Latest AP Poll Serves As A Reminder Of The Tough Spot The Cowboys Are In

The Week 15 AP Poll is another reminder of how difficult it will be for OSU to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Feb 14, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Parsa Fallah (22) slaps hands with Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Jaylen Curry (0) during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The already treacherous path ahead for Cowboy basketball seems to have gotten more difficult. 

Oklahoma State is currently fighting for its life to make the NCAA Tournament, and the Cowboys’ recent stretch hasn’t been helping. The Pokes have dropped three games in a row and now sit at 4-8 in conference play. The Cowboys have to play almost perfectly for their remaining six games, and the Week 15 AP Poll serves as a reminder of how hard that will be. 

The next game for the Cowboys will be on Wednesday, as the Kansas Jayhawks come to town. Kansas moved up one spot in the rankings and is now the No. 8 team in the country. The Jayhawks might have just lost to Iowa State, but their dismantling of the previous No. 1 Arizona Wildcats shows just how difficult a challenge Wednesday’s game will be. 

The Jayhawks are led by Darryn Peterson, who is projected to be the first pick in the next NBA Draft. Peterson has only played in 14 games this year, but when he hits the hardwood, everyone in attendance knows. The star freshman is averaging 19.8 points on 47.9% shooting, and is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, making 41.3% of shots from beyond the arc. 

OSU has put itself in a position where it desperately needs to pull off this upset, and unfortunately its tasked to do this now against one of the best teams in the nation. 

The Pokes' luck doesn’t get any better as the season goes on; it actually gets worse. The final game of the Cowboys’ season is against the Houston Cougars, who have now been awarded the ranking of No. 2 in the nation. 

The Cougars are now the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 and sit at the top of the conference standings. Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, only allowing teams to score 61.3 points per game on average. The Cougars have only lost two games this year, and both were to ranked opponents. 

Oklahoma State would love to end its season in the biggest way possible with a win, but Houston will be one of, if not the best, team the Cowboys have played all year. 

The Pokes have already found themselves in a position that they don’t want to be in, and now, as OSU’s opponents seem to only be getting better, the Cowboys find themselves with an even tougher road ahead.

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