The Oklahoma State basketball team likely gets seeded at nine, according to ESPN’s Bracketology, in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
The Oklahoma State basketball program had a rough finish to the 2017 season before the NCAA Tournament. After winning 10 of 11 games, OK State lost their last three games. Two of the losses came against the no. 23 ranked and eventual Big 12 Tournament Champion Iowa State Cyclones. The other loss came against the no. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the regular season finale at Gallagher-Iba Arena on March 4.
OK State was once thought to finish the season with at least a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, three straight losses put them as a nine seed in ESPN’s latest edition of Bracketology right before the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.
According to Joe Lundardi, OK State projects as a nine seed in the West portion of the bracket, placing them in Salt Lake City, UT, to start the Tournament. They would face the projected eight seed South Carolina Gamecocks.
If the Cowboys were to get past the Cocks, then they would likely face one of the toughest opponents in the entire Tournament. The Gonzaga Bulldogs would be the one seed that the Pokes would likely face in the Round of 32. With only one loss this season, the Zags promise to be one of the favorites to bring home the National Title.
ESPN is not the only news company that put the Pokes as a nine seed with their Bracketology. Bleacher Report also had the Pokes as a nine seed. Except, BR had the Pokes facing the Arkansas Razorbacks, out of the SEC. OK State already defeated the Razorbacks this season.
CBS Sports has the Cowboys as a nine seed as well facing the eight seed Dayton Flyers.
Overall, it looks like the Cowboys are likely to land a nine seed in the NCAA Tournament. Giving them the opportunity to upset a one seed in the Round of 32, if they get past the first round.
It looks like a safe bet to assume that the Big 12 sends six teams to the Big Dance this year. OK State projects as the fifth best seed out of the six teams the conference could send. The Kansas State Wildcats are still on the bubble for Selection Sunday, but most experts project them in the Tournament.
The other teams from the Big 12 in the NCAA Tournament field include KU, ISU, West Virginia, and Baylor. Even after getting upset by the TCU Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Tournament, KU is the only Big 12 team that could land a one seed.
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show starts at 4:30 p.m. CT on CBS. OK State is hosting an official Selection Sunday watch party at the OSU Alumni Center, starting at 4 p.m. CT. The Cowboys officially figure out where they rank in the Tournament at that time.
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You can view ESPN’s NCAA Tournament Bracketology here. You can view Bleacher Report’s Bracketology here. You can view CBS Sports’ Bracketology here.