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Scouting report: 3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to close with a road win at Oklahoma State

Published

1 year ago

March 6, 2025

Scouting report: 3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to close with a road win at Oklahoma State

While the Cincinnati Bearcats football team has made its way to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State in the Big 12, the UC basketball team is making its first trip to Gallagher-Iba Arena in over 24 years.

After playing less-than-engaging basketball on Senior Night Wednesday in the home finale vs. Kansas State, UC will now have to reverse course on Oklahoma State’s Senior Day Saturday.

They will go from being booed by the home fans at the end of a 54-49 disappointment to being booed by the road fans as the Cowboys try to go out on a winning note.

“The effort’s unacceptable, the fight’s unacceptable, it’s on the head coach,” UC coach Wes Miller said pounding the press room table Wednesday night. “I’m the leader of the operation. I’ve got to do a better damn job. It’s on my ass. I’d boo our butts too. I’d boo myself too.”

Cincinnati Bearcats background in Stillwater

Eddie Sutton led the 18th-ranked Cowboys to a 69-62 opening season win Nov. 16, 2001 over the Bob Huggins-led Bearcats who got half of their points (31) from Steve Logan. UC would go on to to lose just three more games the rest of the season, winning 31 and taking the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles.

Most of UC’s current players weren’t yet born and have no idea Gallagher-Iba Arena is known as the “Madison Square Garden of the Plains.” Saturday afternoon, they will play on the famous white maple court trying to end the regular season on an up note.

It won’t be easy as Oklahoma State is 11-3 at home with the losses coming against Houston, Arizona and Texas Tech, all ranked in the Top 25. It’s probably too late for Wes Miller to change his sideline persona, but there’s no question he’s agitated over dispassionate play.

“I’ve tried to be very positive,” Miller said. “Sometimes my intensity can be a lot for kids at this era of basketball. I don’t complain about players. I played, I understand what it’s like. It’s on me. I’ve got to do a better job of preparing our team. I didn’t do my job. Everybody should be mad at me. I get it. Leave the kids alone.”

Another crucial game for Cincinnati Bearcats

If it’s March and you’re on or near the proverbial “bubble,, they’re all crucial. Many bracketology people have UC’s bubble as burst. A win at Oklahoma State would put the Bearcats 18-13, even with the record they had last year heading into the Big 12 tournament. Many college hoops analysts like Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and Fan Duel have them needing to run the table in Kansas City.

Should UC win at Oklahoma State, then two tournament wins would give Wes Miller a third straight 20-win season and eighth overall including his last five seasons at UNC-Greensboro. It would also put them in the Big 12 quarterfinals, which wasn’t enough last year. This year’s one Quad 1 win and a Senior Night Quad 3 loss is not conducive to getting flowery comments and accolades from the NCAA Selection Committee.

“We’ve got to be the team that we’ve been for the last month,” Miller said of erasing Wednesday’s nightmare. “You’ve got to look in the mirror and be a competitor. We’ve got to compete.”

Miller was shocked at the effort vs. Kansas State with so much on the line. Most of the 10,814 at Fifth Third Arena were in agreement. UC last lost a Senior Night three years ago.

“This is their last year,” Dillon Mitchell said. “Some of these guys have been here for years and gave it all. We just didn’t get the job done. It was bad. Effort is something all of us can control. We didn’t give good effort. We’ve got to be better than that. We can’t lose a game because of our effort.”

Mitchell did lead UC with seven rebounds as they pulled down 37 to Kansas State’s 36. Only he (3) and Day Day Thomas (1) finished with a positive plus/minus figure vs. the Wildcats.

3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at Oklahoma State

1. Again, UC’s chances enhanced by holding opponents below 70

The Bearcats are 15-8 in games where their opponent scores less than 70 points. Oklahoma State has only won once in the 12 times they’ve scored less than 70. Unfortunately, if the Bearcats can’t reach 50, that’s an issue. Their season lows have come in the Big 12 with just 40 points vs. Kansas, 48 at Baylor and 49 vs. Kansas State. The 54 points by the Wildcats Wednesday tied their season-low, but UC was clanking at a 2-for-18 rate from three-point range and was a miserable 5-for-11 from the charity stripe.

2. UC must stop Bryce Thompson

The 6-foot-6 guard averages close to 13 points per game for the Cowboys and has had a high of 25 points against UCF. Thompson is a three-year starter the Bearcats didn’t see last year as he was out with a shoulder injury. Thompson played 39 of 40 minutes in Oklahoma State’s home upset of Iowa State Feb. 25. Wednesday he was held to four points at UCF while in foul trouble with four.

