OSU vs Baylor Notes

Facing Baylor- Here's The Scout

  • Oklahoma State men’s basketball will host No. 9 Baylor on Monday as it looks to snap a four-game losing streak. Tip is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN with Bob Wischusen and Fran Fraschilla on the call with Kris Budden while Cowboy fans can listen to Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the Cowboy Radio Network or Varsity App.
  • Baylor enters the contest with a 21-8 record, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play. The Bears have won five of their last seven, capping the stretch by beating No. 8 Texas, 81-72, in Waco on Saturday. The win marked their fifth this season against a ranked opponent and improved them to 13-3 in their last 16 games against AP top-10 opponents.
  • Oklahoma State dropped its fourth-straight game against No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday. The Cowboys led most of the game, but the Wildcats rallied to get the win behind 22 points from Markquis Nowell. The four-game losing streak is OSU's longest of the season and comes on the heels of its longest win streak of the season (5).
  • The Cowboys lead the all-time series 57-35, including a 27-12 advantage in games played in Stillwater. Baylor has had OSU's number recently, however, winning six of the last eight and 13 of the last 16 meetings. The Bears have also fared well in Gallagher-Iba Arena in recent years, winning seven-straight in Stillwater. Oklahoma State has played well against high-ranked Baylor teams, with its last two wins coming when the Bears were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 nationally.
  • Baylor managed to beat No. 8 Texas without freshman-standout and leading scorer Keyonte George, who exited due to injury after just six minutes. The rest of the Bears made up for the loss, as five scored in double-figures led by 17 points from Jalen Bridges. Big man Flo Thamba posted his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 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.

Late-Season Quick Hitters

  • Woody Newton has started the last 12 games, marking the first 12 starts of his career, and has averaged 24.1 minutes with 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 38.7 percent from three.
  • In the absence of Avery Anderson III, Caleb Asberry has started the last seven games, averaging 11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 31.4 minutes per game.
  • After the Wichita State result earlier this season in Wichita, 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.
  • Only four Big 12 teams (TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas and Kansas St.) have scored more than 60 points in Stillwater this season.
  • Only six teams (UT Arlington, Southern Illinois, TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas and Kansas) have scored more than 60 points in GIA this season through the first 15 home games of the season.
  • A big part of those numbers? The Cowboys have held a 79-32 blocked shots advantage at home, with Cisse leading the way at 26. Boone has recorded 20, himself.
  • For the first time in his career, Kalib Boone was named the Big 12 Player of the Week last week. Boone averaged 21.5 points and 5.0 rebounds as the surging Cowboys won three straight games and five of six.
  • For his efforts against Iowa State and Oklahoma last month, Oklahoma State’s Avery Anderson III was named the Big 12 Player of the Week. He averaged 16.0 points per game. The honor was the first of his career.
  • The Cowboys have led the Big 12 in blocks most of the season, ranking 17th nationally at 5.0 per game. They also lead the conference in field goal percentage defense, ranking 24th in the nation, holding opponents to just 40.4 percent shooting from the field.

The Path to the Tournament

  • Oklahoma State is currently listed in the "Last Four In" section and as an 11 seed in ESPN's bracketology. The Cowboys next opponent, Baylor, is ranked 9th in the AP Top 25 and is a projected three seed by ESPN. OSU's final regular-season foe, Texas Tech, is listed as "Next Four Out"
  • The Cowboys are 46th in the N.E.T rankings while they rank 42nd in the KenPom. Their recent losses dropped them from the 29th spot in both the N.E.T and KenPom last week.
  • If the season ended today, OSU would enter the Big 12 tournament as the seven-seed. Mike Boynton's teams have fared well in the conference tournament during his tenure, making a run to the title game while knocking off top-ranked Baylor on the way in their last appearance in 2021. Boynton's teams hold a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Tournament in his six seasons at OSU.
  • Oklahoma State has made one NCAA Tournament appearance during Mike Boynton's six seasons in Stillwater. Not only did the team make the tournament in 2021, but it won its first-round game, marking OSU's first NCAA Tournament win since 2009. The Cowboys would fall in the Round of 32 to Oregon State.

Filling the Void

  • Oklahoma State guard Avery Anderson III has missed the last seven games and is out indefinitely. In 22 games this season, Anderson III averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Anderson III was also one of two Cowboys (Kalib Boone) to be named Big 12 Player of the Week this season.
  • Anderson III's absence has opened the door for Oklahoma State's other veteran guards to step up. John-Michael Wright has done just that, averaging 13.7 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three in those seven games.
  • Bryce Thompson has also taken on a portion of the scoring load, averaging 13.9 points, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals while playing 33.4 minutes per game in his last seven.
  • Caleb Asberry has entered the Cowboys lineup during this recent stretch, starting all seven games in Anderson III's absence. Asberry is scoring 11.9 points per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field in 31.4 minutes per game during this stretch.

1,000-Point Club

  • Avery Anderson III joined Oklahoma State’s 1,000-career point club against Oklahoma earlier this month 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 43rd-most career points in Division I basketball and is fourth among current Big 12 players.
  • Against West Virginia, Wright reached 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists for his career.

