Oral Roberts a Different Looking Team Than 2024-25, Connor Dow Returns to Stillwater
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State opens its season Tuesday evening as the Pokes play host to Oral Roberts. It’s kind of an impossible task to try and preview this match up as both teams look drastically different than they did last year, especially the Golden Eagles as they return just two players, with only one recording stats.
The two returning players are Chase Martin and Luke Gray. Martin, originally from Jenks (OK) HS, transferred in before last season and redshirted. The only returning player from last year’s team is Luke Gray, who averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds last year as a freshman.
They do, however, have former Cowboy guard, Connor Dow, who averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game across 54 games in Stillwater. He shot 30% from the floor, 27% from 3-point range and nearly 65% from the free throw line.
Just like Lutz and the Cowboys, head coach Kory Barnett built his team out of the transfer portal. Barnett was announced as the new head coach in late March 2025 and got to work, adding eight players out of the transfer portal to go along with four high school signees.
“They had an exhibition game with Central Baptist that we watched, but beyond that … They made 19 threes in that game, and they rebounded the basketball well. They overmatched their competition,” Lutz said of Oral Roberts. “They had a closed scrimmage with Abilene Christian but there was no video. The coach at Abilene Christian and I have been friends for 25-years, so we talked a little bit. It is more about us than about Oral Roberts.”
ORU beat Central Baptist 118-63 in the exhibition Lutz spoke of.
So, I say it’s kind of an impossible task to try and preview this game because the Golden Eagles, who were 7-23 last season, have just one returning player who recorded stats. Regardless, the Cowboys lead the all-time series over ORU 21-5, including the last six. Mike Boynton started the series back up in 2017, winning five-straight games, with Steve Lutz and the Pokes beating the Golden Eagles in Stillwater last year, 86-74.
Here’s what ORU assistant coach Will Saxon had to say about the match up.
According to the ORU game notes, the projected starters for the Golden Eagles are G Jack Turner (6-3), G Ty Harper (6-3), G Connor Dow (6-6), F Ofri Naveh (6-7) and F Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams (6-10). Combined, this group averaged just 24.2 points per game last year at their respective former schools.
Tipoff for the season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+.