3. UC needs to remember last season’s disappointment vs. Cowboys

UC was knocked off last year by Oklahoma State in a game that featured eight lead changes, 80-76. It was one of eight Big 12 losses by five or less points in 2024. UC last led with three minutes left in the contest. The only player back for the Cowboys from that squad is Jamyron Keller, who had 14 points, missing just two shots and making all five of his free throws.

A key road win may be too late for their resumé, but they can’t let Oklahoma State play spoiler. The Cowboys have a similar predicament next week in Kansas City as only an automatic bid will get them in the tournament.

Tip: 3 p.m. Eastern Saturday (Gallagher-Iba Arena, 13,611)

TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

Series: Oklahoma State leads 4-2 (Cowboys won 80-76 Feb. 21, 2024)

Oklahoma State Cowboys scouting report

Record: 14-16 (6-13 Big 12)

Coach: Steve Lutz (first year, 14-16)

Offense: 72.6 ppg

Defense: 76.5 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Bryce Thompson (G, 6’6″, 12.3 ppg)

Arturo Dean (G, 5’11”, 7.4 ppg)

Abou Ousmane (F, 6’10:, 12.1 ppg)

Jamyron Keller (G, 6’3″, 5.4 ppg)

Robert Jennings II (F, 6’7″, 5.6 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 17-13 (7-12 Big 12)

Coach: Wes Miller (fourth season, 80-56, overall 265-191)

Offense: 70.6 ppg

Defense: 64.9 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Josh Reed (F, 6’7″, 4.2 ppg)

Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 12.7 ppg)

Dillon Mitchell (F, 6’8″, 9.7 ppg)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 9.3 ppg)

Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7′, 7.7 ppg)

Players to watch

As mentioned, Oklahoma State’s Bryce Thompson is a starter the Bearcats didn’t see last year due to injury. In addition, 6-foot-8 forward Marchellus Avery and 6-foot-5 guard Brandon Newman are key contributors for the Cowboys that don’t start. Between them they combine for 19 points per game.

Four of UC’s starters from last year should have long memories of last year’s defeat but a difference-maker late in the year has been Jizzle James who didn’t start last year until the final two NIT games. James had 10 points off the bench in last season’s game, but has been on a roll with double-digit scoring games while teamed up with Day Day Thomas in the backcourt. James has reached double figures in 11 straight games while Thomas has joined him in nine of the last 10.

Rankings

KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 53, Oklahoma State No. 101

NCAA.NET: Cincinnati is No. 45, Oklahoma State is No. 100

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Oklahoma City Comets preliminary 2026 roster

Published

11 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma City Comets preliminary 2026 roster

The Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, unveiled their initial roster on Thursday, with opening day set for Friday night in Oklahoma City against the Albuquerque Isotopes, a Rockies’ farm team.

Among the 43 players on the Dodgers 40-man roster, 10 are on the injured list (three on the 60-day IL, which expands this list to 43), and 26 are active in the majors. Six of the seven remaining 40-man players for the Comets.

River Ryan is the only unaccounted 40-man player not on the preliminary Oklahoma City roster, but he could join them soon. Ryan is slated to pitch this weekend in Arizona, Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic reported Thursday.

Hyeseong Kim lost out to Alex Freeland for a spot on the opening day roster, with the Dodgers wanting Kim to split time between second base, shortstop, and center field in Triple-A.

“There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out. I think the driver, as far as at the outset, is giving Hyeseong an opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday.

Kyle Hurt is among the relievers. After an impressive spring training, the Dodgers opted to slow-play the right-hander missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get called up as a need arises in the majors.

Paul Gervase also impressed in spring, and left-hander Ronan Kopp is in his first year on the 40-man roster. Expect a lot of strikeouts from that pair.

Ryan Ward is also on the 40-man roster for the first time, but he returns to Oklahoma City, where the reigning Pacific Coast League MVP he holds several club records in the Bricktown era, a period since the current ballpark opened in 1998. Michael Siani will patrol the outfield for the Comets, likely flanked by Zach Ehrhard and/or James Tibbs.

Ehrhard and Tibbs, acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Dustin May last July, impressed as non-roster invitees in camp and as the older and more experienced of the plethora of stellar Dodgers outfield prospects are the closest to the majors among the group.

