Single-Game Bests // 2-Point % (1952-Pr.):
.815 – Florida Atlantic (11/10/2006) – 22 FGM /27 FGA
.793 – vs. Tulane (3/22/1992) – 23/29
.788 – New Orleans (11/20/2023) – 26/33
.786 – Kansas State (1/9/1993) – 22/28
.769 – Langston (12/4/2011) – 20/26
.760 – at Seton Hall (12/8/2024) – 19/25

Trending:

OSU has scored at least 76 points in each of the first eight games -- a feat matched by just one other team in program history. The 1989-90 Cowboys, led by sophomore Byron Houston, scored 79-or-more in each of their first nine contests. Houston put up 18.4 points per game in that stretch.
OSU is 6-0 when holding its opponent under 80 points (0-2 otherwise).
On a per-40-minute basis, nine Cowboy regulars are averaging double-figure points led by Abou Ousmane (24.0), Chi Chi Avery (22.0) and Bryce Thompson (19.6).
OSU has won six straight December games going back to 2023.
OSU has held a halftime lead in seven of the eight games this year. The exception was the Nov. 24 loss to Nevada.
The Cowboys have outscored opponents by an average of 20.6 to 10.5 off takeaways and 17.3 to 6.4 on fastbreaks.
OSU is 5-0 when scoring at least 20 points off of turnovers.

Cowboys on the NCAA Leaderboard:
OSU junior guard Arturo Dean is the NCAA's active career leader in steals per game (2.86).
Including his time at FIU, Dean has recorded steals in 16 straight games and in 46 of the last 48 going back to his freshman year.
Dean recorded his 200th career steal at Seton Hall. He's one of just 10 active DI players who have reached that milestone and is the only one in that group who is not a senior.
Arkansas transfer Davonte "Devo" Davis, likewise, ranks among the NCAA's active career leaders in games played. The Seton Hall game was his 140th (tied for 19th).

Milestone Watch:

Brandon Newman needs 32 points to reach 1,000 for his NCAA career
Arturo Dean needs 143 points to reach 1,000 for his NCAA career.

The Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas Bedlam Series:

The 2024-25 school year marks the 26th season of the Bedlam Series, highlighting the competitive spirit between the Cowboys and the Sooners in a wide range of sports across the athletic department.
Points are awarded for head-to-head wins or (in cross country, track and golf) to the team with the best finish in shared competitions.
OSU has a 13-11-1 lead with nine wins in the last 11 years. The Pokes' 21-9 victory in 2023-24 was the most lopsided in series history for either school, topping their 23-12 win in 2020-21.
OSU entered the week with a 4-1 lead in the 2024-25 series. The schools will face off in both wrestling (Friday) and men's basketball (Saturday) this weekend.

OSU in OKC:

OSU has played 137 total games in Oklahoma City and won more than 80 percent of them (109-26). The bulk of those contests took place under Henry Iba (68-15) who help launch the All-College tournament in the mid-1930s and came away with first-place trophies in 11 of his 20 appearances in the event from 1936-55.
The Cowboys are 15-5 all-time at the Paycom Center, home of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
Last December's 72-57 victory over Tulsa marked their first appearance since the 2013-14 season when they defeated Louisiana Tech.
OSU was involved in the arena's first-ever college basketball game – on Jan. 3, 2003 – when it defeated BYU in the first half of a doubleheader that also involved OU and Michigan State.
Paycom Center has hosted two Big 12 tournaments (2007, 2009) as well as first and second round action in four separate NCAA tournaments (2003, 2005, 2010 and 2016) with another on the way in 2026.
OSU has won some big games at Paycom Center, including top-25 takedowns of No. 23 Tennessee (12/22/2005), No. 7 Pittsburgh (12/21/2006), No. 7 Texas A&M (3/9/2007) and No. 6 Oklahoma (3/12/2009). The Cowboys also punched their 2005 Sweet 16 ticket with victories over Southeastern Louisiana and Southern Illinois.
This is only the fourth time that OSU and Oklahoma have gone head-to-head in Oklahoma City. OSU won a 2009 Big 12 quarterfinal clash. The other two happened much, much earlier at the old Municipal Auditorium (now Civic Center Music Hall): The Sooners won a 1939 district playoff game, 30-21, to earn one of eight spots in the inaugural NCAA tournament field. The Cowboys capped the 1941-42 season with a 44-35 victory in a benefit game for the Naval Relief Society.

The Series with Oklahoma:

The 250th meeting in the 117-year-old men's basketball rivalry begins a new chapter following Oklahoma's summer move to the SEC. The two schools have shared a league (Big 8 then Big 12) since 1958.
This is the 98th consecutive season that the teams have met on the hardwood.
OU leads 142-106, however the Cowboys have taken seven of the last 10.
OSU swept all three games in 2022-23, capped by a win in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, but the Sooners turned the tables in 2023-24 with a pair of close victories.
In Norman (Feb. 10, 2024), the Cowboys led 55-50 with less than 5:00 to play, but the Sooners finished on a 14-6 run to claim a 66-62 win.
In Stillwater (Feb. 24, 2024), Javian McCollum delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in Bedlam history, sinking a corner three at the overtime buzzer for an 84-82 Sooner victory.

