Oklahoma State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Cowboys
By Chris Kern
Non-Conference Breakdown
Advocare Invitational
This eight-team tournament has the potential to be really competitive. Teams like Villanova and Florida State are among the teams in the field.
The Cowboys open up against Memphis on November 22nd. Jeremiah Martin will be the best player on the floor and is gonna be tough to stop. Memphis will be favored to win and the Cowboys will need to play very well to have a chance.
Next up would be either Villanova or Canisius. With Villanova expected to win that matchup, the Cowboys would need a win over Memphis to earn a matchup with the defending champs.
Their final game would be against either, Florida State, LSU, Charleston or UAB. All four of these teams are solid while a team like Florida State could be a good resume booster for later in the season.
Minnesota
Minnesota has a lot of talent on this team. They started last season 13-3 before they last star center Reggie Lynch. They finished the year 15-17 and will look to bounce back this season.
Senior forward Jordan Murphy is a very talented player and McGriff will have to do a lot to try and contain him.
The Golden Gophers have enough talent to compete for a postseason tournament. A win on the road in the non-conference will go a long way for the Cowboys.
Nebraska
Oklahoma State faces up with Nebraska in their final real test in the non-conference at a neutral site game in Sioux Falls. The Cornhuskers went 22-11 last year but they still weren’t a real contender to make the NCAA tournament.
They’re going to come into this season motivated to make it to the big dance. The big three of James Palmer, Isaac Copeland, and Gylnn Watson Jr. has a chance to be one of the dominant trios in the country.
This will be a very tough game for the Cowboys. If they’re able to pull off this upset it will give them a lot of confidence going into conference play.