NIT Preview: Oklahoma State Hosts North Texas in Quarterfinal Matchup
The Cowboys are back on their home floor for the final time this season.
After it looked like the Cowboys had played their final home game of the season in the first round of the NIT, a conflict at North Texas has shifted the matchup against the No. 2 seed Mean Green to Stillwater. As the No. 4 seed, Oklahoma State has already knocked off the top seed, SMU, in the Dallas region and is looking to keep its run alive.
Two years ago, the Cowboys and Mean Green battled in Gallagher-Iba Arena in a quarterfinal matchup of the NIT. North Texas would grind out an overtime win on its way to winning the tournament.
As OSU looks to be an NIT Cinderella of sorts, a win in this game would also push the Cowboys over .500 for the first time since early February.
Game Information: Oklahoma State (17-17) vs. North Texas (26-8)
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 25 at 8 p.m. CT
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, OK
TV/Streaming: ESPN2/ESPN+
Spread: Oklahoma State -1.5
Total Points: Over/Under 137.5 points
Moneyline: Oklahoma State -120, North Texas EVEN
All betting odds via ESPN Bet
OSU getting an opportunity to play in Stillwater could potentially swing the entire NIT. OSU has lost only three games at home this season and has the best home record in over a decade.
Of course, playing at home won’t mean much unless the Cowboys continue to play winning basketball. Perhaps the biggest key to that will be having Bryce Thompson continue the best stretch of basketball of his career.
In the final season of his five-year career, including four years at OSU, Thompson has stepped up his game. With every NIT game threatening to end Thompson’s career, he has shown he is not ready to be done yet. With 23 points against Wichita State and 24 points against SMU, Thompson has had two of the five highest-scoring games of his career in his two NIT contests.
Of course, OSU would also love to get some contributions from former North Texas big Abou Ousmane. On the other side, North Texas’ Rondel Walker will be back in Stillwater for the final time of his career. While he has been a key starter for the Mean Green, they have some other stars OSU needs to be prepared for.
Atin Wright has been the Mean Green’s leading scorer this season at 14.9 points per game, but it was Jasper Floyd’s 18 points and game-winning jumper that carried them to a win against Arkansas State.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.