Jack Suwinski was briefly on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this offseason, as was utility man Ryan Fitzgerald, who will likely play all over the infield and potentially some outfield for the Comets. Defensive whiz Noah Miller will play shortstop for Oklahoma City, whose infield also has Nick Senzel and Ryan Fitgerald, all of whom were non-roster invitees this spring for the Dodgers.

Veteran pitchers Cole Irvin and Keynan Middleton are on the Comets’ staff. Other Oklahoma City pitchers with major league experience are River’s brother Ryder Ryan, Garrett McDaniels, and Carlos Duran (pitched one game for the Athletics last season).

Irvin and Ryder Ryan will start the first two games, followed by Christian Romero on Sunday, per play-by-play broadcaster Alex Freedman.

Left-hander Antoine Kelly and right-hander Chris Campos, who were the last two non-roster pitchers standing in Dodgers camp this spring, each are on the Comets preliminary roster. left-hander Logan Allen, who signed a minor league contract last week, is also with Oklahoma City.

Pitcher José Rodríguez, who was touted as a potential Rule 5 Draft pick last December but went unselected, was a non-roster invitee this spring training but did not pitch. He starts the season on the 60-day injured list, as does veteran first baseman Matt Gorski.

Oklahoma City preliminary roster

Starting pitchers (4): Cole Irvin, Ryder Ryan, Cristian Romero, Carlos Duran
Right-handed relievers (8): Kyle Hurt*, Paul Gervase*, Chris Campos, Keynan Middleton, Jordan Weems, Wyatt Mills, Antonio Knowles, Jerming Rosario
Left-handed relievers (4): Ronan Kopp*, Antoine Kelly, Logan Allen Garrett McDaniels
Catchers (2): Eliézer Alfonzo, Seby Zavala
Infielders (4): Ryan Fitzgerald, Noah Miller, Nick Senzel, Austin Gauthier
Outfielders (4): Michael Siani*, Ryan Ward*, Jack Suwinski, Zach Ehrhard
Infielder/outfielders (2): Hyeseong Kim*, James Tibbs III
Injured list (2): rhp José Rodríguez (60-day), 1b Matt Gorski (60-day)

The Comets will finalize the roster before Friday’s season opener.

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Snoop Dogg’s new movie ‘God of the Rodeo’ to film in Oklahoma

Published

23 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Snoop Dogg’s new movie ‘God of the Rodeo’ to film in Oklahoma

Snoop Dogg will star in and produce the upcoming movie “God of the Rodeo.”
The film is set to shoot this summer in Tulsa and the historic Black town of Boley, Oklahoma.
Shia LaBeouf is also cast in the film, which is produced by Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott.

Grammy-nominated pop-culture icon Snoop Dogg will star in and produce an upcoming movie set to film this summer in Oklahoma’s second largest city as well as one of the Sooner State’s historic Black towns.

The hip-hop legend, television personality and actor is the second A-lister to board the period piece “God of the Rodeo.” Deadline reports that Snoop has not only been cast in a starring role, but he and his Death Row Pictures partner, Sara Ramaker, also have signed on to produce the historical drama.

They are joining actress-turned-producer Giannina (Facio) Scott (“House of Gucci”), who is producing for Cara Films, and her husband, celebrated British filmmaker and four-time Oscar nominee Sir Ridley Scott (the “Gladiator” movies), who is producing via his Scott Free Productions.

“Linking up with Scott Free Productions and working with Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott on God of the Rodeo is life changing and an honor,” Snoop told Deadline.

“Me and the team at Death Row Pictures stepping in as producers, I’m acting in it, and Death Row Records is building the soundtrack — and this one got soul. … We’re bringing an important story and something special to the screen.”

Snoop joins embattled actor Shia LaBeouf (“Holes”), whom Deadline reported last year was starring in the project, in the cast of “God of the Rodeo.”

“Snoop Dogg is one of the most gifted and influential artists alive, with admirers and fans all over the world and from every generation transcending music, sports and culture,” Giannina Scott told Deadline. “Ridley and I, with our companies Scott Free and Cara Films, are so excited and blessed to have Snoop join the cast, and for him, Sara and Death Row Pictures to partner with us to produce this important and soulful project from Rosalind Ross.”

What is the upcoming movie ‘God of the Rodeo’ about?

The film is based on the work of New York City-based author and journalist Daniel Bergner, whose 1998 nonfiction book “God of the Rodeo: The Search for Hope, Faith, and a Six-Second Ride in Louisiana’s Angola Prison” was named a notable book of the year by The New York Times.

