Facing Iowa State - Here's The Scout
- Oklahoma State men’s basketball is set to play host to No. 12 Iowa State on Saturday afternoon inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+ with Pete Sousa and former Oklahoma State standout Bryndon Manzer on the call while Cowboy fans can listen to Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the Cowboy Radio Network or Varsity App.
- Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 70-67, and has won five of the past six games. OSU is 40-19 all-time at home against the Cyclones. In the series' history, the Cowboys have averaged 69.0 points per game.
- There will be lots going on Saturday inside GIA, including the annual reunion of players coached by legendary Oklahoma State head coach, Mr. Henry Iba. Former Mr. Iba players expected to return include Tim Gorsuch, Fred Utter, Don Garner, Cecil Epperley, Charles Savell, Michael Miller, Gene Johnson, Skip Iba, Moe Iba, Paul Mullen, Don Linsenmeyer, Don Wheeler, Jim Skelton, Les Berryhill, Fred Moulder, Jack Herron, V.R. Barnhouse, Sparky Grober, Kevin Leonard, Larry Hawk, Mel Wright, Arlen Clark, Gene Hawk, Dick Soergel, Ira Scott, Jerry Clark and Ward Sherrill.
- Mr. Iba, who legendary coach Dean Smith once said, “He was perhaps the greatest coach of all time, and truly an outstanding human being whom I could count on as a friend. Whether he realized it or not, he has touched every coach’s philosophy in the game,” led the Cowboys to back-to-back national championships in 1945 and 1946. In doing so, Oklahoma State became the first men's basketball team in NCAA history to win back-to-back national championships.
- For the Cyclones, they come into the game with a 14-3 record overall and a 5-1 mark in Big 12 play. Iowa State is 10-0 at home but holds a 4-3 mark in games played on the road or at neutral sites. Jaren Holmes has led the way thus far, averaging 13.2 points per game in 30.4 minutes of work to go along with 3.2 rebounds.
The New Sheriffs In Town
- John-Michael Wright, a High Point transfer, brings experience and poise to the Oklahoma State locker room. In the 2021-22 season, his junior year of eligibility, he played and started in all 32 games for High Point while averaging 34.9 minutes per contest. He shot .410 from the field and .363 from behind the arc as he averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
- He finished the year with the eighth-best assist-turnover ratio in the Big South, the ninth-best field goal percentage, had the second-most free throw attempts (third-most made), led the conference in scoring average and had the eighth-most assists.
- Alongside Wright from the transfer ranks is Caleb Asberry from Texas State. He started all 29 games during the 2021-22 season, the only Bobcat to do that, as he led the team in scoring with a career-high 13.6 points and also paced the team in minutes played (847), steals (37), three-pointers made (63).
- Asberry was notably a two-time All-Sun Belt (2021: Third Team, 2022: First Team) selection.
- The lone freshman of the group, Quion Williams, joins the Cowboys from Jonesboro. During his high school career, Williams helped lead his team to two state championships and a 30-3 record.
Mid-Season Quick Hitters
- Moussa Cisse has dominated through 18 games with five double-doubles to his name so far. The five double-doubles are the second most in the Big 12, only behind Jalen Wilson of Kansas with eight. Cisse is four double-doubles away from becoming the first Cowboy since Bryant “Big Country” Reeves to post 10 or more in a season.
- Kalib Boone, Tyreek Smith, Woody Newton and Bernard Kouma teamed up to help fill the Cisse gap, as he missed three games due to injury before returning on Wednesday night to face Oklahoma. During the stretch, Smith made three-straight starts while averaging 25.1 minutes with 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 points. Newton made the start on Wednesday night against OU.
- Boone amped up the scoring in those three games, as he averaged 15.7 points with 5.3 rebounds in 27.1 minutes of work. For Newton, he averaged 17.5 minutes with 4.7 points and 5.0 rebounds.
- After the Wichita State result, Oklahoma State has now held at least one opponent to less than 50 points in a game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016.
- There have been 17 seasons since the 2000-01 year that OSU had at least one game holding an opponent to less than 50 points while the program has done so in back-to-back seasons 13 times during the stretch.
- Just one team, Baylor, has scored more than 69 points on the Cowboys in six Big 12 games thus far while no Big 12 team has scored more than 60 in Stillwater.
