Big 12 Basketball: Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech rise in latest power rankings

14. Oklahoma State (8-9, 0-4)

Basketball at Oklahoma State hasn’t exactly been prospering in recent memory. Sure, the Cowboys made the second round of the NCAA Tournament back in 2021, led by future top draft pick Cade Cunningham, but that remains Mike Boynton’s only trip to the Big Dance in nearly seven seasons. Unfortunately, this season hasn’t exactly been a step in the right direction following last year’s 20-win campaign.

This team lost on opening night to Abilene Christian, putting a foul taste in the mouth right from the start. A few close losses followed in nonconference play, including to Notre Dame and Southern Illinois, and their most impressive win on the season might be Tulsa in early December. Conference play hasn’t been kind to the Cowboys either, who took Baylor to overtime two weeks ago but dropped their next three by an average of 25 points, all to Top 25 level opponents.

Frankly, Oklahoma State just isn’t at the same level or in the same class as many of these Big 12 schools. Javon Small is putting up nice figures this season but the Cowboys just don’t have enough talent or depth to compete night in and night out in this loaded league. It’s likely that Oklahoma State will squeeze out a win or two at some point in conference play, but don’t expect a sudden charge into the conference race.