Looking Back at Oklahoma State's Last NCAA Tournament Appearance
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The Cowboys have missed the past four NCAA Tournaments, but their last appearance was a memorable one.
Oklahoma State has spent much of the past several years struggling to compete in the Big 12 and failing to live up to the program’s standards. However, one season was an anomaly and featured a trip to the big dance.
In 2020-21, OSU made the NCAA Tournament for the only time in Mike Boynton’s seven-year tenure as head coach, and it had much to do with the best recruit in OSU history. The Cowboys were led by Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 player in the country and the eventual top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
After a Big 12 Tournament run that featured OSU knocking off eventual national champion Baylor in the semifinals and losing in the final to Texas, the Cowboys earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That seeding was the best OSU had seen since Eddie Sutton’s last tournament team in 2006, which finished as a No. 2 seed.
The Cowboys were faced with an opportunity to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2009. With Liberty on the other side as the No. 13 seed, the Cowboys had issues early.
In the first half, OSU’s offense couldn’t quite break through and entered halftime trailing 30-27. While the Cowboys allowed 30 points again in the second half, their 42-point outburst in the final 20 minutes was enough to get the win.
While Cunningham typically owned the headlines for OSU that season, it was Avery Anderson who led the Pokes in scoring with 21. Cunningham finished with only 15 points and shot 3-of-14.
Cunningham’s performance foreshadowed OSU’s fate in the next round. Now facing a No. 12 seed in Oregon State, the Cowboys ran into an offense they couldn’t keep up with.
The Beavers outscored OSU 44-30 in the first half, with the Cowboys digging too deep of a hole to come back despite some late efforts. Cunningham and Anderson combined for 40 points, but they shot only 9-of-32, which was a far cry from Oregon State’s scoring night and parade to the foul line.
While it was a disappointing finish for a good OSU team, it was a season and tournament run that can’t be taken for granted, especially with where the program has gone since.
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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.