Oklahoma State is about to find out a lot about itself.
The Cowboys open Monday at home against Incarnate Word, kicking off a stretch that includes 14 non-conference games and, eventually, the long build toward Big 12 play. Before that conference grind arrives, the first task is simple enough: sort out the rotation, get healthy and see who can hold up when the games count.
At the top of the board is Kanye Clary, assuming he’s able to go. The holdover point guard from last season averaged 10.6 points and 4.8 assists, and nobody on the roster knows Lutz’s offense and his schemes better.
The catch is his groin injury. Clary has missed the last two games, he’s been practicing, and Lutz has been careful not to push him back too quickly.
Whether he’s in the opener or not remains the biggest immediate question.
Even if Clary is unavailable, Kashie Natt looks locked into the lineup. If Clary sits, Natt becomes the point guard.
If Clary plays, Natt still brings a different dimension as a second ballhandler with a skill set Clary doesn’t have. Last season at Sam Houston, Natt put up 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
For a 6-3 guard, that rebounding numbers jumps off the page, and so does the fact that he can defend. That combination should keep him on the floor either way.
Jacob Walker appears next in line on the perimeter. Freshman Anthony Felisi has gotten a heavy dose of reps in the three scrimmages and has flashed, but Walker looks like the steadier choice to start the season.
He also gives the Cowboys a more proven 3-point option early on. Last year at Sam Houston, Walker averaged 11.5 points and shot 36% from beyond the arc.
The frontcourt is easier to map out. Jordan Burks got on the floor in the final exhibition against Wisconsin and projects as the starting power forward.
Oklahoma State brought him in through the portal for a reason, and if he’s healthy, he’s the kind of player you expect to start. Burks averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds last season at UCF and shot 37.5% from 3-point range.
The Cowboys also plan to open with their seven-footer in the middle. He arrived from Georgetown after averaging 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, and he led Oklahoma State in scoring in the Wisconsin scrimmage. The staff would like to see more on the glass from him, too.
Behind that first group, the rotation could easily stretch to four or five players.
Halaifonua will need rest, and Grbovic is the most likely source for it. He offers size and spacing as a stretch forward, but he’s not just standing around the arc.
He can knock down shots from deep, get inside, rebound and defend. Last season he averaged 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds, and there’s still more growth ahead.
Felisi has made the strongest impression of any freshman during the exhibition run. He’s a scorer, he rebounds, and Lutz clearly trusts him to contribute early.
If Clary can’t go, Felisi could start. His work on the glass from the perimeter makes him a natural fit next to Natt, and the two could rotate through the backcourt in plenty of combinations when the roster is whole.
Latrell Allmond has played less than Felisi, but the expectation is still that he’ll factor in. As a four-star prospect, he’s too talented to sit unused.
Early on, Oklahoma State may handle him carefully, with 10 to 15 minutes a night seeming like a realistic range. He could also back up Burks.
There’s a feeling he may need some time to settle into the college game, but he could become a real lift when Big 12 play starts.
Another option is the North Carolina transfer, who did not play against Wisconsin in the final exhibition but is trending toward being available Monday, according to Lutz. He brings exactly what Oklahoma State wants off the bench: shooting.
He can score quickly from deep, and that gives him a path to 10 to 15 minutes a game. How much more he plays beyond that will depend on the defensive side.
Any extra center minutes beyond Halaifonua and Grbovic should go to Ragland. He’s the veteran holdover from last season who took on more responsibility after Parsa Fallah’s injury.
Ragland thought his career was over after tearing his ACL in February, but he remains eligible through a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s age-based eligibility rule, at least for now. He still isn’t ready to return, though.
He’s rehabbing and told me at Big 12 media days in Kansas City that he hopes to be back sometime in December.
Lutz has made clear that defense will decide where this team lands. He sees it as the difference between being good and getting back to the NCAA Tournament, which would be Oklahoma State’s first trip in five years.
That target looks ambitious considering what the Cowboys allowed last season. They were one of the worst defensive teams in the Big 12, giving up more than 84 points per game overall and 85 a game in conference play. Lutz hasn’t liked what he’s seen defensively in the three exhibitions, but he still believes the pieces are there.
The early test is going to be whether Oklahoma State can defend on the ball, finish possessions with rebounds and get back in transition. Those are the areas to watch, especially against the three high-major opponents. If the Cowboys can’t slow teams down, the offense won’t matter much.
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The Jayhawks will have their own twist to sort through, too, after Iowa State ruled backup quarterback Conner Moberly out, which could leave former Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores next in line behind center. For the Cowboys, though, the bigger immediate concern is how the back end holds up if Hammonds cannot answer the bell, with Bobby Deal Jr., Markeith Williams, Cameron Epps and Evan Jackson all potential candidates to absorb the snaps. [Read more 🡒]
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So the development plan has shifted to Thursday scrimmages, where the freshmen and sophomores get their live-action chances while the rest of the group works through a reduced schedule. For a team built around older players, those sessions matter because they give the newcomers a real runway to grow and give Oklahoma State a better shot at keeping that talent around as it waits its turn. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces One Huge Decision In Crucial Iowa State Road Test
Halloween in Ames brings a lot more than costumes for Oklahoma State, which heads into Jack Trice Stadium with bowl eligibility and a possible Big 12 championship game berth still in play. It is also a meeting of two programs in transition, with first-year head coaches Eric Morris and Jimmy Rogers trying to make an immediate impression while the Cowboys try to steady themselves in a road test that could shape the rest of their fall.
The lineup choices only add to the intrigue. Oklahoma State is weighing a change up front with Braydon Nelson projected to start at offensive line over Shawn Torgeson, a move that could matter against an Iowa State front that will look to force the issue early. On the other side, the Cyclones have already ruled out Connor Moberly, which leaves open the possibility of former Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores stepping into the mix in a game that already has plenty of familiar faces and no shortage of stakes. [Read more 🡒]