Three Breaks Oklahoma State Could Catch in the Basketball Stretch Run

Oklahoma State’s basketball season is nearing an end and, in spite of a couple of massive wins in Lawrence and Morgantown, the Pokes are on a 2-6 run over the last month. The Pokes’ NCAA Tournament chances are hanging by a thread, and with four games remaining anything less than a 3-1 finish is probably a recipe for an NIT berth.

Things haven’t gone well for the Cowboys often this season. A depleted roster became more so when Davon Dillard and Zack Dawson were dismissed. Tavarius Shine missed significant time with injury, as well.

However, sometimes things do fall your way when you least expect it. Here are three breaks the Pokes could catch during the last couple of weeks of the season.

1. If Keenan Evans is out or limited against OSU

Injuries are a part of sports and no one wants to see, much less celebrate, the loss of a team’s best player. But that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit another team.

Texas Tech might be without the Big 12’s leading scorer not named Trae Young when the Red Raiders come to Stillwater looking for the season sweep on Wednesday night. Evans suffered a foot injury in the first half of Tech’s loss at Baylor and is listed as day-to-day as of Monday afternoon.

UPDATE ON KEENAN EVANS: Head Coach Chris Beard gives an update on senior point guard – Keenan Evans. He says Evans is day to day with a toe injury. #WreckEm #KCBDSports @KCBD11 @pchristy11 @Rock101Pregame pic.twitter.com/y3vjidQEvp

— Devin Ward (@DevinKCBD) February 19, 2018

That’s the very same Keenan Evans that torched the Cowboys to the tune of 26 points on 13 shots, as well as adding five assists, three boards and three steals in Lubbock last month. If OSU wants to move forward with any reasonable hopes of going dancing, it needs a win over Texas Tech on Wednesday. An absent (or limited) Evans makes that much more of a possibility.

2. Kansas could have the Big 12 wrapped up before Senior Night

This one ties into No. 1 as well. Just a week after Tech looked ready to end Bill Self’s streak of Big 12 titles, the Jayhawks and the Red Raiders are tied for the No. 1 spot with an upcoming matchup in Lubbock this Saturday. Tech losses at OSU and especially to KU could mean that the Jayhawks are playing for little more than pride when they travel to Stillwater for the regular season finale.

That’s far from a guaranteed win for the Pokes, however. Oklahoma State hasn’t defeated Kansas twice in the same season since 2000 and hasn’t complete a home-and-away sweep over the Jayhawks since the 1982-83 season. But every little bit helps when you’re in these Cowboys’ boots.

3. Some of Hilton’s magic has faded this season

Oklahoma State, like most teams, has found it hard to win inside the Hilton Coliseum historically. The Cowboys are 11-30 since the arena was built in 1971. More recently, the Pokes have lost six straight in Ames.

But this is not a typical Iowa State season. The Cyclones are sole occupiers of last place in the Big 12 at 4-10 and are 9-5 at home on the year. For reference, last year’s team finished 12-3 at home and before that the ‘Clones hadn’t lost more than two games in Ames since the 2010-11 season.

And then there’s this.

It’s possible that Iowa State could be without Nick Weiler-Babb, Donovan Jackson, Solomon Young and Hans Brase on Wednesday night. Tough year.

— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) February 19, 2018

Add in continued injury issues for Steve Prohm’s squad and the Cowboys might have a shot at breaking their nine-year losing streak in Ames and keeping whatever hope they might have still alive.