Oklahoma State’s preseason tune-up has already given Steve Lutz a few answers, and one of the biggest has been Kashie Natt.
The Cowboys are heading into Monday’s opener at home against Incarnate Word with 14 non-conference games ahead of them, a stretch that should help sort out what this team looks like before Big 12 play arrives. That process has been aided by three exhibition games against three different opponents, each with its own style, and a few players have clearly boosted their standing.
Natt has been the most obvious winner. Nobody is surprised he can play, but the way he has controlled the exhibitions has stood out.
Against Tulsa, he put up 26 points, grabbed a double-double and came within one assist of a triple-double with nine. He backed that up against Wisconsin with 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The exhibition run made one thing plain: he needs to be in the starting five, either next to Kanye Clary or in Clary’s spot if the fifth-year point guard can’t go for the opener.
What makes Natt’s rise even more striking is the path he took to get here. He began at junior college, then moved to LSU-Alexandria, an NAIA program, before transferring to Sam Houston.
That background shows up in the way he plays. He’s tough, he’s relentless and he’s not afraid to do the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in the numbers.
Another player who has climbed during the preseason is Jacob Walker. Lutz said in his final preseason press conference that Walker’s game has grown exponentially since he arrived on campus, and Walker himself sounded eager to get back inside Gallagher-Iba after playing there last year with Sam Houston. He said he’s looking forward to playing in front of a packed house for the first time against Incarnate Word.
Walker was one of the better players in Conference USA a season ago, but Oklahoma State will ask him to do more than score. Defense is part of the job description now, and that’s an area Lutz wants to improve. Walker’s value may show up in ways that don’t always jump off the stat sheet, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
Felisi also made a strong impression, and among the four members of Oklahoma State’s top 10 freshman class, he helped himself the most in the three exhibitions. Whether he started or came off the bench, he gave the Cowboys useful minutes, especially as a shooter from the perimeter and as a rebounder.
That rebounding piece matters. Felisi showed that ability in prep ball, but there’s always a question about whether it translates once the level of competition rises. Oklahoma State already has one perimeter rebounder in Natt, and Felisi gives the Cowboys another option who can back him up or even start if Clary isn’t ready.
For Lutz, that’s the kind of early preseason progress he needed to see. The opener is here, but the bigger picture is still taking shape.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Scored 49 And Still Left Fans With One Big Fear
For most of Saturday, Oklahoma State had enough offense to feel like it could survive almost anything. Drew Mestemaker threw for 323 yards and five touchdowns, Caleb Hawkins piled up 275 yards of total offense and scored three times, and the Cowboys kept answering every Iowa State push in a wild Big 12 shootout that had the feel of a game decided by whichever side had the ball last.
But even with all that production, the ending left the Cowboys with the kind of concern that lingers after a loss like this. Iowa State kept finding answers of its own, with Aiden Flora rushing for 221 yards and two touchdowns and Jaylen Raynor accounting for four total touchdowns, and Oklahoma State never quite got the final stop it needed when the game tightened late. The result was a 51-49 defeat that showed just how explosive the Cowboys can be, while also reminding them how thin the margin is when a shootout turns into a finish-line scramble. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Lutz Just Added Tension To Oklahoma States Opener
Oklahoma States season opener against Incarnate Word already had the usual early-year uncertainty, and Steve Lutz added a little more of it while updating the status of his roster. The Cowboys are still sorting through availability as they get ready to tip off, with Lutz offering a broader look at where the team stands physically and how preparation has gone heading into the first game.
The most immediate question is at point guard, where Clary is dealing with a groin injury but appears to be moving in the right direction. Lutz also pointed to the longer-term recovery picture elsewhere on the roster, including Fallahs rehab from a torn ACL, as Oklahoma State tries to balance caution with the need to get off to a clean start. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Answered A Bad Loss In The Wildest Way Possible
Iowa State came out of a rough loss and turned Saturday into a track meet, beating Oklahoma State in a high-scoring game that swung on big plays all afternoon. Jaylen Raynor and Drew Mestermaker kept the Cyclones moving through the air, and Iowa State also made life miserable for the Cowboys with successful onside kick recoveries that extended drives and kept the pressure on.
The finish only added to the chaos, with the Cyclones finding enough late offense to stay alive in a game that never seemed settled. Kyle Konrardy ended up delivering the decisive kick, and Iowa State now carries that wild escape into its next road trip, an away game at Baylor. [Read more 🡒]