Hoyt Embraces Projections as Cowgirls Host Surging No. 16 Texas Tech

STILLWATER — The Big 12 women’s basketball standings are a bit chaotic.

There are 10 teams entering this weekend above .500 in league play. Four of those teams have double-digit conference wins, and one of those is coming to Stillwater on Saturday.

Oklahoma State hosts No. 16 Texas Tech at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowgirls enter the matchup at 8-5 in Big 12 play, sitting fifth in the conference standings. Texas Tech is one of three 10-3 teams and currently ranks second in the league behind only 11-3 West Virginia.

In terms of national standing, ESPN has the Cowgirls as a projected 8 seed, while Her Hoop Stats and CBS Sports each have the Cowgirls on the 9 line.

“I look every day — even when no one has played,” Hoyt said. “That’s how often I look, but just knowing it can change night in and night out. There’s so much parity in the league right now it’s crazy. I’ve been saying this, but as long as I’ve been in the Big 12, I haven’t experienced anything like it. We’re all just kind of beating up on each other. On any given night, anyone can win and knock someone off. There’s just not a lot of separation.

“We, of course, are getting to that time of the year where all that stuff matters, but it’s also not something you can look ahead on.”

Most coaches probably wouldn’t admit to having such a close eye on standings and projections and would rather give the coach speak answer of controlling what you can control. But the reality probably is that most coaches do have a keen eye on projections.

Hoyt said Thursday that she also doesn’t mind her players being aware of what these games they are playing in mean for the big picture.

“I think it’s a great motivator,” Hoyt said. “It’s great to be in the present. It’s great to appreciate what you have. It’s great to want to win so you can extend it as long as possible.”

The Texas Tech squad that comes to GIA on Saturday is veteran-heavy. OSU has three seniors in Micah Gray, Haleigh Timmer and Wilnie Joseph. Gray and Timmer are the Cowgirls’ leading scorers, averaging 15.2 points and 12.5 points a game, respectively. Those two will definitely want their college careers ending on a high note, with Hoyt pointing to a sense of urgency seniors often have this time of year.

“There’s just an urgency you can’t coach, you can’t teach, you can’t explain it because you just have to feel it,” Hoyt said. “You can’t simulate it until it’s real. I definitely see that in our seniors. We only have three of them, but two of them playing huge minutes for us in Timmer and Micah.

“I’m kind of even just hearing little comments like, if we go on the road, come on guys, we only have this many games left, or whatever — in the off-court stuff is what I’m saying. You see them even just wanting to soak up the time that they have with their teammates and appreciate that a little more.”