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 16 wins this season, Oklahoma State has four players (Avery Anderson III, Bryce Thompson, Kalib Boone and John-Michael Wright) averaging at least 10 points per game.
  • The Cowboys have shot 35.2 percent from behind the arc in their victories while allowing their opponents an average of just 60.4 points per game.
  • For comparison, in the nine losses just two players, Boone and Thompson, have averaged at least 10 points or more while OSU has shot 27.8 percent from three. Opponents have still shot only 43.9 percent from the field in Cowboy losses.
  • Sharing the ball, alongside sharing the scoring, has been key as well. OSU has averaged 13.8 assists per game in wins while averaging 11.3 in losses.
  • Oklahoma State has fared well when shooting a better field goal percentage than its opponent. The Cowboys are 15-3 this season when shooting a better percentage than their opponent, while they are 1-10 when shooting the same or a worse percentage.
  • The Cowboys also find success when they rebound well. OSU is 13-5 when it out-rebounds its opponent, as opposed to 3-8 when it doesn't.

The Upcoming Schedule

  • Oklahoma State is positioning itself for the postseason with only two games left in its regular-season schedule. First, the Cowboys will host No. 9 Baylor on Monday before traveling to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech in their season-finale on Saturday.
  • Before losing its last four, Oklahoma State had won five-straight games, its longest streak of the season. The streak began with a dominant win over Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge before the Cowboys completed a sweep of Oklahoma in Norman. They then returned home to knock off then No. 15 TCU and beat Texas Tech. The fifth win in a row took place in Ames, where the Cowboys completed a season sweep of Iowa State for the second time in the last three seasons.
  • The Cowboys have dropped the last four games, but will need to rebound quickly as No. 9 Baylor is coming to town on Monday. OSU is 3-8 against ranked opponents this season, with two of those wins coming in Stillwater.
  • Mike Boynton's teams have a history of peaking this time of year, as they are 17-15 in the last four seasons in the month of February, including a 4-4 mark so far this year. Boynton's teams are also 16-7 in March in his six seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State, including a 4-3 record in the Big 12 Tournament.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...

  • Improve the Cowboys to 57-35 in the Baylor series dating back to 1918.
  • Improve the Cowboys to 28-12 against the Bears at home.
  • Improve the Cowboys to 8-5 in games directly following a loss this season.
  • Improve the Cowboys to 5-4 in February.
  • Improve the Cowboys to 12-4 at home this season.
  • Give it three wins in its last five games against the Bears.
  • Snap a four-game losing streak.
  • Snap a seven-game home losing streak against Baylor
  • Be its fourth win against a ranked opponent this season.
  • Be Mike Boynton's 24th career win against a ranked opponent.
  • Be Mike Boynton's 104th career win, putting him three shy of Paul Hansen for fourth-most in school history.
  • Be the Cowboys' eighth conference win this season, matching their total from last season.

Streaks and Trends

  • OSU has made at least one three-pointer in 756 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 13, 2001.
  • The Cowboys have posted 10 or more assists in 35 of their past 41 games dating back to last season.
  • Dating back to last season, OSU has held 28 of its past 33 opponents under their season scoring average.
  • Oklahoma State has reached double-digit second chance points in 10 of 16 conference games this season, with a high of 16 against Kansas State and Baylor.
  • As a team, the Cowboys have reached at least three blocks in 27 of 29 games this season. OSU leads the Big 12 with 5.0 blocked shots per game, which ranks 17th in the country.
  • OSU has held 20 of its 29 opponents to 35 percent shooting or less from the three-point line while 15 of 29 have shot less than 30 percent. The Cowboys rank 41st in the country in three-point defense, holding opponents to 31.1 percent.
  • The Cowboys have made 10 or more free throws in 21 of 29 games this season after doing so in 18 of their 30 games last season.
  • OSU has forced 10 or more turnovers in 19 of its last 20 Big 12 games.
  • Oklahoma State has recorded at least five steals in 24 of its 29 games this season.
  • Kalib Boone has scored 13 or more points in 10 of his last 15 games and has scored 18 or more in six of the last 10.
  • John-Michael Wright has scored at least 12 points in five of his last seven games. During this stretch, he is averaging 2.6 made threes per game on 39.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
  • Boone has posted 148 points while shooting 58-81 from the field in his last 10 games.
  • OSU has recorded five or more blocks in six of its 11 road games this season.
  • Bryce Thompson continues to shoot the three at a high clip in conference play, making 38.7 percent of his attempts while averaging 1.8 makes per game.
  • The Cowboys have shot better than 40 percent from the field in 11 of their last 12 games.
  • Oklahoma State is 15-3 when they shoot the same percentage or better than their opponent from the field this season. They are 1-10 when their opponent has a higher field goal percentage.
  • OSU has made at least 14 free throws in six-straight games.
  • The Cowboys are 13-5 this season when out-rebounding their opponent. When getting out-rebounded, they are 3-8.