What Kashie Natt’s Temporary Legal Win Means for Oklahoma State Basketball

For the moment, Kashie Natt is back with the Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball team. Here’s what it means and what happens next.

Sam Houston Bearkats guard Kashie Natt. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kashie Natt is back with the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team, thanks to a judge’s initial ruling in his lawsuit on Monday.

The ex parte ruling, per his attorney Darren Heitner on X (formerly Twitter) means the NCAA is “enjoined from enforcing its June 24 cancellations, from threatening Oklahoma State with sanctions for complying, and from enforcing the Rule of Restitution.”

An ex parte ruling is usually only made by a judge in an emergency and are designed to ensure that the plaintiff, in this case Natt, doesn’t suffer irreparable harm from the situation. The decision is usually made based on what is filed by only one side of the case, in this case Natt’s side. It’s also temporary and specific and does not mean the legal process is complete.

Heitner filed the suit on Natt’s behalf in Payne County, Okla., which is the home county of Oklahoma State University and Stillwater is the county seat.

What Happens Next?

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The order, signed by District Judge John Canavan, found that Natt’s ability to compete next season would be irreparably harmed by the NCAA’s ruling, which was to reject his waiver request for the 2026-27 season.

The ex parte order allows Natt to practice with the team, participate in all team activities and participate in any athletics-related benefits. It also bars the NCAA from punishing Natt or Oklahoma State in any way while the case is working its way through the court.

Canavan wrote that the order restores the status quo from before June 24 but is in no way final. There will be a full hearing on the case in court, but that date will be set by a new judge. That date is not set. When set, that final hearing will determine Natt’s eligibility for next season.

The order said that Oklahoma State filed two formal NCAA waiver requests on Natt’s behalf — a season of competition/participation waiver and an extension of eligibility waiver. The NCAA canceled both, saying that Natt had competed in 2025-26 after the NCAA granted relief in December of 2024.

Canavan found that Natt and his attorney showed a “likelihood’ of success on the merits of at least one of the claims. That included the NCAA canceling the waiver requests without individual review, failing to apply the waiver criteria and failing to address the five-year clock argument.

Natt played for Sam Houston in 2025-26, where he was named the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 8.2 points per game. Before that, he played three seasons at LSU-A, during which he was named a two-time NAIA all-American and was the 2025 NAIA National Player of the Year. He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in both scoring (1,592) and rebounding (780). He began his college career at Southern University-Shreveport.