Kanye Clary was back, and that alone gave Oklahoma State something to hold onto in an otherwise rough night at Reed Arena.
The Cowboys took their first real punch of the 2026-27 men’s basketball season on Thursday, falling 88-69 to Texas A&M in College Station. The Aggies controlled the game for most of the night, and Oklahoma State never found a rhythm against a team that looked sharper, stronger and more settled from the opening stretch.
Clary’s return was the clearest bright spot. After missing the final two exhibition games and the first regular-season game with a groin injury, the guard came off the bench and logged 28 minutes.
He finished with 14 points on 3-of-13 shooting, with all three makes coming from beyond the arc, and he added five free throws on six attempts. The downside was hard to ignore: no assists and five turnovers.
But after the layoff, just getting him back on the floor for starter-level minutes mattered.
Steve Lutz had been careful earlier in the week when asked about Clary’s availability, and Thursday showed why. This wasn’t a clean return, but it was a necessary one for a team that needs him back in the rotation.
Oklahoma State’s offense never really showed up. The Cowboys shot 30.3% overall and just 20% from 3-point range, a rough outcome after Lutz had recently talked up the versatility of his perimeter shooting.
The defense didn’t hold up either. Texas A&M shot 51% from the field and hit 48% of its 3-pointers.
Even with Oklahoma State forcing 19 turnovers and committing 16 of its own, the Aggies were simply too efficient.
PJ Haggerty led Texas A&M with 22 points, while Jordan Pope added 14. The Aggies’ guards set the tone and kept Oklahoma State chasing. Texas A&M led for more than 36 minutes and was in command by the middle of the first half.
For Lutz, it was the kind of game that reveals where his team stands. Texas A&M was an NCAA Tournament team last season, and Lutz views this as the sort of Quad 1 matchup that will matter once the NCAA NET ratings start updating in December. The loss won’t carry the same weight in that system, but the bigger message was obvious: Oklahoma State has work to do before it can handle that level of opponent.
There were still individual positives. Anthony Felisi stayed in the starting lineup and delivered 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. The freshman continues to look comfortable early, and that matters for a team trying to build depth.
The other young pieces had a tougher night. Parker Robinson, who has already seen plenty of minutes, didn’t score and played just two minutes. Latrell Allmond, the top recruit in the 2027 class, was limited by foul trouble, picked up four fouls and didn’t score in 13 minutes.
That kind of up-and-down is normal this early. Felisi’s start is a good sign.
Allmond should settle in. Robinson’s role will depend on how the rest of the guard rotation shakes out, especially now that Clary is back in the mix.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Faces A Real Test Of Its Progress Against Texas Tech
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The challenge is familiar in this league: stay competitive against a team built to stress a defense from the perimeter and force a game into uncomfortable territory. Imade pointed to Oklahoma States need to keep improving on that side of the ball, while the broader backdrop remains the same for the Cowboys, who are trying to establish a more consistent program while navigating the realities of roster investment across the conference. Saturday offers a clean measuring stick, and the answer may say as much about the Cowboys trajectory as it does about the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States First Loss Exposed A Problem Jacie Hoyt Must Solve
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For Hoyt, the bigger concern is less the loss itself than what it exposed heading into the next matchup with South Dakota State. Oklahoma State will need cleaner possessions and a deeper, steadier rotation if it wants to avoid letting one rough offensive outing turn into a pattern, and this was the kind of game that can force a coach to rethink how she manages minutes and matchups going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Faces A Defining Road Test For Scott Satterfields Season
Seven Big 12 teams have already locked up bowl eligibility, and four more are sitting one win away, which makes Week 11 feel especially loaded for the leagues middle tier. For Oklahoma State, the stakes are bigger than just getting to a bowl. The Cowboys are in the thick of a key stretch that can shape both their postseason path and how the rest of the conference views them down the stretch.
A win in a top-25 matchup would give Oklahoma State another rsum boost and keep its championship hopes from slipping further out of reach. It is the kind of game that can change the tone of a season in a hurry, especially with the Big 12 race still crowded and every result carrying extra weight. [Read more 🡒]