After a crushing victory in a must-win situation, Oklahoma’s road to the NCAA Tournament comes to a sudden halt in Brooklyn.
The Cowboys (6-3) will face Virginia Tech (9-1, ACC 1-0) at the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational on Sunday at 1pm at the Barclays Center.
A very familiar place for the Cowboys.
OSU is 3-1 in the hometown of head coach Mike Boynton. His last two wins were dominating victories in his NIT preseason tournaments in 2019.
Assistant coach Terrence Rencher is from the Bronx and attended St. Raymond High School. New video coordinator Chris Quintana is from Staten Island, and alumni assistant James Barrett attended Bishop’s Laughlin’s High with Boynton.
Even star center Moussa Cisse played high school basketball in New York and nearby New Jersey.
But returning to Brooklyn isn’t easy. Virginia Tech has an impressive offensive team led by former Edmund Memorial star Sean Pedula.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about Sunday’s matchup.
more:Who participated in the Oklahoma State University Men’s Basketball 2023 Recruit Class?
How to watch Oklahoma State (6-3) vs. Virginia Tech (9-1)
when: Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
tv set: ESPN2 (Cox 28/HD 721, Dish 143, DirecTV 209, Uverse 606/HD 1606)
wireless: KXXY-FM 96.1
more:Dell City star Brandon Garrison is perfect to lead Oklahoma State University’s 2023 contract class
3 things to know about OSU vs. Virginia Tech
• Moussa Cisse enters the game on 30 blocks and easily leads the Big 12. He is third in the country. The 7-foot-1 junior enters the weekend on the conference leaderboard, where Texas Tech’s Daniel Baccho (2nd) and his OU Tanner Groves (3rd) combine for a total of just 27 blocks. I have a big advantage.
• Virginia Tech is averaging 77.1 points per game and ranks 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom.com. In adjusted defensive efficiency he ranks 26th in his OSU, where he allowed just 62.3 points per game and in his six of his last eight halves outscored opponents by 30. Reduced to less than points.
• Virginia Tech is coached by longtime Wofford head coach Mike Young, of whom Boynton was associate head coach during the 2007-08 season. Boynton considers Young to be one of his best friends.
—Jacob Unruh, Staff Writer