At the beginning of the season, Oklahoma State was likely hoping to have a first-round in the Big 12 conference tournament. However, things did not go as planned as key losses and a suspension hurt the Cowboys. Now stuck competing from the state, Oklahoma State will begin their bid for a tournament spot against Texas Tech.
Marcus Smart's history with Texas Tech is not the best. The meeting between the two teams is the first since Smart received a three-game suspension for shoving a Red Raiders fan during the final seconds of a loss earlier in the season. The suspension resulted in a few Oklahoma State losses causing the team to stumble in the rankings. Now they meet Texas Tech as Smart has struggled to return from the suspension. He is now averaging 19.8 points and 6.4 assists in the final few games of the year, looking ready to lead the team through the tournament.
The Cowboys will also rely heavily on guard Markel Brown who is putting up 17.2 points per game and Le'Bryan Nash who is averaging 14.4 points per game. When the two teams last played in February, Texas Tech got the best of the Cowboys, but Oklahoma State owns the better series record overall.
The Red Raiders finished the season on a high note. They defeated the Texas Longhorns, ending a six-game losing streak that has essentially put their tournament dreams on life support. Texas Tech will need a solid run through the Big 12 tournament if they think they can earn a spot in March Madness. Senior Jaye Crockett will need a big game. He leads the team with 13.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds a game. In his last game against Oklahoma State, he put up 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
The winner of the first round matchup goes on to play Kansas. The Jayhawks are slumping at the moment, so there is hope that momentum from this game could lead to an upset of the tournament favorites.
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