Scouting the Sooners:

Fourth-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser lost four of his top six scorers from last year's team, which finished 20-12 (8-10 Big 12) and was one of the last four squads omitted from the 2024 NCAA tournament.
Picked 15th out of 16 teams in the SEC's preseason media poll, Moser's 9-0 Sooners are, instead, 13th-best in the nation, according to the latest AP rankings, and enter Saturday as one of just seven remaining unbeatens in the Division I ranks.
6-7 senior Jalon Moore (2024 Honorable Mention All-Big 12) has stepped into a larger role, averaging a team-best 18.2 points and 6.3 rebounds.
The only other returning starter is 6-10 fifth-year Sam Godwin – last year's KenPom national leader in offensive rebound percentage (20.9%). Godwin is averaging 6.3 rebounds – tied with Moore for the team lead – in 19.3 minutes per game.
OU has gotten a lift from a strong transfer class, but its most impactful newcomer is a true freshman. 6-foot-4 guard Jeremiah Fears is averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 assists and 2.6 steals. Per KenPom, his 33.1 usage rate is the nation's 12th highest
Dayton grad transfer Kobe Elvis (4.1 apg, 2.64 A:TO ratio) and former High Point standout Duke Miles (9.9 ppg, 2.0 spg, team-best 16 threes on 47.1% accuracy) have also been helpful additions to the Sooner backcourt. Both have started all nine games.
Fears and Miles have been two of the primary defensive catalysts on an OU team that ranks eighth nationally in steals per game (10.6) and third in steal percentage (15.3).
The Sooners are averaging 81.7 points on 47.7% shooting on offense, helped by a strong 36.5% three-point percentage.
Moore (42/50, .840) and Fears (48/55, .873) are averaging a combined 10.0 points per game on free throws alone. They've accounted for more than half of the Sooner attempts and are a big reason why OU ranks 11th nationally in team percentage (.805).

OSU vs. the Top-25:

No. 13 Oklahoma is the Cowboys' first nationally-ranked opponent of the season.
OSU was 1-6 last year against top-25 opponents (1-5 Big 12) with a home upset of No. 19 BYU on Feb. 17, 2024. Jamyron Keller led the charge, making all eight field goal attempts and both free throws on his way to a career-high 22 points.
Inside GIA, OSU is 77-84 all-time against AP ranked opponents.
The Cowboys last defeated a top-25 team outside of GIA on Feb. 11, 2023 at No. 11 Iowa State.

Matchup Mashup:

Seven of the 11 Cowboy regulars have faced OU at least once, but only three of them have done so in an OSU uniform.
Devo Davis set his career scoring high (26 points) against the Sooners during his freshman season at Arkansas (Dec. 11, 2021 inside Tulsa's BOK Center).
Bryce Thompson will face OU for the seventh time (six with OSU and one at KU). He was injured for both of last year's Bedlam games but scored in double-figures in each of the Cowboys' three 2022-23 victories. In the Jan. 18, 2023 win in Stillwater he finished with 19 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
This is the second of three December games against in-state rivals. The Cowboys won at Tulsa (76-55) on Dec. 4 and will play host to Oral Roberts on Dec. 22.

A Cowboy win would...

Improve their season record to 7-2.
Make them 1-0 against nationally ranked opponents with victories in two of their last three encounters going back to last season.
Be their first top-25 win since beating No. 19 BYU on Feb. 17, 2024 in GIA.
Be their highest rated win since Feb. 11, 2023 at No. 11 Iowa State.
Make them 4-2 away from GIA (compared to 2-12 a season ago).
Give them wins in eight of the last 11 Bedlam games going back to 2020.
Make them 3-1 all-time vs. OU in OKC (2-0 at Paycom Center).
Improve Steve Lutz's career mark to 77-37.
Give them seven straight December wins going back to 2023.

Up Next: Tarleton State
Wednesday, Dec. 18 | 7 p.m. CT | ESPN+

The Cowboys are back home for th first time in 34 days to take on the Tarleton State Texans.
OSU opened the season with three straight home victories -- the last against Southern Illinois on Nov. 14.
Based in Stephenville, Texas with an enrollment of just over 14,000 students, TSU is in its first season of full NCAA Division I membership following a four-year transition from Division II.
The Texans are in their fifth season under former Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie.
TSU was ineligible for NCAA postseason play last year but capped a 25-win season with a run to the CIT semifinals. The Texans were runner-up in the WAC regular season race (16-4) and finished with a No. 135 NET Ranking.