UPDATE: Oklahoma State tabbed as No. 1 overall seed in NIT, won't host first round
Mar. 12—Oklahoma State men's basketball knew it needed help on Selection Sunday. In the moments following the Cowboys' loss to No. 7 Texas in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, senior guard John-Michael Wright said he hoped the selection committee "shows us grace."
It did not.
On the heels of a one-year postseason ban, OSU was the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the Cowboys are the No. 1 overall seed in the National Invitational Tournament and will face Youngstown State at 6 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN+.
While the higher-seeded team would usually host, the Cowboys won't for their first-round matchup with the Penguins. It would be a logistics nightmare when it comes to staffing, an OSU spokesperson told The News Press, with the university being the host school for the NCAA Wrestling Championships this week in Tulsa. The game will be played at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
Youngstown State will enter the NIT with an overall record of 24-9, including a mark of 15-5 in the Horizon League. The Penguins defeated Detroit Mercy in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament before falling to Northern Kentucky in the semifinals.
When it comes to the Pokes' once-alive March Madness hopes, Mississippi State and Pitt finished ahead of the them and will square off in the First Four to be the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region. Arizona State and Nevada will meet in the play-in game for the No. 11 seed in the West Region.
The other No. 11 seeds are NC State and Providence.
Chris Reynolds, a member of the NCAA Selection Committee, told CBS that the Cowboys missed out on a March Madness birth because "they had 18 opportunities in the Quad 1, and they won only six games."
With the NCAA Tournament behind the Cowboys, only five games stand between them and an NIT championship. The NIT title game will be played March 30 in Las Vegas, and it'll be televised on ESPN2.
Follow News Press sports reporter Jon Walker on Twitter @ByJonWalker for updates on Oklahoma State athletics, Stillwater High sports and more.
