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3 Sooners to Watch as the Cowboys Stroll into Bedlam Battle

The Cowboys will have some stiff competition on the other side.
Taylor Skieens|
Dec 2, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Nate Calmese (1) passes the ball defended by Oklahoma Sooners guard Nijel Pack (9) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Dec 2, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Nate Calmese (1) passes the ball defended by Oklahoma Sooners guard Nijel Pack (9) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma State CowboysOklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are off to one of their hottest starts in ages. The Pokes are riding a nine-game winning streak and have done so in dominating fashion. They have been perfect on the season but are still yet to crack a top 25 ranking. They will take their perfect 9-0 mark on the year into OKC on Saturday for a Bedlam showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners enter Bedlam with a 6-3 mark on the year. Their three losses on the season have come at the hands of Gonzaga, Nebraska and most recently Arizona State. Oklahoma has typically been the favorite heading into Bedlam, but the tables have turned this season as Cowboy head coach Steve Lutz has his Cowboys in position to be undefeated rolling into Big 12 play. With all eyes on Bedlam, here are three Oklahoma Sooner players to keep an eye on.

Nijel Pack

Keep your eyes glued to guard Nijel Pack. This senior slasher averages 17.2 points on 50% shooting, including a scorching 48.6% from three. He's logged 30.1 minutes per game, dishing 3.0 assists while turning it over just 1.9 times. Pack's quick release and 83.3% free-throw accuracy could exploit any Oklahoma State perimeter lapses—think of him as their offensive engine, capable of 20-plus on any night.

Tae Davis

Tae Davis is a rebounding machine at 6.8 boards per outing alongside 13.3 points. Shooting 53.3% inside, he's Oklahoma's glue guy, adding 2.4 assists and 0.8 steals. Davis thrives in the paint, where his 66.7% free-throw rate punishes contact. If the Cowboys' bigs like Parsa Fallah get in foul trouble early, Davis could dominate the glass and second-chance opportunities, turning a potential easy Cowboy victory into a game that is much closer than it should be.

Xzayvier Brown

Xzayvier Brown is a defensive pest averaging 13.1 points, 3.4 assists, and a team-high 1.8 steals. His 43.8% shooting includes 24.4% from beyond the arc, but it's his quick hands that worry me—Oklahoma's 7.0 steals per game start with him. Brown's 30.7 minutes of havoc could disrupt Oklahoma State's ball movement, especially against our point guards.

The rest of the Sooner rotation adds depth with fan favorites like sophomore guard Dayton Forsythe surely to bring his A game against the Pokes. Saturday will mark the 250th meeting between the two squads. The Cowboys have dropped three straight games to the Sooners, and no single game is more important for the future of the season than this one. With a win, the Pokes would likely leap into the top 25 and solidify themselves as a true NCAA Tournament basketball team.

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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