Oklahoma

As Oklahoma State basketball enters Big 12 play, what have we learned about the Cowboys?

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2024

As Oklahoma State basketball enters Big 12 play, what have we learned about the Cowboys?

STILLWATER — Back before the season, new Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz joked about the day the preliminary Big 12 men’s basketball schedule arrived in his email.

“Hey, I have a top-five team at home, then I go on the road for two, and I come back and there’s a top-10 team coming here,” Lutz said with an exasperated look. “But everybody in the league is saying that. That’s why we do this, right? Play in the best league in the country.”

Well, maybe the schedule doesn’t look quite as tough as it did in the preseason. Only five Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 25 — as opposed to November when five were ranked in the top 10.

But that doesn’t mean the conference is suddenly a pushover. It’s still in the conversation for the toughest conference in the country, though the Southeastern Conference may have the edge now.

Coming off an 8-3 non-conference schedule, the Cowboys enter Big 12 play with 15th-ranked Houston at 7 p.m. Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

That’s followed by a Saturday trip to West Virginia, which is receiving votes in the latest poll.

Just how the Cowboys will fare in Lutz’s first trip through the league is hard to predict. But here’s a look at three things we learned about the Pokes during non-conference play:

Bryce Thompson found a new gear

As a fifth-year senior, OSU guard Bryce Thompson seemed to be well-established as a player who fit the offensive styles of the coaches he had played for — Mike Boynton at OSU and Bill Self for a year at Kansas.

It was unclear if Thompson would excel in the up-tempo pace of Lutz.

But through 11 games, Thompson not only has shown he can do it, he has thrived in it.

He’s shooting the best field goal percentage of his career, 42.0%, being more choosy with his 3-point selection, rebounding more and sharing the ball just as well, even though he’s not being asked to play point guard nearly as much.

“He’s a good basketball player,” Lutz said. “The way I look at the way we play is if you’re a good basketball player, you’re gonna be fine. Ultimately, we don’t run a million set plays. So if you know how to play basketball, we’re gonna put you in positions to be successful and I knew he’s a good player, so I never had any doubts there.”

To this point, Thompson leads the Cowboys in minutes played at just under 24 per game, is third in scoring and third in steals, which is a key development of his game as Lutz pushes the envelope of how his players defend.

Marchelus Avery needs to be focus

As important as Thompson’s presence on the court is, Marchelus Avery — you might’ve heard him referred to as Chi Chi — needs to be the offensive driving force of this team.

Avery knows it. Lutz knows it.

But getting it to happen has been a learning experience.

“We’ve just got him to be more disciplined,” Lutz said. “There’s a couple times out there tonight where we’re not trapping the ball and he’s just kind of running all over.

“And I love it that he has ambition and fire and he’s playing hard and he’s having fun. But we also have to be disciplined with what we’re doing. But we need him to score.”

A 6-foot-8 wing who transferred from Central Florida, Avery is the team’s leading scorer at 13.0 points per game, and he’s second in minutes played at 22.9 despite coming off the bench every game.

Among Cowboys attempting at least two 3-pointers per game, Avery is their best shooter at 39.2% (20 of 51) and leads the team in rebounding at 5.6 per game.

Frontcourt size will be a struggle

The most challenging area for Lutz in building his roster from the transfer portal last summer was finding capable big men.

The Cowboys have just two players on the roster taller than 6-8. One of them is 6-10 Serbian freshman Andrija Vukovic, who has dealt with injuries as well as the challenge of getting in the kind of shape required to play extended minutes in Lutz’s system.

Vukovic didn’t appear in a game until mid-December and has played just 18 minutes in three games overall. He has nine points and one rebound in that span, but saw increased usage against Oral Roberts in the Cowboys’ final non-conference game.

If he can continue to develop and play meaningful minutes, it’ll be an important boost to the guys who have shared the bulk of the work at the center position thus far.

Abou Ousmane, who is 6-10, and 6-7 Robert Jennings II have been asked to carry the load there, and both have their strong points. But in a conference with a string of talented big men, they’ll need all the help they can get.

Oklahoma State vs. Houston

TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater (ESPN+)

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma legislator introduces bills to restructure drivers license restoration

Published

7 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma legislator introduces bills to restructure drivers license restoration

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – An Oklahoma lawmaker wants to break down some of the barriers for former inmates working to reenter society.

