What are the biggest early surprises for Oklahoma State wrestling, basketball teams?

STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State wrestling team is coming off a dominant Bedlam dual victory at OU on Sunday while the Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball teams are nearing the end of non-conference play.

With this being finals week at OSU, all three programs are off until Sunday, when Gallagher-Iba Arena will host a women’s/men’s doubleheader at 1 and 4 p.m., respectively. The Cowboy wrestling squad will be at Wyoming that night.

Roughly six weeks into winter sports seasons, it’s time to take a look at the biggest surprises for each of those teams. 

The Oklahoman’s Scott Wright and Jacob Unruh offer their insight into the unexpected twists for the OSU basketball and wrestling teams:

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What has been the biggest surprise for OSU wrestling?

Wright: After getting a look at them in person for the first time this season in Sunday’s 28-9 Bedlam victory, the biggest surprise might be their depth. 

The lineup seemed to have few weaknesses, and that’s without two top-12-ranked wrestlers — Daton Fix at 133 and Luke Surber at 197 — in the lineup because of injuries. 

And the confidence of this team seems strong, with a good mix of experienced leaders and excitable youth. 

It was hard to know what to expect of this team, based on the high number of new faces expected to contribute, but even those guys have been strong. 

Brayden Thompson, who was among the top recruits in the 2023 signing class, took some early lumps but got two solid wins to get his season on track at 174 pounds. 

And so far, the most exciting of the new faces has been 165-pounder Izzak Olejnik. He debuted at No. 6 in the national rankings and has climbed to No. 2 behind a strong start to the year. 

A super-senior transfer from Northern Illinois, Olejnik was a proven wrestler, having nabbed four straight NCAA Championship bids and earning All-America status with an eighth-place finish last year.

While his rise to the elite level of the weight class has been quicker than outsiders might have expected, those in the OSU wrestling room expected this.

“Once I got to know him, absolutely,” associate head coach Coleman Scott said. “Once I saw the way he worked. The guy is a professional. He’s got a great attitude. 

“He wants to work his tail off and do what’s right. He’s a guy that’s not afraid to put himself in practice with a guy that’s gonna push him, battle him in some positions that are uncomfortable for him. You have to be willing to take yourself there, and he is.”

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What has been the biggest surprise for OSU men’s basketball?

Unruh: There’s a lot to point to with the Cowboys sitting at a disappointing 4-5 with Big 12 play quickly approaching.

The poor defense, though coach Mike Boynton said his trademark suffocating defense would be a work in progress at best.

The injuries to Bryce Thompson, Isaiah Miranda and Jamyron Keller leading to inconsistency.

Losing to multiple mid-major programs.

But the biggest surprise to me is the lack of offense again.

I know. I know. 

The offense has consistently been an issue for the greater part of Boynton’s tenure. But he’s worked to flip that around. This was supposed to be the team that took that next step. The offense was supposed to be better than the defense.

So far, that’s not necessarily the case.

Boynton has recruited better shooters and scorers. And the Cowboys have their best point guard not named Cade Cunningham in Boynton’s tenure with Javon Small.

Still, OSU sits at No. 13 in scoring in the Big 12. It’s last in the conference in free-throw shooting. FREE THROWS. 

While OSU has improved as a 3-point shooting team, things that seem so simple like free throws remain an issue. 

Fix one problem. Another develops.

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What has been the biggest surprise for OSU women’s basketball?

Wright: Sitting at 5-3 overall, the Cowgirls have won three straight to get rolling after a bumpy start against a tough schedule.

OSU’s losses all came against highly regarded teams. Colorado and Ohio State are ranked Nos. 8 and 12, respectively, in the latest Associated Press top 25, and Penn State received votes in the poll.

But if you’re solely looking for a surprise, her name is Stailee Heard. The true freshman from Sapulpa has not only shown she can score at the major-college level, leading the team at 15.1 points per game, but the 5-foot-11 guard is doing far more than filling up the bucket.

She leads the team in rebounds at 6.6 per game and is shooting 62.5% from the floor, best on the team among players who have attempted at least 10 shots. She also has a team-best 13 steals and is averaging over two assists per game.

Back in the preseason, coach Jacie Hoyt raved about what Heard was doing in practice, and Hoyt stood behind it by inserting Heard into the starting lineup on a team that had plenty of veteran options. 

Above all, this might be the most impressive stat category that Heard leads the Cowgirls in: minutes per game. She’s playing 32.9 minutes per game through eight games. 

For a freshman in her first taste of college basketball, she has quickly established herself as someone Hoyt wants on the floor as much as possible, and she has proven so far that she can handle the physical challenge that comes with it. Of course, Big 12 play will be a different challenge as the year wears on.