Set in 1967 inside Louisiana’s Angola Prison — now the largest maximum-security prison in the country and historically one of the most dangerous in the South — the forthcoming film centers on Buckkey, a hardened inmate serving a life sentence who finds a glimmer of redemption in an unlikely opportunity: the prison’s first-ever inmate rodeo.

As Buckkey and his fellow inmates prepare for a last grasp at glory, they’re confronted with the reality that the rodeo is nothing more than a gladiatorial showcase — a grueling fight for survival designed to satiate the public’s bloodlust and fulfill the warden’s delusion of godliness.

Rosalind Ross (“Father Stu”) is writing and directing the project, and Snoop praised her adaptation of “God of the Rodeo” as “a story with heart and grit, and that’s what I’m about” in the Deadline story.

“It’s a thrill and an honor as a filmmaker to bring the legendary swagger, soul and eccentricity of Snoop to this story in what will be a completely transformative role for him,” Ross said, according to Deadline.

“Moreover, I’m deeply gratified by the kindred artistic spirit and conviction of cause that Snoop, Sara and Death Row Pictures have for this collaboration with myself, Giannina, Ridley, and the rest of our incredible producing team.”

When and where in Oklahoma is the movie ‘God of the Rodeo’ set to film?

“God of the Rodeo” also is a project of Rebellium Films, a prolific Tulsa-based production company behind the recent Oklahoma made-movies “Brian,” a comedy that premiered earlier this month at South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, and “The Gates,” a thriller featuring the late James Van Der Beek’s final film role that opened this month in select theaters.

“God of the Rodeo” will film in Boley and Tulsa and use the state film incentive as well as the new Tulsa Film Incentive, Rebellium Films owner and producer Randy Wayne told The Oklahoman.

The largest and best-known of Oklahoma’s historically all-Black towns — and one of only 13 still in existence — Boley has a rich rodeo history. Since 1903, the the Okfuskee County town has hosted the Boley Rodeo, the nation’s oldest Black community-based rodeo and a longstanding Memorial Day weekend tradition.

“God of the Rodeo” is scheduled to film June 15 to July 31 in the Sooner State, according to the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.

Will Shia LaBeouf be able to star in ‘God of the Rodeo?’

While Snoop Dogg has been experiencing a career resurgence — the rapper served as Team USA’s first honorary coach for the 2026 Winter Olympics, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 and recently spent two seasons as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice” — LaBeouf has been embroiled in more legal trouble since his casting in “God of the Rodeo” was announced last year.

During last month’s Mardi Gras celebrations, the controversial actor and former child star was arrested in New Orleans for a pair of alleged assaults, USA TODAY reports. A NOLA judge subsequently ordered to LaBeouf to return to rehab as well as submit to weekly drug tests.

Plus, his former partner FKA Twigs is suing LeBeouf, alleging he tried to use an “unlawful” nondisclosure agreement to silence her, years after she accused him of sexual battery and assault. In a legal complaint filed Wednesday, March 25, the British electronic pop artist set out to block LaBeouf from enforcing parts of the NDA that she claims violate California law and public policy.

She previously accused LeBeouf of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress in a 2020 lawsuit that was settled in July 2025.

LeBeouf has filmed in Oklahoma before, including on the 2016 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize-winning road movie “American Honey,” which was partially made in Muskogee.

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Chicago faces Oklahoma City on 3-game road skid

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Chicago faces Oklahoma City on 3-game road skid

Chicago Bulls (29-43, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-16, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Chicago travels to Oklahoma City looking to stop its three-game road losing streak.

The Thunder are 29-7 in home games. Oklahoma City ranks second in the Western Conference with 34.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.

The Bulls are 11-23 on the road. Chicago is seventh in the Eastern Conference scoring 116.3 points per game and is shooting 46.9%.

The Thunder are shooting 48.2% from the field this season, 0.6 percentage points higher than the 47.6% the Bulls allow to opponents. The Bulls are shooting 46.9% from the field, 3.4% higher than the 43.5% the Thunder’s opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Thunder won the last matchup 116-108 on March 4. Jared McCain scored 20 points to help lead the Thunder to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cason Wallace is scoring 8.5 points per game and averaging 3.1 rebounds for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.8 points and 4.4 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Josh Giddey is scoring 17.6 points per game with 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists for the Bulls. Matas Buzelis is averaging 20.3 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 44.9% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 115.4 points, 43.6 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.1 points per game.

Bulls: 4-6, averaging 120.3 points, 47.1 rebounds, 28.2 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.6 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Jalen Smith: day to day (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: day to day (knee), Nick Richards: day to day (elbow), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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