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Oklahoma State went up to Minnesota last Friday for a quick Final 4 warmup in U.S. Bank Stadium (we’re allowed to dream right??) and lost to the Minnesota Golden Gophers after roaring back from a large deficit in the second half.
The quick two game road trip following the Advocare Invitational concludes tonight with a tilt against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Oklahoma State will get a chance to right the ship after a strong showing in the Advocare Invitational ahead of a home game against Houston on Saturday.
Who: Tulsa (5-3, 0-0 American)
Where: Reynolds Center — Tulsa, OK
When: Wednesday, December 5 — 7:00 p.m. CST
TV: CBSSN
Webcast: CBSSports.com
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network, XM 385 (OSU Broadcast)
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
Projected Starters
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Golden Hurricane: G Sterling Taplin (Sr), G Lawson Korita (Jr), G Zeke Moore (So), F DaQuon Jeffries (Sr), F Martins Igbanu (Jr)
There are no injuries for either team. Oklahoma State guard Curtis Jones remains out until he gains eligibility at the end of the semester.
The Opponent
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Tulsa comes in to this game with a 5-3 record and has yet to face a conference opponent. The Golden Hurricane are ranked 129th in the nation according to Kenpom, with wins over UT-Arlington, Arkansas Little Rock and South Carolina State. Tulsa also has a loss to 6th ranked Nevada in the Las Vegas Invitational.
Frank Haith is in his fifth season at the helm for Tulsa with a 77-52 record with the Golden Hurricane heading into the season. Tulsa outperformed their preseason win total prediction for the fourth straight year under Haith, finishing at 19-12 (12-6 American).
Tulsa is led by junior forward Martins Igbanu. The 6’8 Lagos, Nigeria, native is averaging 12.8 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He leads the team in points per game and is tied for the team lead in rebounds per game, all in 26.3 minutes per night.
The Cowboys (Kenpom No. 53) are led by Cameron McGriff, averaging 16.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game to lead the team in both categories. Isaac Likekele leads the team in assists with 4.3 per game. Oklahoma State is favored by 1.5 points although ESPN’S Basketball Power Index (BPI) gives Tulsa a 53.1 percent chance to win.