Oklahoma State Prepares for Road Game Against Southern Illinois

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will once again be looking to get back to .500 on the season as the Pokes travel up to Carbondale, Illinois, for the return trip against the Southern Illinois Salukis. 

The Cowboys will be looking to avenge a loss to SIU last season as the Salukis won in Stillwater last season, 61-60. The Salukis also hold the all-time record between the two programs, five games to two.

The Cowboys are coming off a 79-65 home loss to Creighton this past weekend, moving to 3-4 on the season with the loss.

The Salukis are led by senior guard, Xavier Johnson. A senior out of Germantown, Maryland, Johnson’s averaging an impressive 23.1 points per game on 50% shooting from the field. He’s also shooting 45% from 3-point range and leads the team in assists with 5.0 per game. 

The next closest Saluki to Johnson is Jovan Stulic, who’s averaging 9.9 points per game on 50% shooting from the field.

On the season, the Salukis are averaging 79.4 points per game on 48% shooting from the field, 40% from 3-point range and have combined to go 71% from 3-point range. 

As for the Cowboys, following the loss to Creighton, they’re averaging 75 points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 34% from 3-point range. They’re led by guard Javon Small, who’s averaging nearly 16-points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 40% from 3-point range. 

The NCAA also released its first NET rankings of the 2023-24 season, with the Cowboys checking in at No. 196. The only Big 12 team with a worse ranking is West Virginia at No. 209. For comparison, Southern Illinois checks in at No. 80.