STILLWATER – The stage is set. Oklahoma State will face West Virginia for the second time in less than a week in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament on Thursday, March 11 in Kansas City.
Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
This will be the third match up between these two teams this season as the Mountaineers took the first game back in January, 87-84.
The Cowboys are fresh off an 85-80 upset of No. 6 West Virginia on the road in Morgantown. With both Cade Cunningham and Isaac Likekele on the sidelines with injuries, it was sophomore Avery Anderson III who picked up the reins. He scored a career-high 31 points on 79% shooting from the field.
"I think it's a great sign for Oklahoma State basketball that we've got a guy who's gotten better,” said head coach Mike Boynton. “I think he's the most improved player in the country. I think he's the most improved player in our league by far and today was an example — with our best player in Cade [Cunningham] and our leader in [Isaac Likekele] both out, that he did just a little bit more. He's been playing well now. He's having a really good year, but I thought today, knowing what the moment required, that he stepped up to the challenge and really met it."
Whether or not Cunningham and Likekele will be back in time for the Big 12 tourney is yet to be seen. Cunningham suffered an ankle sprain against Baylor on Thursday night, and Likekele is still recovering from a hand injury he sustained in practice prior to the first of back-to-back Bedlam games.
"I don't want to presume that,” said Boynton of Cunningham and Likekele’s status. “You know it's Saturday now, we don't play until Thursday. Certainly hopeful, but again, it's always about, where are they? [Are] our medical people telling us they're good? And that means, can they go out and play as hard as they need to help us win. If they can do that physically, then I feel good that they'll be there, but we'll take it day-by-day."
The Cowboys are playing some of the best basketball of all the teams in the Big 12 right now. They’ve won 7 of the last 9 games, including top 10 wins over No. 6 Texas, No. 7 OU and No. 6 West Virginia. That also includes wins over No. 15 Texas Tech and No. 16 OU.
Wednesday, March 10
No. 8 TCU vs. No. 9 Kansas State (ESPN)
5:30 p.m.
No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Iowa State (ESPN)
8:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 11
No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (ESPN/2)
10:30 a.m.
No. 1 Baylor vs. Game 1 Winner (ESPN/2)
1:30 p.m.
No. 2 Kansas vs. Game 2 Winner (ESPN/2)
5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Texas vs. No. 6 Texas Tech (ESPN/2)
8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 12
Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner (ESPN/2)
5:30 p.m.
Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner (ESPN/2)
8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13
Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner (ESPN)
5:00 p.m.
