Game Preview: Oklahoma State Hosts Cincinnati in Regular Season Finale
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The Cowboys are set for their final home game of the season.
Oklahoma State has had a roller coaster of a season to begin the Steve Lutz era. After an offseason filled with roster moves and a coaching change, the Cowboys had little expectations coming into the season but have still managed to find some success.
Although a winless record in Big 12 road games will taint the success the Cowboys have found at parts of the season, a 6-3 record in conference home games is enough to have some optimism moving forward. Coming off of a couple of losses on the road, the Cowboys will get an opportunity to get their seventh conference win against a team still seeking a spot in the NCAA Tournament in Cincinnati.
The Cowboys beat the Bearcats last season on the road, which was their only road win of the entire season. As OSU hosts Cincinnati to cap the 2024-25 regular season, getting one more win would be a step in the right direction for the program.
Game Information: Oklahoma State (14-16, 6-13 Big 12) vs. Cincinnati(17-13, 7-12)
Date/Time: Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. CT
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, OK
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Over the course of the season, OSU has struggled to find a true No. 1 option, and it appears it simply won’t have one this season. Still, Abou Ousmane, Bryce Thompson and Marchelus Avery have all taken turns throughout the season as the Cowboys’ lead guy. If one of those three can have a big performance against Cincinnati, OSU could enter the Big 12 Tournament on a high note.
This will also be Thompson’s final game in Gallagher-Iba Arena after five seasons of college basketball, including four with the Cowboys. Although his teams never saw the success of previous groups, his impact on the program isn’t to be taken lightly, so a big sendoff could be in the cards.
However, Cincinnati would love to ruin Thompson’s final home game and better its NCAA Tournament odds. Coming off of back-to-back losses, the Bearcats are desperate for a win and are looking to become only the fourth opponent to win in Stillwater this season.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.