Former Oklahoma Congressman Wes Watkins has passed at the age of 86. Watkins served Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District for a total of 20 years.

Watkins was first elected to the Oklahoma State Senate 1974. Two years later, he won his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for the next 14 years as a Democrat. In 1990, Watkins decided not to run for an eighth term. Instead he ran back-to-back campaigns for Oklahoma Governor. Neither was successful. In 1996, he returned to Congress as a Republican and served the state for another six years.

Friends and colleagues remember him as a a tireless advocate for education, economic development, and workforce training in Oklahoma.

“His leadership played a crucial role in promoting Oklahoma’s Career and Technology Education system as a model for preparing students and workers for high-demand careers,” said CareerTech State Director Brent Haken. “His unwavering belief in the power of technical education helped shape policies that continue to benefit Oklahoma’s economy and workforce today.”

Watkins was inducted into the Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame in 2001.

State House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, shared a similar sentiment.

“He had a heart for students and spent his life making Oklahoma better and we are grateful for his service – his legacy will live on long beyond his life while he was with us,” said Hilbert.

Interim OSU President Jim Hess wished condolences for Hess’s family, saying,

The Cowboy family lost a leader and friend today with the passing of Wes Watkins. Our hearts go out to his family during this difficult time. He left an indelible mark on this university, his alma mater, through his generosity and vision for economic prosperity for Oklahoma businesses and students.

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STILLWATER — Year 1 of the Steve Lutz era of Oklahoma State basketball has ended.

Oklahoma State lost to North Texas 61-59 on Tuesday night in the quarterfinal round of the NIT. Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. It Was Ugly

OSU had 19 turnovers and was 9-for-16 from the free-throw line. That fact North Texas won by only two is somewhat impressive. It was gross.

The Cowboys came in shooting 23.9 free throws per game, which ranks in the top 20 nationally. There weren’t many free throws to be had for either team early. North Texas wasn’t called for its second team foul until there was 4:10 left in the first half — going nearly 16 minutes with just one foul. The Cowboys didn’t get to the line at all in the first half.

They got there plenty late, though, shooting 13 in the final four minutes. They went 7-for-13 in that stretch. The crowd gave out a big applause when Brandon Newman made two in a row with 1:21 to play. It was the first time OSU made two in one trip to the foul line all night.

North Texas should get some credit in OSU’s offensive struggles. The Mean Green ranks third nationally in opponent points per game with solid defense and a slower tempo.

2. But Man, Did the Pokes Fight

With that being said, the Cowboys scratched, clawed, spit and gnawed off kneecaps all night long.

North Texas was up nine with 1:11 to play, and the Cowboys had a shot to win at the buzzer. That shouldn’t happen, but it did because OSU simply refused to die.

That five minutes had to last 45 minutes because the Cowboys were dead set on dragging out this battle as long as possible, and they almost took North Texas to waters it wasn’t willing to go to.

“Man, I’ve been around basketball a long time,” Lutz said. “I’ve seen good and bad. I’ve seen good and bad with this team. Tonight, they gave 110% of their heart and soul to winning this game. We just came up short. We turned the ball over too much, and we didn’t make free throws.”

3. One Tough Break

Bryce Thompson hit a 3 with 5:17 to play that would’ve cut North Texas’ lead to 49-47, but a ref blew a whistle as he was going into his shooting motion, blowing the play dead before the shot.

The whistle was to adjust he clock — which is not a great reason to take 3 points off the board. Coming out of the whistle, OSU turned the ball over, and North Texas hit a 3 on the other end. Instead of 49-47, it was 52-44.

That’s brutal, but probably not brutal enough to look over 19 turnovers a 56% free-throw shooting.

4. What Is It about This Third NIT Game?

This is the Cowboys’ third NIT journey in a row that ends in the quarterfinals — one game short of the final venue.

Back in 2023, the Cowboys also lost in the third round to North Texas. That game played out somewhat similarly to this one. It ended 65-59 in OT. Before that, back in Mike Boynton’s first season, the Cowboys lost to Western Kentucky in the quarters. Lutz wasn’t at WKU back then, but it is an odd coincidence that OSU hired a Western Kentucky coach.

The Cowboys’ goal is for this streak to stay here forever because they’d much rather make the NCAA Tournament, but man, this third NIT game has been tough to get past.

5. Crowd Was Great

The Gallagher-Iba Arena crowd saved its best for last.

This game shouldn’t have even happened here. A scheduling conflict meant the Mean Green couldn’t host. Side note: Could you imagine if North Texas lost this game at the buzzer after not finding a way to host? Yikes.

Anyway, there were 4,089 listed in attendance, which isn’t the biggest crowd OSU has had this season, but the tarps were down in the 300 sections on three sides — pushing that 4,089 closer to the floor. It has me believing that OSU should find a time machine and go back to lower the roof. Crazy idea that structurally almost certainly wouldn’t work: Put a roof above the 200 sections, then use that space above for a new wrestling facility. The energy of having all those people close to the court was a notable difference.

Lutz had a nice message to the OSU faithful after the game.

“We’re going to be where we need to be — I have no questions about that,” Lutz said. “And it’s going to be sooner than later. Stick with us, support us and help us recruit because it’s gonna be a big spring and summer for us. …

“I’m confident as much today as I was April 5 of last year when Dr. (Kayse) Shrum and Chad (Weiberg) introduced me as this basketball coach that we’re gonna get where we need to go.”

Postgame News Conference

We’ll have more in the coming days, putting a bow on OSU’s season and looking at the upcoming roster rebuild.

Mike Gundy wants to bring Bedlam back — in the spring.

The longtime Oklahoma State coach said Tuesday that he would prefer having two practices against rival Oklahoma in April instead of holding an intrasquad spring game.

The Cowboys and Sooners discontinued their Bedlam series last year after Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC. Until then, the two in-state rivals had faced one another for 112 straight years.

Gundy suggested the Cowboys could go to Norman on April 12 — the same date that Oklahoma has scheduled its “Crimson Combine” to replace the Sooners’ traditional spring game. The following weekend, Oklahoma could make the trip to Stillwater, in place of Oklahoma State’s spring game.

Gundy added he would also be open to just one annual spring meeting with the Sooners, with the two programs splitting the ticket gate and putting the proceeds toward NIL.

“It’s not going to be a live game, but nobody really has live scrimmages anymore,” Gundy said. “So, you make it a full thud like we’re doing and practice against them, just like they do in the NFL.”

Gundy noted his idea stemmed from Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ push to replace spring games with practices and scrimmages against other programs.

Under current NCAA bylaws, football teams cannot play against another school in the spring, an NCAA spokesperson told ESPN.

Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Ohio State and USC are among the programs opting to cancel their spring games this year. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said last month that the expanded schedule with the 12-team playoff prompted him to think differently about the spring game, considering the increased wear and tear on his players.

Gundy said Sanders got him thinking in recent days of how Oklahoma State could better utilize its spring.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Gundy said. “We get tired of practicing against one other.”