Cowboys Finalize 2017-18 Non-Con Hoops Schedule

Oklahoma State head basketball coach Mike Boynton has announced the non-conference portion of OSU's 2017-18 schedule, which will pit the Cowboys against four postseason squads, five RPI top-105 teams and three 20-win teams from a year ago.

According to KenPom, the Cowboys faced the nation's toughest schedule in 2016-17, and the 2017-18 slate appears to be just as daunting with matchups against Florida State (Dec. 16, Orange Bowl Classic), Wichita State (Dec. 9, Stillwater), Arkansas (Jan. 27, Fayetteville), Tulsa (Dec. 19, Stillwater) and the 2017 Legends Classic field that includes Texas A&M, Pittsburgh and Penn State.

"Our goal will always be to put together a non-conference schedule that prepares our team to compete in the nation's toughest basketball conference while giving Cowboy fans an exciting slate of games they can look forward to, and I think we've done just that," Boynton said. "Our team will take the court against nationally respected squads, regional rivals, as well as a host of opponents that will help our team gel and young players adjust to the rigors of college basketball. I'm excited for the upcoming season, and to have Gallagher-Iba Arena rocking again."

The Cowboys will open the season with a three-game homestand that includes Pepperdine (Nov. 10), Charlotte (Nov. 13) and a regional matchup against Oral Roberts (Nov. 16). This will be the 21st matchup between OSU and ORU, and the first since 2007. The Cowboys are 15-5 all-time against the Golden Eagles.

The Legends Classic will take place Nov. 20-21 at the Barclays Center in Boynton's hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y. While the matchups and schedule is expected to be released later this summer, the Cowboys could potentially faceoff against Texas A&M, Penn State or Pittsburgh.

Following the Legends Classic, OSU will host a four-game homestand capped off by a blockbuster matchup against Wichita State in Gallagher-Iba Arena (Dec. 9). The Cowboys won, 93-76, in Wichita last season to extend their lead in the series with the Shockers to 30-8, including five of the last six meetings.

OSU will also battle CollegeInsider.com Tournament participant Houston Baptist (Nov. 26), Austin Peay (Nov. 29) and Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 3) on that four-game homestand.

The matchup against Florida State will take place at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida as a part of the Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 16. Led by former Cowboy head coach Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles were a No. 3 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament.

Tulsa and OSU will meet for the 111th time on Dec. 19 in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys have taken four of the last five from the Golden Hurricane, including last year's 71-67 win at the Reynolds Center, and now lead the series 72-38, including a 40-15 edge in GIA.

The final non-conference game prior to the start of Big 12 play will be against Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). In its third year of existence after the consolidation of UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American, UTRGV competes in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

After last year's 99-71 win over Arkansas in GIA in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, the Cowboys will return to Fayetteville to face the Razorbacks in the Challenge on Jan. 27.