How Far Can Cowgirls Rise in NCAA Tournament Seeding?

Oklahoma State has been one of the best teams in the country, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to its spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket.

The Cowgirls have ascended to the top of the Big 12 over the past several weeks and sit only one game back of first place going into their final six games of the regular season. With an overall record of 19-4, OSU has also earned a spot in the top 20 of this week’s AP poll, marking its highest ranking since 2018.

Despite the Cowgirls’ rise into the top 20 stemming from their dominant 85-55 win against Kansas State over the weekend, they are struggling to make up much ground in the NCAA Tournament world. In ESPN’s latest bracketology, the Cowgirls are slated as a 7 seed, which, as a ranking, would essentially place them somewhere between the 25th and 28th-best team in the country. Meanwhile, NCAA.com projects OSU as a 6 seed.

That spot has been warranted for most of the season and has been reflected in their finishes in the AP poll. However, if the AP poll also determined seeding, the Cowgirls would be slated as a 5 seed.

Of course, this begs the question of how far OSU might be able to rise. Over the final six games of the regular season, OSU plays against only one team currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

While a lack of opportunity for premier wins might hurt the Cowgirls’ chances to make sudden, large rises, it does give them a legitimate opportunity to run the table to finish the regular season. If the Cowgirls can enter the Big 12 Tournament at 25-4, they would not only have one of the best records in the country and Big 12, but they could also move into a top 4 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

A top 4 seed would mean OSU hosts the first two rounds of the big dance in Stillwater. Considering OSU’s most important wins have happened on its home floor, that could be the difference between an early exit and a ticket to the Sweet 16.

Although there are no guarantees that OSU will take care of business with ease in its final six games, the Cowgirls’ ceiling could be the highest in program history.

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