Tramel's ScissorTales: Why Big 12 men's basketball schedule is a bummer for Oklahoma State

The Big 12 announced its men’s basketball scheduling format for 2023-24, the year the conference plays with 14 teams.

Each team will play 18 conference games, with five opponents being home-and-home, with four being home-only and four others being road-only.

We know Kansas will be great, we figure Houston will be great and we figure Texas could be great.

Otherwise, the league is a crapshoot, other than the Big 12 figures to again be the nation’s most powerful conference.

But how did the distribution of opponents land? The way I see it, OU got a really solid draw. OSU, not so much.

Here are the downers for the Cowboys.

More: How is the OU-Big 12 relationship as the Sooners enter their final year? 'Getting better'

∎ No trip to Central Florida, which figures to be the easiest Big 12 road game. UCF likely will have a major transition towards competitiveness. Mike Boynton can use all the road wins he can get.

∎ No home game against Houston. A victory over the Cougars would look good on a team’s résumé, but OSU won’t get the chance to beat Houston in Stillwater, and beating the Coogs in the Fertitta Center isn’t likely.

∎ No home game against Texas. Same script as Houston.

Here are OSU’s opponents:

Both home and road: Brigham Young, Kansas, Kansas State, OU and Texas Tech.

Home only: Baylor, West Virginia, TCU and UCF.

As for OU, the Sooners get Houston in Norman but don’t return the trip. The Sooners also get both Texas and Kansas home-and-home, so OU has more chances at a notable victory.

OU plays at UCF, which conceivably could be a precious road win.

Here are OU’s opponents:

Both home and road: Texas, OSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas.

Home only: BYU, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia.

Road only: Baylor, UCF, Kansas State, TCU.

More: Tramel: Big 12 riding high, with great parity and TCU coming off a national-title game

Nolan Ryan: More amazing connections

Since 1883, only five men have owned Major League Baseball’s single-season home run record. Their admittance into the club are separated mostly by large time gaps — 35, 42, 37 and three years.

And Nolan Ryan pitched to three of the five.

Here are the five:

1884: Playing for the National League’s Chicago White Stockings – the franchise that became the Cubs – Ed Williamson hit 27 home runs in 1884. The third baseman played 13 MLB seasons, but 1884 was the only year he reached double digits in homers. His record stood for 35 years. Almost as long as Roger Maris’ stood.

1919: Babe Ruth hit 29 home runs in 1919, a World War I-abbreviated season in which Ruth’s Red Sox played just 138 games. Ruth played outfield in 111 games and pitched 17 games, with a 9-5 record, as he made the transition to full-time outfielder.

1961: Roger Maris his 61 home runs for the ‘61 Yankees, and commissioner Ford Frick seemed to come up with 61 reasons why Maris record had to share the top shelf with Ruth’s 60 hit in 1927. The 1927 schedule was 154 games; by 1961, baseball teams were playing 162.

1998: Seems so innocent now, the delirium with which we celebrated Mark McGwire’s 70 home runs with the Cardinals.

2001: The awful, soiled truth was beginning to come out when Barry Bonds hit 73 with the Giants. Baseball’s power surge was steroid-induced.

But you want to feel good about baseball again? Here you go, courtesy of BaseballHistoryNut on Twitter: Ryan is the only pitcher to face Maris, McGwire and Bonds. They combined to go 5-for-28 against Ryan, with zero home runs.

Think about that. Baseball has produced only five single-season home-run recordholders since the James Garfield Administration.

And Ryan pitched to three of them.

Ryan pitched three innings for the 1966 Mets, then pitched for the Mets from 1968-71, the Angels from 1972-79, the Astros from 1980-88 and the Rangers from 1989-93.

Maris debuted with the 1957 Indians and stayed in the American League with the Kansas City Athletics and the Yankees, until finishing out with the Cardinals. So Maris crossed paths with Ryan in 1968.

McGwire debuted with Oakland in 1986, and he remained an Athletic into 1997. So Ryan and McGwire were in the American League together from 1989-93. Lots of AL West matchups.

Bonds debuted with the 1986 Pirates and played in 407 games his first three seasons, which were Ryan’s final three National League seasons.

More: Tramel's ScissorTales: Why Joey McGuire believes Big 12 title goes through Texas Tech

The List: Joel Embiid possibilities

The NBA’s rumor mill continues to churn with the idea that 76er superstar Joel Embiid might soon request a trade. Bookies.com has produced hypothetical percentages for Embiid’s 2024-25 team:

1. 76ers 20%: I’d go much higher. Way over 50 percent that Embiid remains in Philly.

2. Netropolitans 13.3%: The Nets have lots of draft assets, but do the 76ers want to start another rebuild?

3. Pelicans 12.5%: Embiid for Zion Williamson. Who says no?

4. Jazz 11.8%: Lots of draft assets, but does Utah have the talent to make a trade?

4. Thunder 11.8%: OKC has the draft picks and young talent to make something happen, but it would be surprising if the Thunder had the will.

6. Knickerbockers 9.5%: New York would be my favorite, if Embiid wants out.

7. Heat 9.5%: Embiid for Bam Adebayo and some change?

8. Raptors 7.7%: Pascal Siakam and change for Embiid?

9. Field 13.8%: Always take the field if the field includes the Lakers, Clippers, Celtics and Warriors.

More: Tramel's ScissorTales: Can Texas, Kansas match great expectations in Big 12 football?

Mailbag: Big 12 detractor

Some people are born on the wrong side of the bed.

Thomas: “Good day. Am I crazy or are you a giant Big 12 cheerleader? Wow, it’s like the biggest two programs are leaving and somehow this makes the league better?”

Tramel: I didn’t say the league was better. Others did.

Also, I have no great knowledge one way or the other on your mental status.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 men's basketball schedule is a bummer for Oklahoma State