Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball
Oklahoma State Cowboys | |||
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Cowboys | |||
Colors | Orange and black[1] | ||
Uniforms | |||
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NCAA tournament champions | |||
1945, 1946 | |||
NCAA tournament runner-up | |||
1949 | |||
NCAA tournament Final Four | |||
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1995, 2004 | |||
NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1995, 2000, 2004 | |||
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2005 | |||
NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2021 | |||
NCAA tournament appearances | |||
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1983, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021 | |||
Conference tournament champions | |||
1983, 1995, 2004, 2005 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
1925, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1991, 2004 |
The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. All women's teams at the school are known as Cowgirls. The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference. In 2020, CBS Sports ranked Oklahoma State the 25th best college basketball program of all-time, ahead of such programs as Oklahoma and Texas.[2] Oklahoma State men’s basketball has a very rich history of success, having won more national titles and advanced to the NCAA Championship, Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen more times than any Big 12 program other than Kansas. Oklahoma State has won a combined 23 regular season conference titles and conference tournament titles, which is the most of any program in the state of Oklahoma.
Since 1938, the team has played its home games in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Prior to 1957, the school was known as Oklahoma A&M College, and the teams were nicknamed the Aggies.
On March 21, 2016, Brad Underwood was hired as head coach at Oklahoma State, replacing the fired Travis Ford.[3] Just short of one year, on March 18, 2017, Underwood left the program for Illinois.[4] Assistant Mike Boynton was promoted to head coach on March 24.[5] Steve Lutz was hired as the head coach April 1, 2024.[6]
History
Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A&M College) began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in
The Cowboys (including the predecessor Aggies teams) have made 28 total appearances in the
The early years (1907–34)
Under nine head coaches in this period Oklahoma A&M found very little success, with only six winning seasons. Very little success was found early on and after a six-win 15-loss season under first-year coach John Maulbetsch things were not looking well. However, in the next three seasons Maulbetsch turned around the program, leading the Aggies to a 41–20 record culminating with a first-place finish in their last season in the Southwest Conference. The move to the Missouri Valley Conference in 1925 would halt the progress under this budding coach. After Maulbetsch resigned from the positions of football, baseball and basketball coach the Aggies would not have another winning season until Henry Iba took the reins in 1934.[8] However, despite an overall record of 7–9, the Aggies did win the Missouri Valley Conference Co-Championship in 1930-31 under Coach George E. Rody with a conference record of 5–3.
This period in Oklahoma State basketball history was marked with mainly football coaches heading the football, baseball and basketball teams.
Coach | Record | Seasons |
---|---|---|
Boyd Hill | 2–3 | 1 |
William Schrieber | 4–5 | 2 |
Paul Davis | 15–16 | 3 |
John Griffith | 18–12 | 2 |
Earl Pritchard | 11–15 | 2 |
James Pixlee | 3–21 | 2 |
John Maulbetsch | 75–74 | 8 |
George E. Rody | 8–24 | 2 |
Harold James | 13–42 | 3 |
Henry Iba era (1934–70)
Henry Iba came to Oklahoma A&M College in 1934 and remained for 36 years. He retired after the 1969–70 season. For most of his tenure at A&M/OSU, he doubled as athletic director.
Iba's teams were methodical, ball-controlling units that featured weaving patterns and low scoring games. Iba's "swinging gate" defense (a man-to-man with team flow) was applauded by many, and is still effective in today's game. He was known as "the Iron Duke of Defense".
Iba's Aggies became the first to win consecutive NCAA titles (1945 and 1946). His 1945–46 NCAA champions were led by
Oklahoma A&M/Oklahoma State teams won 655 games, 14 Missouri Valley Championships, and one Big Eight Championship, in 36 seasons with Iba as head men's basketball coach.
"Mr. Iba," as he is still popularly known at OSU, remained a fixture on campus until his death in 1993, often giving advice to players during practice. One seat in the southeast concourse level of Gallagher-Iba Arena (which was renamed in his honor in 1987) remains unused in his honor.[8]
1970–90
The mostly subpar results of Iba's final decade in Stillwater largely remained the status quo for Oklahoma State during the two decades following his retirement. From the 1970–71 to 1989–90 seasons, the Cowboys finished with winning records only six times, finished in the top half of the
Eddie Sutton era (1990–2006)
After being an assistant for the Cowboys in 1958–59, Eddie Sutton returned to Oklahoma State in 1990 to coach. In the years leading up to his hiring, the team had made postseason play only three times since joining the Big Eight Conference in 1957.
