Cowboy Basketball Picked Sixth in Big 12 Preseason Poll

The Cowboys were picked preseason No. 6 in the Big 12, their highest ranking by the league's coaches since the 2013-14 season.

(This article was generated by Oklahoma State Athletic Media Relations)

STILLWATER -- The Oklahoma State basketball team was picked sixth in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll, which is the highest selection by the league's coaches since 2013-15.

Entering Mike Boynton's third season at the helm, the Cowboys return all five starters and 78 percent of their scoring to a roster that will also feature a unanimous top-25 recruiting class.

Captains Cameron McGriff, Lindy Waters III and Thomas Dziagwa will all be looking to join the 1,000-point club as seniors in 2019-20. Forward Yor Anei was the Big 12's top shot blocker last year and Isaac Likekele was a standout with USA Basketball at the U19 FIBA World Cup over the summer.

The Big 12 has sent six or more teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six years, including seven bids in four of those seasons (2014-16 and 2018).

In the last 12 seasons, the Cowboys have only been picked higher than sixth on two occasions - 2013-14 (T1st) and 2012-13 (3rd) - and OSU has out-performed its preseason selection in each of the last three seasons. The Cowboys have finished at or above their preseason placement in six of the last eight years.

Kansas was picked atop the Big 12 Preseason Poll for the ninth straight season. The Jayhawks received eight of the 10 first-place votes, while second-place Baylor and third place Texas Tech each earned a vote. Texas Tech, which was picked seventh in last year's preseason poll, and Kansas State were the league's co-champions in 2018-19.

The Cowboys will once again face one of the nation's top schedules in 2019-20. OSU is slated to play 26 games against teams that finished in the top 100 of the 2019 KenPom Rankings, including 21 in the top 50. The Cowboys will play 17 games against NCAA Tournament squads from a year ago and six games against NIT participants.

That schedule beings with the season-opening homestand against Oral Roberts on Nov. 6 and Kansas City on Nov. 9. The Cowboys will also host Rogers State in an exhibition game on Nov. 1.

2019-20 Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll (First-place votes)

1. Kansas (8) - 80 points
2. Baylor (1) - 71
3. Texas Tech (1) 62
4. Texas - 57
5. West Virginia - 45
6. Oklahoma State - 42
7. Iowa State - 30
8. Oklahoma - 29
9. Kansas State - 23
10. TCU - 11