Oklahoma State vs. UT-Arlington: 2020-21 game preview, TV Schedule

Oklahoma State and UT Arlington face off to start the 2020-21 season.

TV Schedule: Wednesday, November 25th, 4:00 pm ET, ESPN2

Arena: College Park Center, Arlington, TX.

The sounds of basketballs connecting with the hardwood, shoes squeaking, and backboards slamming are going to be just a little louder in 2020-2021. The majority of programs have already set limits for the attendance of fans, while some are not allowing any fans at all to enter arenas. Even with the precautions taken, College Basketball is hoping to have success in finishing the season and having an NCAA Tournament, unlike last season.

Even with that, both Oklahoma State and UT-Arlington have high hopes for what seems to be a rather squirrely season. It is not often that a Mid Major school gets to host a Power 5. It’s even more out of the norm when it’s the season opener and features the #1 ranked player from the previous recruiting class.

Regardless of the results from last season, Oklahoma State Basketball fans are optimistic about the direction head coach Mike Boynton is taking the program in. After a sluggish stretch near the halfway point of their season, Oklahoma State would turn a corner last season, winning five of their last six.

The Cowboys lost quite a bit of their roster, but bring in impact players, most notably led by freshman guard Cade Cunningham. The Cowboy’s leading returner is junior guard Isaac Likekele, who has been a starter over his past few seasons. Although Likekele is not a threat from beyond the arc (21%), Adding Cal Baptist transfer Ferron Flavors helps Cunningham as he shot 42.7% last year from three in the WAC, as the Cowboys backcourt looks pretty solid.

The frontcourt is a concern, from a proven talent and depth perspective. Gelling quickly is going to be huge, as none of the players have started for the Cowboys at any point during their careers.

On a national scale, UTA was overall solid in just about every major statistical category last season. No true weakness, but no true strengths either. Ranking in between 115th and 195th in points scored offensive rating, points against, and defensive rating.

UT-Arlington is in the same dilemma, with the Mavericks having a strong backcourt, but a rather inexperienced frontcourt. Sun Belt All-2nd Team selection in G David Azore (14 ppg, 3.7 apg) returns for his Junior year and looks to be the go-to scorer for UTA. They added the #3 JUCO in the country in Shahada Wells, to help out Azore and create what could quite possibly be the most dynamic backcourt in the conference.

The frontcourt is expected to be led by two transfers in sophomore Grayson Carter (Georgetown) and Lazaro Rojas (Fresno State). Both of them have combined for just two starts in their career and are going to have to grow up very quickly. Other former transfers including Jordan Phillips (Arkansas) and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (SAGU) are expected to play meaningful minutes for the Mavericks.

Oklahoma State was one of the better teams defensively last year but lost a lot of quality players from a season ago. Although the Mavericks aren’t expected to kill the Cowboys down low, they need to put the pressure on Azore and Wells. With Likekele being the lone player with an above-average presence on defense, it’s going to be up to him to keep those two, particularly in check.

For UTA, they have to find their stroke from beyond the arc. Sam Griffin was a nice surprise last year after averaging 9.4 points per game as a freshman. Bringing in Wells makes up for Azore’s lack of consistency from three-point range. This is a game where if the Mavericks can pull off the upset, they must rely on what is expected to be this team’s strength in hitting three-pointers. They get to the 12-14 range, there’s a good shot they pull off the upset.

With some of the most anticipated season for both programs, this should be nothing short of a fantastic battle, with littered talent and inexperience colliding. The debut of Cade Cunningham creates all of the buzz that is needed, as he is expected to be at a minimum, a top 3 in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, this is close than most think as UT-Arlington is a serious contender for a Sun Belt Championship. Expect the Mavericks to give Oklahoma State everything they can handle and then some.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 71, UT-Arlington 67