Oklahoma State's chances at a tournament berth looked just about dead in the water. The team was on a downward spiral in the Big 12 after putting together a seven-game losing streak. The team was riddled off-court-issues that looked like they had ended the Cowboys tournament dreams. However, a win over ranked Kansas has put new life into the team preparing to face the Kansas State Wildcats.
Oklahoma State got Marcus Smart back from a three-game suspension after shoving a Texas Tech fan during a game. During that time, the Cowboys were struggling on both sides of the court. However, with the sophomore back with the team, Oklahoma State has rattled off three-straight wins and find themselves back in tournament talk once again.
Smart led the charge against No. 5 Kansas. The sophomore put up 20 of his 21 points in the second half to lead a come-from-behind win which might be enough to land the Cowboys an at-large berth into the tournament. Oklahoma and company will have to finish strong against both the Wildcats and Iowa State in order to have a chance. They will also have to make a run in the Big 12 conference tournament in order to get a look.
The Wildcats berth into the NCAA tournament appear safe for the time being, but their exact seed has yet to be determined. Right now, there is a four-way tie for the second seed as Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas all sit at the top with two games remaining. The Wildcats know that if they can win these last two games, they lock down a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.
Oklahoma State has the home court advantage. After already beating Kansas at home, the Cowboys are favored in this matchup. The Wildcats have struggled on the road, winning just two of eight conference games, but they had a convincing away game again Texas Tech and look to repeat the success.
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