The Houston Cougars and the Oklahoma State Cowboys tip off Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Monday, Dec. 30, in Stillwater, Okla.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. central on ESPN+. The Cougars (8-3) have been nationally ranked all season, while the Cowboys (8-3) are unranked.
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Houston hits the road to take on the Cowboys, who are led by first-year coach Steve Lutz. OSU has, surprisingly, beaten a couple of high-major teams so far this year and are gearing up to be more competitive in the Big 12 this season.
Here is a preview of Monday’s game.
How to Watch Houston vs. Oklahoma State
Date: Monday, December 30, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN+
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.
Houston vs. Oklahoma State Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Houston -12
Current Line: Houston -11.5
Over/Under: 137.5
Houston vs. Oklahoma State Predictions
Houston has three losses, but those losses have come against Auburn, Alabama and San Diego State. The Tigers and Crimson Tide are top 25 teams and the Aztecs played in a Final Four two years ago. The Cougars’ only high-major win is over Notre Dame.
As expected, the Cougars have been guard-driven, led by L.J. Cryer (14.8 ppg), Emanuel Sharp (14.7 ppg) and Terrance Arceneaux (10.1 ppg). All three are shooting better than 40% from the 3-point line, so the Cougars are going to stretch out OSU’s defense. Forwards J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler have combined for 14 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Guard Milos Uzan transferred in as the replacement for point guard Jamal Shead. Uzan is averaging 8.8 points and 5.1 assists. But, just as important, his 3-point shooting (39.4%) has bounced back from his sophomore season, where he shot under 30% from there.
Oh, and Houston has the best defensive rating in the conference per KenPom.
Oklahoma State scored a nice win over Miami in November and corralled a second power conference win over DePaul in the Big 12-Big EAST Battle. The Cowboys would have loved to have made it three but fell to Oklahoma in the Bedlam game by 15 points. So OSU may still have ground to make up to challenge a team like Houston.
Lutz has juiced up the offense a bit. The Cowboys are more forward-driven this year, led by Marchelus Avery (13.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Abou Ousmane (12.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The new offense has agreed with holdover guard Bryce Thompson (10.5 ppg).
But the Cowboys spread the wealth. Ten players log at least 10 minutes and no player logs more than 23 minutes. Those rotations may change once Big 12 play begins.
OSU’s defense will be critical, as the unit is just outside the Top 100 in KenPom and Houston’s offense will push the pace.
Houston 83, Oklahoma State 71
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Houston (93.1% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark: Houston 76, Oklahoma State 68
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