The Pokes began to turn around almost immediately with Sutton's presence, and in
Led by
In his 16 seasons in Stillwater, the Cowboys reached the postseason 15 times (having declined an NIT bid in Sutton's sixth season as head coach), including 13 NCAA Tournament bids and two Final Four appearances. They also captured three regular-season conference titles and three conference tournament championships. Sutton finished his career at OSU as the second-winningest coach in school history, behind only his mentor, Iba.[8]
2001 plane crash
On January 27, 2001, one of three planes carrying Oklahoma State staff and players crashed in a snow storm near
Since 2007, Oklahoma State has honored these ten during an annual 5k and 10K race called the Remember the Ten Run.[9]
Sean Sutton era (2006–08)
Eddie Sutton's son, Sean Sutton, also a former Cowboy player, took over head coaching duties in 2006. Following a record of 39–29 during his first two seasons, Sutton resigned under pressure after a March 31, 2008, meeting with Athletic Director Mike Holder.[10]
Travis Ford era (2008–16)
On April 16, 2008,
Ford was fired on March 18, 2016 after a season in which the Cowboys went 3–15 in Big 12 play and 12–20 overall.[13] Although he led the Cowboys to five NCAA tournaments in his eight seasons in charge, he never finished higher than third in conference play, and finished sixth or worse in the Big 12 seven times.[14]
Brad Underwood era (2016–2017)
Three days after Ford's firing, Oklahoma State hired
Mike Boynton era (2017–2024)
The school promoted assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. to head coach on March 24, 2017.[22] He was fired on March 14, 2024, after a 13th place conference finish and first round exit from the Big 12 Tournament. Boynton finished with a 119-109 (.522) record, including 51-75 (.405) in conference play.
Steve Lutz era (2024 - present)
Steve Lutz was announced as the head coach on April 1, 2024.
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
The Cowboys have appeared in the
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1945 |
Elite Eight Final Four National Championship |
Utah Arkansas NYU |
W 62–37 W 68–41 W 49–45 | |
1946 |
Elite Eight Final Four National Championship |
Baylor California North Carolina |
W 44–29 W 52–35 W 43–40 | |
1949 |
Elite Eight Final Four National Championship |
Wyoming Oregon State Kentucky |
W 40–39 W 55–30 L 36–46 | |
1951 |
Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game |
Montana State Washington Kansas State Illinois |
W 50–46 W 61–57 L 44–68 L 46–61 | |
1953 |
Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
TCU Kansas |
W 71–54 L 55–61 | |
1954 |
Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
Rice Bradley |
W 51–45 L 57–71 | |
1958 |
First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
Loyola (LA) Arkansas Kansas State |
W 59–42 W 65–40 L 57–69 | |
1965 |
Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
Houston Wichita State |
W 75–60 L 46–54 | |
1983 | #5 | First Round | #12 Princeton | L 53–56 |
1991 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#14 New Mexico #6 NC State #10 Temple |
W 67–64 W 73–64 L 63–72OT |
1992 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#15 Georgia Southern #10 Tulane #6 Michigan |
W 100–73 W 87–71 L 72–75 |
1993 | #5 | First Round Second Round |
#12 Marquette #4 Louisville |
W 74–62 L 63–78 |
1994 | #4 | First Round Second Round |
#13 New Mexico State #12 Tulsa |
W 65–55 L 80–82 |
1995 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four |
#13 Drexel #5 Alabama #1 Wake Forest #2 Massachusetts #1 UCLA |
W 73–49 W 66–52 W 71–66 W 68–54 L 61–74 |
1998 | #8 | First Round Second Round |
#9 George Washington #1 Duke |
W 74–59 L 73–79 |
1999 | #9 | First Round Second Round |
#8 Syracuse #1 Auburn |
W 69–61 L 74–81 |
2000 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
#14 Hofstra #11 Pepperdine #10 Seton Hall #5 Florida |
W 86–66 W 75–67 W 68–66 L 65–77 |
2001 | #11 | First Round | #6 USC | L 54–69 |
2002 | #7 | First Round | #10 Kent State | L 61–69 |
2003 | #6 | First Round Second Round |
#11 Penn #3 Syracuse |
W 77–63 L 56–68 |
2004 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four |
#15 Eastern Washington #7 Memphis #3 Pittsburgh #1 Saint Joseph's #3 Georgia Tech |
W 75–56 W 70–53 W 63–51 W 64–62 L 65–67 |
2005 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#15 Southeastern Louisiana #7 Southern Illinois #3 Arizona |
W 63–50 W 85–77 L 78–79 |
2009 | #8 | First Round Second Round |
#9 Tennessee #1 Pittsburgh |
W 77–75 L 76–84 |
2010 | #7 | First Round | #10 Georgia Tech | L 59–64 |
2013 | #5 | First Round | #12 Oregon | L 55–68 |
2014 | #9 | First Round | #8 Gonzaga | L 77–85 |
2015 | #9 | First Round | #8 Oregon | L 73–79 |
2017 | #10 | First Round | #7 Michigan | L 91–92 |
2021 | #4 | First Round Second Round |
#13 Liberty #12 Oregon State |
W 69–60 L 70–80 |
NIT results
The Cowboys have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 13 times. Their combined record is 11–14.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1938 | Semifinals 3rd Place Game |
Temple NYU |
L 55–56 W 37–24 |
1940 | Semifinals 3rd Place Game |
Duquesne DePaul |
L 30–34 W 23–22 |
1944 | Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game |
Canisius DePaul Kentucky |
W 43–29 L 38–41 L 29–45 |
1956 | First Round | Duquesne | L 61–69 |
1989 | First Round Second Round |
Boise State St. John's |
W 69–55 L 64–76 |
1990 | First Round Second Round |
Tulsa New Mexico |
W 83–74 L 88–90 |
1997 | First Round Second Round |
Tulane Michigan |
W 79–72 L 65–75 |
2006 | First Round | Miami (FL) | L 59–62 |
2007 | First Round | Marist | L 64–67 |
2008 | First Round | Southern Illinois | L 53–69 |
2011 | First Round Second Round |
Harvard Washington State |
W 71–54 L 64–74 |
2018 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Florida Gulf Coast Stanford Western Kentucky |
W 80–68 W 71–65 L 84–92 |
2023 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Youngstown State Eastern Washington North Texas |
W 69–64 W 71–60 L 59–65OT |
Facilities
Gallagher-Iba Arena
Gallagher-Iba Arena, once dubbed “
The first basketball game was played on December 9, 1938, when Iba's
Oklahoma State completed a $55 million expansion of Gallagher-Iba Arena prior to the 1999–2000 Cowboy basketball season. Rather than build a new, off-campus arena to accommodate the need for additional seating, the decision was made to expand Gallagher-Iba Arena itself to more than double its original capacity (from its 6,381-seat capacity to its current 13,611 seats). The old sightlines and the original white maple floor were kept (it remains the oldest original basketball court floor still in use).
On January 15, 2005, the court was officially named after Eddie Sutton as Eddie Sutton Court.[27]
Notable players
Cowboys in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Five members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame have been associated with the Oklahoma State's men's basketball team. Some former players have been enshrined as players, while some former players have been enshrined as coaches.
Players
Coaches
- Don Haskins (former player inducted as coaches for other programs)
- Hank Iba (inducted as a coach at Oklahoma State)
- Eddie Sutton (also a former player and former head coach of Oklahoma State)
- Bill Self (former player inducted as coach for other programs)
Cowboys in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Four former Oklahoma State players/coaches that have been enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Players
Coaches
- Don Haskins, also former player inducted in 2006.
- Henry Iba former coach, inducted in 2006.
- Eddie Sutton, also a former player and former head coach of Oklahoma State. (Inducted in 2011)
Cowboys in the NBA
Current players
- Cade Cunningham, basketball player and Number 1 overall draft pick in the 2021 NBA draft for the Detroit Pistons
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021-22 Season and 3x NBA Hustle Awardrecipient.
- Lindy Waters III, basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Former players
- Tony Allen, six-time NBA All-Defensive Team and number retired by the Memphis Grizzlies.
- NBA point guard
- Leroy Combs, former NBA forward
- JamesOn Curry, former NBA guard
- Pete Darcey, former NBA center
- Richard Dumas, former NBA small forward
- Lonnie Eggleston, former NBA guard for the St. Louis Bombers
- Joey Graham, former NBA forward
- Stephen Graham, former NBA Swingman
- NBA player for St. Louis Bombers and Boston Celtics
- Bob Harris, former NBA big man
- Terrel Harris, former NBA Shooting guard
- power forward
- Thomas Jordan former NBA forward for Philadelphia 76ers
- NBApoint guard
- NBA Slam Dunk Contestchampion (2001)
- Ivan McFarlin former NBA power forward for Philadelphia 76ers
- NBA player for the Chicago Stags
- NBA center & first draft pick for the Vancouver Grizzlies
- Melvin Sanders, former NBA swingman for the San Antonio Spurs
- NBA All-Star, (1997) NBA Sixth Man of the Yearand all-time leader in three pointers in New York Knicks history).
- Brooks Thompson, former NBA player and college coach.
- Corey Williams, former NBA player and current Assistant Head coach of the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team.
Cowboys in overseas league
Current players
- James Anderson, basketball player for UCAM in the Spanish Liga ACB. 20th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.
- Markel Brown, basketball player for Pallacanestro Varese of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)
- Jawun Evans, basketball player for Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. 2017 NBA draft 39th overall pick
- Anthony Hickey (born 1992), basketball player for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Lucas N'Guessan, basketball player for Navarra in LEB Oro
- Pro A.
Cowboys basketball players notable in other fields
- Mason Cox, professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL)
References
- ^ Oklahoma State University Athletics Official Athletics Branding Manual (PDF). November 20, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ "The Greatest College Basketball Programs Ever: Ranking the top teams of all time". CBSSports.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Holcomb, John (March 21, 2016). "OSU To Hire Brad Underwood As New Basketball Head Coach". News9.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ "In a stunning move, Brad Underwood leaves Oklahoma State for Illinois". kansascity. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Oklahoma State hires Mike Boynton as next basketball coach". The Oklahoman. March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Oklahoma State basketball hires Western Kentucky coach Steve Lutz to replace Mike Boynton". The Oklahoman. April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "NCAA 2008 Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). ncaasports.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Oklahoma State 2010–2011 Preview
- ^ "Home". www.remembertheten.com.
- ^ "Sean Sutton resigns under pressure from Oklahoma State - USAToday.com". www.usatoday.com.
- ^ "UMass' Ford taking Oklahoma State coaching job". ESPN.com. April 16, 2008.
- ^ "Report: Ford To Take Over As OSU Head Coach". fox23.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "OSU Announces Men's Basketball Change" (Press release). Oklahoma State Athletics. March 18, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ Parrish, Gary (March 18, 2016). "Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford fired after nine seasons". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "Underwood Named Cowboy Basketball Head Coach" (Press release). Oklahoma State Athletics. March 21, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "Illinois snags OSU's Underwood as new coach". espn.com. March 18, 2017.
- ^ Boone, Kyle (September 28, 2017). "Oklahoma State fires associate head coach Lamont Evans amid FBI investigation". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (September 28, 2017). "Antwann Jones, No. 45 in ESPN 100, decommits from Oklahoma St". ESPN. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^ Denney, Andrew (June 7, 2019). "Another ex-NCAA coach gets prison time in bribery scandal". New York Post. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ James, Emily (June 5, 2020). "Former Oklahoma State coach's acceptance of bribes violated NCAA ethical conduct rules" (Press release). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Greta (June 8, 2020). "Oklahoma State Punished for Ex-Coach's Bribery Scheme". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Boynton Jr. named OK State head coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "Gallagher-Iba Arena – Official Website Of Oklahoma State Cowboy And Cowgirl Athletics". okstate.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Cameron Indoor Stadium is great, but the best in the land is..." Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, by Dan Wetzel, CBS SportsLine, August 7, 2001, retrieved April 8, 2006
- ^ A past enriches the future – Cowboy Journal – Fall 2000 Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Facilities – Official Website Of Oklahoma State Cowboy And Cowgirl Athletics Archived 2007-08-13 at archive.today
- ^ "USA Today OSU vs. ISU game story, 1/15/2005". usatoday.com. March 10, 2004. Retrieved April 22, 2008.