Winter Sports Refresher: Catch Up on OSU’s Wrestling and Basketball Teams

Football rules the fall in Stillwater. That’s the case even when the Cowboys finish 3-9.

But now that Oklahoma State’s football season is over, fans will start to turn more attention to Oklahoma State’s winter sports. There’s a lot of new happening in Gallagher-Iba Arena — whether that be new coaches in David Taylor and Steve Lutz or Jacie Hoyt’s new-look roster. Here’s a little refresher on how each team has done in the early portion of its season.

Cowboy Basketball

Record: 4-2
Next Game: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Tulsa

The Lutz era of Cowboy basketball started 3-0 — the first time an OSU team has done that since the Cade Cunningham year of 2020-21.

The Cowboys did, though, run into some struggles at the Charleston Classic, dropping games to FAU and Nevada with a win against Miami sandwiched between. So that leaves the Cowboys at 4-2 to this point with their next game being Wednesday at Tulsa.

Lutz’s roster is almost entirely rebuilt with only Bryce Thompson, Jamyron Keller and Connor Dow staying from the last Mike Boynton-led squad. Thompson is one of three Cowboys averaging double figures through OSU’s first six games. UCF transfer Marchelus “Chi Chi” Avery and Xavier transfer Abou Ousmane are the others. La Salle transfer Khalil Brantley isn’t that far off, averaging 9.3 points a game. Lutz has used a lot of guys this season, as 10 players have averaged at least 12 minutes a game.

These Cowboys play quickly. According to KenPom, OSU ranks 20th nationally in adjusted tempo. A lot of that comes down to Lutz’s in-your-face defense. It’s been a bit of a boom-or-bust style to this point, as OSU ranks ninth nationally in steal percentage but 336th nationally in effective field-goal percentage defense, per KenPom.

Cowboy Wrestling

Record: 4-0
Next Event: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday

The Taylor era of Cowboy wrestling couldn’t have started much better. The Cowboys have rolled through the early part of their dual schedule and have put up 30+ points in all four outings. The Cowboys have recorded bonus-point wins in 55% of their dual matches this year.

There are a trio of transfers in the starting lineup — Cam Amine (165), Dean Hamiti Jr. (174) and Wyatt Hendrickson (HWT). Hamiti and Hendrickson have been particularly dominant to this point. In four dual bouts, Hamiti has two tech falls, a pin and a major decision. Hendrickson has two tech falls, a pin and a decision win over the No. 5 wrestler at heavyweight.

The Tuttle boys have also been rolling. Dustin Plott, the reigning national runner-up at 184 pounds, is 4-0 with all three of his wins coming with bonus points. Luke Surber is finally healthy again after battling through myriad injuries last season. Surber’s 4-0 start to the season includes a pair of bonus-point wins and a decision victory against two-time All-American Trey Munoz.

Troy Spratley’s 125-pound bouts have been electric to start the year. He secured a late, match-winning takedown in his first three dual bouts, including a sudden-victory win against No. 2 Jore Volk. Spratley then got away from the close matches by pinning Arizona State’s Max Brewster in his most-recent outing.

There’s a fun battle going on at 133 pounds between sixth-year senior Reece Witcraft and redshirt freshman Cael Hughes. They’ve split duals to this point, with Witcraft pinning Utah Valley’s Kase Mauger and picking up a major-decision win against Wyoming’s Stockton O’Brien. Hughes earned a decision win against Oregon State’s Damion Elliott before winning via technical fall against Arizona State’s Carter Dibert.

The Cowboys will head to a stacked field at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this weekend.

Cowgirl Basketball

Record: 7-1
Next Game: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Stillwater against Houston Christian

Jacie Hoyt’s Cowgirls can put up some points.

OSU is averaging 82.6 points a game this year, which ranks in the Top 30 nationally. The Cowgirls are shooting 50.4% from the field, which ranks seventh in the country.

Seton Hall transfer Micah Gray is leading the way, averaging 17.3 points a game while shooting 48% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. She’s an Okie out of Classen SAS.

Returner Anna Gret Asi has also had a strong start to the year, averaging 12.5 points, three assists and 1.6 steals a game while shooting 39% from 3. Hoyt has also talked super positively about the potential of freshman point guard Jadyn Wooten. Wooten has battled through some preseason injuries, but in the first six games of her career, Wooten is averaging 10 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists a game.

Hoyt is pregnant with an upcoming due date, so she didn’t make the trip to the Daytona Beach Classic because her doctor wouldn’t let her fly. OSU started that tournament with a 70-56 win against Arkansas, but then the Cowgirls suffered their first loss of the year to Richmond. That doesn’t sound great, but the Spiders are 8-0 this season.

OSU’s next four games will be played in Gallagher-Iba Arena with the last of that stretch being the Cowgirls’ Big 12 opener against Iowa State on Dec. 21.