Cowboy Basketball visits Wisconsin Tuesday for final preseason tuneup

OKLAHOMA STATE at WISCONSIN
Men's Basketball Exhibition Game
Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 6 p.m. CT
Madison, Wis. | Kohl Center

Watch: B1G+ ($8.99 single-game option)
Listen: Cowboy Radio Network / Varsity Network app
Live Stats: https://uwbadgers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State men's basketball team wraps up its preseason exhibition schedule Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a trip to Madison, Wis., to face the Wisconsin Badgers. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT at the Kohl Center.

The game will stream live on B1G+ with Spencer Saltz joined by analyst Jackson Poppert and sideline reporter Caroline McGartland.

Fans without a B1G+ subscription can purchase a single-game pay-per-view pass for $8.99 at bigtenplus.com/oklahoma-state-vs-wisconsin-ppv. Passes must first be purchased through a traditional web browser, but viewers can then watch on the B1G+ app, available on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox, Samsung smart TVs, Google TV and more.

Fans can also listen to Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb's call on the Cowboy Radio Network and the Varsity App.

One Last Dress Rehearsal:

The Cowboys (1-1 in exhibitions) are coming off a 93-85 Homecoming Friday victory over Tulsa, highlighted by a near triple-double from fifth-year guard Kashie Natt.

Natt turned in a remarkable all-around performance with 26 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and five steals. He led both teams in all four categories, finishing one assist shy of a triple-double.

OSU shot a blistering 63.5% from the field (33-of-52), including 7-of-17 from three-point range, and outscored Tulsa 50-18 in the paint.

Latrell Allmond added 14 points, Jacob Walker scored 12 and freshman Anthony Felesi chipped in 10. The Cowboys led for more than 37 minutes, using a 17-8 run early in the second half to take control.

The performance represented a step forward offensively from OSU's Oct. 11 exhibition opener, a 99-89 loss to New Mexico. The Cowboys shot 45.3% in that contest but showed strength on the glass, collecting 22 offensive rebounds and outscoring the Lobos 27-12 on second-chance opportunities.

Through two exhibitions, Natt leads the Cowboys in scoring (18.0 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg), assists (4.5 apg) and steals (2.5 spg). Felesi (14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and 7-foot center Julius Halaifonua (11.0 ppg) are also averaging double figures.

Injuries have limited OSU's early rotations. Frontcourt contributors Parsa Fallah, Mekhi Ragland and Jordan Burks have yet to see preseason action, while starting point guard Kanye Clary missed the second half against New Mexico and the entire Tulsa game.

Now entering his third season, head coach Steve Lutz has one more opportunity to evaluate his revamped roster against high-major competition before the games begin counting.

New NCAA exhibition rules allow teams to play a third preseason contest. The Cowboys are 3-2 under Lutz in October friendlies with a home victory over SMU in 2014. Last season the Pokes split two games, defeating eventual NIT champion Auburn on a neutral court in Birmingham and falling on the road to an SMU team that went on to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting Wisconsin:

The Badgers are coming off their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 seasons under head coach Greg Gard. Wisconsin finished 24-11 overall and 14-6 in Big Ten play last winter, reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament before falling to High Point in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin was especially tough at home, posting a 15-2 record at the Kohl Center.

The Badgers have won both of their preseason exhibitions, defeating Division II UW-Parkside, 94-71, on Oct. 10 and Green Bay, 96-77, on Oct. 15. Gard used 11 players for at least eight minutes apiece in the latter. Tuesday will be their first exhibition against a power-conference opponent.

Senior center Nolan Winter, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, anchors a retooled Wisconsin roster after averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season. The 7-footer scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the exhibition opener against Parkside.

The Badgers are replacing last year's standout backcourt duo of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd with a group of newcomers led by Australian point guard Owen Foxwell.

Foxwell has averaged 16.5 points and 6.0 assists through two exhibitions. He scored 21 points with six assists and four steals in the victory over Green Bay, while Tulsa transfer Braeden Carrington supplied 20 points off the bench.

Wisconsin also returns sophomore forward Austin Rapp and added transfers Trey Autry (George Washington) and Eian Elmer (Miami, Ohio).

Series History:

OSU and Wisconsin have met just once in the regular season, with the Cowboys earning an 89-84 victory on Dec. 29, 1983. The game was part of a four-team holiday tournament, hosted by the University of Dayton.

Joe Atkinson led a group of five double-figure scorers for the Cowboys with 22 points to overcome a 33-point night from UW junior forward Scott Roth. OSU shot 61.5 percent from the field and made 25-of-28 free throws. Its starting backcourt included current Kansas head coach Bill Self, who finished with 12 points and three assists.

Tuesday's matchup will not count toward the official all-time series, but it provides another rare opportunity for the two programs to share the court.

Up Next: Opening Night in GIA

OSU opens its 118th regular season and its 89^th year in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday, Nov. 2 with a doubleheader. The Cowgirls face Southern at 5 p.m., followed by the Cowboys' matchup with Incarnate Word shortly after 8 p.m. on ESPN+. One ticket is good for both games.

For single-game and season ticket information, visit okstate.com/tickets. Get season-long Cowboy Basketball coverage at okstate.com and follow @OSUMBB on X and Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Latrell Allmond

Jordan Burks

Parsa Fallah

Anthony Felesi

Julius Halaifonua

Kashie Natt

Mekhi Ragland

Jacob Walker

Oklahoma State University Athletics