- Only two teams (UT Arlington and Southern Illinois) have scored more than 60 points in GIA this season through the first nine home games of the season.
- In those nine home games, OSU has held teams to an average of 57.4 points per game and just 35.9 percent shooting from the field.
- A big part of those numbers? The Cowboys have held a 55-15 blocked shots advantage at home, with Cisse leading the way at 20. Boone has recorded 11, himself.
- Fast starts have been the key at home for the Cowboys as they have outscored their visiting foes by 54 in the first half of action in GIA.
Things That Happened In Bedlam
- Bryce Thompson recorded a career-high nine rebounds. His previous high was seven, a mark he had reached twice before in his career.
- Oklahoma natives, Kalib Boone and Thompson, combined for 34 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots in the win.
- Woody Newton recorded his first career start and took advantage. In 27 minutes of work, he posted a career-high 12 points with two three-pointers to go along with five rebounds, a block and a steal.
- Moussa Cisse made his return to the court. He played just 2 minutes but recorded a rebound and forced an Oklahoma turnover under the basket. It was his first action on the court for the Cowboys since the West Virginia game on Jan. 2.
- Gallagher-Iba Arena returned to true form. With an official attendance of 10,789, it was the largest crowd of the season and the biggest home crowd since the 11,215 who attended last year’s Bedlam game on Feb. 5.
1,000-Point Club
- Avery Anderson III joined Oklahoma State’s 1,000-career point club on Wednesday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. While teammates Caleb Asberry and John-Michael Wright won’t count toward the OSU records, as they transferred in at the start of the season, they are both part of the larger club that spans the nation.
- Around the league, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas all have four on their current roster while Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have three. Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia and TCU have two.
- For Wright, he currently has the 89th-most career points in Division I basketball and is fifth among current Big 12 players.
- Wright is within striking distance of finishing with 1,000 points, 500 rebound (28 away) and 300 assists (14 away).
Moussa Got Better Last Season - And Here's The Numbers To Show It
- Based on his first 15 games in Stillwater last season, in comparison to the final 15 of last year, the evidence shows Moussa Cisse got better as the year went along and was playing his best basketball at the end of the season.
- Through his first 15 contests as a Cowboys, Cisse was shooting 49.2 percent from the field while averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 points and was playing 17.5 minutes per game.
- Flip it to the last 15 games, and Cisse shot 61.5 percent from the field while averaging 7.5 rebounds with 8.1 points and was playing 22.4 minutes per game.
- Just looking at the last 10 games of the season, he recorded a double-double in three contests (West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma) and had multi-digit rebounds in six of them, including all of the final four.
- In that stretch of games down the stretch, the numbers immediately jump out from the West Virginia win on Feb. 12. Cisse posted 18 points with 10 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive side of the ball.
The 100 Games Played Club Gained Two More
- Oklahoma State’s Avery Anderson III and Kalib Boone both played in their 100th game in a Cowboy uniform against Kansas in the Big 12 opener for the Cowboys. In doing so, they became the first two players on the current roster to play 100 college basketball games. John-Michael Wright, who transferred in, played his 100th basketball game against West Virginia.
- Other notable members of the club include Darwyn Alexander, Joe Adkins, James Anderson, Markel Brown, Terry Collins, JamesOn Curry, Byron Eaton, Marcus Dove, Phil Forte, Isaac Likekele, Desmond Mason, Ivan McFarlin, Marshall Moses, Keiton Page and more.
- Anderson III’s first game came on Nov. 6, 2019, in an 80-75 win against Oral Roberts in Gallagher-Iba Arena. He played 13 minutes with five points, two steals and an assist.
- Kalib Boone’s first game was the same night. He played 10 minutes, bringing in four rebounds and recorded two blocks.
The Winning Formula This Year
- In its 10 wins this season, Oklahoma State has three players (Avery Anderson III, Bryce Thompson and John-Michael Wright) averaging at least 10 points per game.
- The Cowboys have shot 35.9 percent from behind the arc in their victories while allowing their opponents an average of just 58.9 points per game.
- For comparison, in the eight losses just one player, Kalib Boone, has averaged at least 10 points or more while OSU has shot 27.3 percent from three. Opponents have still averaged just 66.1 points per game in the Cowboy losses.
- Sharing the ball, alongside sharing the scoring, has been key as well. OSU has averaged 14.9 assists per game in wins while averaging 11.0 in losses.
- Turnovers have been another winning indicator as the Cowboys have averaged 13.6 in wins while forcing an average of 14.4 in contrast to an average of 15.4 in losses while opponents are averaging 12.6.
The Upcoming Schedule
- Oklahoma State is at the start a key portion of its schedule that features six of its nine games at home. The stretch started on Wednesday when it defeated in-state rival Oklahoma before it gets set to face Iowa State in GIA on Saturday.
- The Cowboys hit the road for one game next Tuesday at Texas before returning home to face Ole Miss on Jan. 28. Twenty-two years after the tragic 2001 plane crash, the Oklahoma State family will honor and continue its promise to Remember The 10 when the Cowboys face Ole Miss.
- Ten members of the OSU basketball program were lost when its plane crashed following a road game at Colorado on Jan. 27, 2001. From that moment, the University vowed to always Remember The Ten. The men who perished in the crash were: Kendall Durfey, Bjorn Fahlstrom, Nate Fleming, Will Hancock, Daniel Lawson, Brian Luinstra, Denver Mills, Pat Noyes, Bill Teegins, Jared Weiberg. At 6:37 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27, the OSU Library Carillon will once again toll 10 times in honor of each of those that have been lost.
- Following its emotional game against Ole Miss, OSU will hit the road to face Oklahoma on Feb. 1 before returning home to face TCU and Texas Tech.
- A quick trip to Ames on Feb. 11 to face Iowa State will be followed with playing host to Kansas on Feb. 14 to round out the six home games in the upcoming nine contests.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
- Improve the Cowboys to 71-67 all-time in the Iowa State series, which dates back to 1927.
- Be Oklahoma State's second-straight in the series between the two schools.
- Be OSU's sixth in the past seven meetings.
- Be the Cowboys' third win in the past four meetings in Stillwater.
- Improve the Cowboys to 41-19 all-time at home against Iowa State.
- Be Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton's 98th as head coach at Oklahoma State.
- Improve OSU to 7-4 in the past 11 meetings between the two schools.
- Be Boynton's 21st victory over a ranked opponent in his career and Oklahoma State's first this season.
- Be OSU's first victory over a Kenpom top-10 team this season and the first since defeating No. 7 Texas Tech at home last season, 52-51, on March 5 to close out the year.
- Be OSU's 58th win in the series as conference foes.
Streaks and Trends
- OSU has made at least one three-pointer in 745 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 13, 2001.
- The Cowboys have posted 10 or more assists in 25 of their past 30 games dating back to last season.
- Dating back to last season, OSU has held 21 of its past 22 opponents under their season scoring average.
- Oklahoma State has used its size to dominate in the paint offensively, outscoring 12 of its 18 opponents in the paint.
- As a team, the Cowboys have reached at least three blocks in all 18 games this season. OSU leads the Big 12 with 5.6 blocked shots per game, which ranks 16th in the country.
- The Cowboys have made 10 or more free throws in 12 of the first 18 games this season after doing so in 18 of their 30 games last season.
- OSU has forced 10 or more turnovers in 10-straight Big 12 games.
- Caleb Asberry has shown a strong ability to rebound as of late as he's brought in five or more rebounds in four-straight games.
- Bryce Thompson has brought in five or more rebounds in two of his past three games.
- Woody Newton has increased his scoring in four-straight games starting against Texas on Jan. 7. He's finished with three, four, seven and 12.
- He has also made at least one three-pointer in two-straight games and has recorded two or more rebounds in nine consecutive contests.
- Asberry has made a three-pointer in seven-straight games and has scored 14 or more points in two of his past three games.
- Kalib Boone has scored 10 or more points in four of his past five games and has scored 15 or more in three of his past five.
- Tyreek Smith has recorded at least one block in six-straight games.
- OSU has finished with less turnovers than the previous game three-straight games. OSU's seven turnovers against Oklahoma were tied for its fewest since the Cowboys had just six against West Virginia on March 9, 2019. The Cowboys also had seven against Kansas on Jan. 27, 2020.
- Oklahoma State has brought in eight or more offensive rebounds in four-straight games dating back to the contest against Texas on January 7.