STILLWATER – Oklahoma State is playing in its second NIT in three seasons, facing Wichita State for the first time since December 2022. The Cowboys, who will be hosting the Shockers, are the No. 4 seed and will have a chance, should they win, to advance to face either SMU or Northern Iowa in the second round.
Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
Head coach Steve lutz pled the Pokes’ case following their loss to Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament last week. He met with the media on Monday
“I think the way we were trending towards the end of the season that people were taking notice of it,” said Lutz. “Obviously, we didn’t do well enough to get into the NCAAs, so when they asked us if we had an interesting in playing in some of the lesser tournaments, the answer was no. Then we talked about ‘The Crown’ and the timing of ‘The Crown’ tournament, and again the answer was no. But the NIT is one of the most historic tournaments in the country. Before the NCAAs, we had the NIT, and I’ve always grown up holding the NIT in very, very high regard.
“Again, I think these guys have a bad taste in their mouth of the way they played against Cincinnati in the Big 12 tournament, and this gives them an opportunity to compete for a championship. That’s what we came here to do: compete for championships.”
The Cowboys took the most-recent match up against the Shockers back in Dec. 2022, with a 59-49 win up in Wichita. All-time, the Cowboys lead the series 32-11 and 15-5 in Stillwater, but the Shockers have won the last three in GIA.
The Shockers, who are 19-14 overall on the season, are led by senior guard, Xavier Bell, who’s averaging 15 points per game. Junior wing Corey Washington in next with nearly 14 points and seven rebounds per game. They currently set No. 134 in the NET and are averaging nearly 74 points per game on 45% shooting from the floor.
The Cowboys have been excellent at home this season having gone 12-3 on the White Maple, which gives the fans a good product to watch Tuesday night. It’s also an opportunity to donate to the victims of the devastating wildfires over the weekend.
“On top of [competing for a championship,] it’s a home game, and we’re really gonna make a concerted effort to raise money for the fire victims and the people of Stillwater that have lost so much over the last couple of days. So, it should be a win-win and a great event. I just hope the people will come out and support it because it could be a great night for everybody.”
Here’s a list of items you can donate.
