Oklahoma State will try to pull off a big upset when it travels to No. 8 UConn on Thursday night. The Cowboys are riding a three-game winning streak following a 78-53 win over Prairie View A&M on Sunday. UConn has rattled off eight straight wins to open the season, sweeping its three games at the Phil Knight Invitational.
Oklahoma State got off to a slow start this season, losing two of its first four games. The Cowboys lost to Southern Illinois by one point three weeks ago before losing to UCF in overtime, so they could very easily be sitting at 7-0 coming into this matchup. They are riding a three-game winning streak following wins over DePaul, Tulsa and Prairie View A&M. Oklahoma State beat Tulsa and Prairie View A&M by 25-plus points each, covering the spread in both games. Avery Anderson III led four scorers in double figures with 16 points on 4 of 8 shooting against Prairie View A&M.
#AirCowboyOne ?? is Storrs bound. #LetsWork I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/J3l3ULGGgq
— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) November 30, 2022
Junior forward Moussa Cisse is averaging the fourth-most blocks in the nation at 3.6, and he is also averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 10.6 rebounds. Oklahoma State has seven players averaging at least seven points per game, giving them one of the most balanced lineups in the country. The Cowboys’ strength has been in the paint, as they are shooting 54.9% from 2-point range. They are not shooting well from the perimeter, knocking down just 29.3% of their 3-point tries. Oklahoma State also needs to clean up some turnover issues, as it is giving the ball away on 20% of its possessions. The Cowboys are facing a UConn defense that ranks ninth in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings.