West Virginia welcomes the Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-4, 0-1) Saturday afternoon for the Mountaineers (10-2. 1-0) Big 12 Conference home opener. Tip-off is set for noon EST and the action will broadcast on CBSSN.

Fresh off one of the biggest wins in program history, the Mountaineers come back home to what should be an energized crowd waiting for them. You always have to wonder about the focus of a team that is just days removed from an exhilarating win, but Darian DeVries appears to have his group locked in.

The fact that they were able to beat Kansas without Tucker DeVries and Amani Hansberry says a lot. Whether or not they play today is anyone’s guess, but I’m not sure it makes much of a difference. DeVries is pushing all the right buttons at the moment and knows how to play to the strengths of the guys he does have available.

Oklahoma State is built very similar to West Virginia in that they don’t overwhelm you with size in the frontcourt, but they make up for it with good overall length, specifically with bigger guards. The biggest differences between the two teams are three-point shooting and defense. The Cowboys are 190th in the country in points allowed per game, while WVU is 21st. OSU is 205th in three-point shooting, down over 100 spots from the Mountaineers, who shoot it at a 35% clip from deep.

Give me West Virginia by ten.

Prediction record: 9-3

Oklahoma State head coach Steve Lutz quickly turned two programs around, winning three consecutive conference tournaments before turning his attention to Stillwater.

Lutz and the Cowboys have struggled in the early portion of the season and lack a marquee win. They are 2-0 in true road games, notching wins against Tulsa and Seton Hall – two programs that are under. 500. The Pokes have played two ranked opponents this season, with losses to rival Oklahoma and in their Big 12 home opener against No. 14 Houston Monday night, trailing by double digits at halftime in both contests.

Oklahoma States sixth-man, forward Marchelus Avery, leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game.

West Virginia notched another NCAA tournament resume building win in its Big 12 opener at Kansas Tuesday afternoon and did it despite missing forwards Tucker DeVries and Amani Hansberry.

Head coach Darian DeVries has exceeded expectations in his first year in Morgantown, and keeping the team focused after grabbing the program’s first win at Kansas will be another BIG test for this group.

Senior guard Javon Small, who transferred from Oklahoma State in the offseason, leads the league in scoring at 19.2 ppg.

Lutz and DeVries were together as assistants as part of Doug McDermott’s staff at Creighton. DeVries mentioned Lutz’s group will look to get out in transition, something the Mountaineers have been able to keep at bay this season, including the win over Kansas on Tuesday.

West Virginia has shown they can turn the page after an upset. At the Battle 4 Atlantis midseason tournament, the Mountaineers knocked off a third-ranked Gonzaga team in overtime, then the following day played well in an overtime loss to Louisville and bounced back the next day with an OT win against Arizona.

DeVries has kept this group steady, and I suspect the Mountaineers will remain focused. West Virginia remains ahead of the Big 12 race with another gutty 75-65 win.

Prediction record: 8-4.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

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ESPN BPI Heavily Favors West Virginia in Big 12 Home Opener vs. Oklahoma State

Spread & Over/Under Predictions for West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State

West Virginia Expected to Hire Chuck Lillie as General Manager

Oklahoma House Republicans are laying the groundwork for their legislative agenda for the next year, focusing on key issues including education, mental health, workforce development, and economic growth.

House Republican leaders met this week to finalize their top priorities ahead of the session, emphasizing the opportunity to make significant progress with Republican majorities in both the state and U.S. Congress.

Key initiatives include making schools phone-free and establishing a Level 1 trauma facility in Tulsa. House Republicans are also introducing a new oversight process for legislation. Under the new system, bills will be reviewed by both a standard committee and an “oversight committee” before advancing to the House floor.

“We want to get more work done earlier, make sure we don’t bring any bad legislation forward,” said House Republican Caucus Chair Stan May, (R-Broken Arrow). “I mean, it should be hard to pass a bill. It shouldn’t be, you know, a one-and-done thing.”

Republican lawmakers are also aiming to pass additional tax cuts, though May noted they are still building consensus and waiting for a clearer picture of the state budget.

House leaders plan to meet with Gov. Kevin Stitt and Senate leaders to align their goals once the session begins. State lawmakers will convene for Organizational Day on Tuesday, with the full legislative session set to start on Feb. 3.

CNA Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 16:35 pm

A religious sister who ministered in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City died in a car accident Thursday afternoon after running off a rural highway northwest of the city, according to local news reports.

Sister Veronica Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus was killed after her vehicle left the road, struck a tree, and came to rest in a creek, authorities said.

The accident happened on Oklahoma Highway 3, about four miles south of Okarche, the hometown of Blessed Stanley Rother.

Higgins, 74, was “apparently ill,” and troopers wrote in the report that the cause of the collision was a medical incident, KOCO reported.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City paid tribute to Higgins shortly after the accident, writing on social media: “I have just learned of the sudden and unexpected death of Sister Veronica Higgins, CST, earlier today, Jan. 2. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Veronica, the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse, and all who grieve her passing.”

“Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,” the bishop continued, adding that “funeral arrangements are pending and will be provided in the near future.”

Higgins was the case manager at the Center of Family Love, a ministry to the intellectually disabled, in Okarche, according to the Okarche Warrior. She was also a past administrator and principal at the former Villa Teresa School in Oklahoma City.

According to The Oklahoman, she was a convert to the Catholic faith and celebrated the 40th anniversary of her vows as a religious sister in 2016.

On the website for her order, Higgins wrote that her favorite Bible verse is Micah 6:8, which reads: “The Lord asks of us only this: to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God.”

An archdiocesan spokesman told CNA that the sisters are “still struggling with the loss” and that more information will be available next week.

The Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus say on their website that the members of the order work to serve “the special needs of those who experience poverty, spiritual deprivation, moral disorders, and indifference.”