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom (R-Adair) introduced a series of bills that would restructure drivers license restoration.

One bill would let people whose licenses expired while in prison to apply for a temporary provisional license without needing to pay any outstanding fines or fees for a six-month period.

The second bill is similar but allows for license holders who can make payments to begin paying fees immediately. The third bill would grant people a 90-day grace period where their expired license would be valid, during which time they could get a new license.

The Department of Corrections would also be tasked with giving inmates the needed documents to get a provisional license.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Lawmakers Respond To Deadly New Orleans Attack

Published

15 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Lawmakers Respond To Deadly New Orleans Attack

Several Oklahoma lawmakers are sharing their thoughts and condolences after a man drove his truck into a crowd, killing at least 10, on Borbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday morning.

Wednesday, January 1st 2025, 1:28 pm

By:

News On 6,

News 9

Several Oklahoma lawmakers are sharing their thoughts and condolences after a man drove his truck into a crowd, killing at least 10, on Borbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday morning.

The Story: Suspect Killed After Vehicle Slams Into Crowd On New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, Killing At Least 10 People

Senator James Lankford took to X to share his statement that reads:

“Cindy and I are praying for the families of those who lost their lives and were injured very early this morning in New Orleans. We are thankful for the swift response from law enforcement and are praying for the two police officers who were injured. This incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack and is a reminder that we have to stay vigilant. As we step into 2025, let us pray for peace, security and strength for our nation.”

Congressman Josh Brecheen posted a statement on X that says:

“What happened last night was pure evil. Please join me in praying for the families, victims, and brave first responders who put their lives on the line in New Orleans during this barbaric attack. We need to close the border and ensure those involved are brought to justice quickly.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond posted to X saying:

“Last night’s deadly attack in New Orleans is a horrifying and stark reminder that public safety can never be compromised. My heart goes out to all who have been impacted by this tragedy.”

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt shared an article about the attack on X with the statement:

“Devastating news out of New Orleans today. Praying for those injured and for the families of those killed.

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Oklahoma

Seven laws go into effect in Oklahoma starting Jan. 1, 2025

Published

23 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

Seven laws go into effect in Oklahoma starting Jan. 1, 2025

TULSA, Okla. — With a new year comes new laws for Oklahoma that go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

These laws range from voter rights to healthcare access for everyone in the state.

House Bill 1629

The new law allows eligibility to some convicted felons to vote. Felons must fall under one of these requirements to be eligible:

Served their sentence time to the full calendar date or served their reduced sentence to the full length.
Have no other outstanding felonies after being released for the same period they were sentenced.

Click here to read the law in full.

2 News spoke with State Representative John Waldron who says Oklahoma is in the bottom five in the nation for voter participation and many former felons don’t know their rights outside of incarceration.

“Oklahoma is in the bottom five states regarding voter participation. It’s a healthier democracy if more people participate,” Rep. Waldron said.

The representative went on to say that Oklahoma leads the nation in mass incarceration.

“I would imagine that there are tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma who could vote but aren’t voting because of past felonies.”

House Bill 3190

This law lets medical professionals determine treatment for their patients rather than insurance companies.

It would also shorten the time for insurance companies to approve prior authorization for healthcare providers so they can give the proper treatment to their patients.

“It was designed to. It might take our healthcare providers a few extra steps to ensure people have prior authorization for the procedures they need. But we don’t want people to go without necessary healthcare because our system is cumbersome,” Rep. Waldron said.

Click here to read the law in full.

Other laws that go into effect Jan. 1, 2025:

House Bill 2872- Out-of-Network Ambulance Service Provider Act.

Senate Bill 1334- Corinne’s Law, gives newly diagnosed breast cancer patients the right to preserve their fertility covered by insurance.

Senate Bill 1401-Amends language in Section 1 Chapter 340 in Oklahoma Statues regarding tax credits.

Senate Bill 1429- Continued funding for the Department of Transportation will support port and waterway infrastructure.

Senate Bill 1457- An amended state law that now says Oklahoma first responders do not need to be physically injured to qualify for workers’ compensation for a mental illness or injury.

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