Oklahoma State basketball season preview 2024-25: Biggest games, key players to watch, predictions and more

Oklahoma State begins its 2024-25 college basketball season looking to bounce back from a 12-20 record last year. The losing record brought Mike Boynton's tenure as head coach to an abrupt end, and he was replaced by former Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Western Kentucky coach Steve Lutz.

The Cowboys welcomed seven transfers and several walk-ons during the offseason in the hopes of bringing in new energy and more victories this coming season. Here's a closer look into Oklahoma State's 2024-25 men's basketball campaign, from its biggest games to the key players to watch out for.

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Oklahoma State's biggest games of the 2024-25 season

Oklahoma State will take part in the 2024 edition of the Charleston Classic on Nov. 21-24 at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cowboys open the three-day mini-tournament against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 21 at 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 p.m. ET).

The following day, OSU will face either Miami or Drake in the semifinal or consolation round. The event ends on Nov. 24 with four more matchups to determine the final placements of the eight teams taking part in the event. Seton Hall, VCU, Vanderbilt and Nevada are also competing in the mini-tournament.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are set to meet Seton Hall on Dec. 8 as part of the annual Big 12-Big East Battle. The teams met once in the 2000 East Regional Semifinals in Syracuse, New York, where the Cowboys won 68-66 to advance to the Elite Eight.

OSU will have 20 games against its conference rivals in the Big 12 regular season that starts in January. The Cowboys will play Kansas State, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah and Houston twice in a home-and-away format. It will host Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Colorado and Iowa State and visit Baylor, BYU, Kansas, TCU and West Virginia.

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Top Oklahoma State players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season

Oklahoma State overhauled its lineup during the offseason, picking up seven players from the transfer portal. The school also accepted walk-ons from Canada and Oklahoma to beef up its roster.

This new blood will add up to the players who opted to return to OSU this season. Here are the three Cowboys players to watch out for in their 2024-25 men's basketball season.

#1. Bryce Thompson

OSU guard Bryce Thompson (Image Source: IMAGN)

A torn labrum on his right shoulder in OSU's game against Kansas forced Bryce Thompson to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Before the injury, the 6-foot-6 Thompson was averaging 11.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Thompson's return would give coach Steve Lutz some veteran presence on the Cowboys' bench, as he could serve as the team leader and one of the key offensive options this season.

#2. Khalil Brantley

Newly-acquired OSU guard Khalil Brantley (Image Source: IMAGN)

Khalil Brantley transferred to Oklahoma State after three seasons with La Salle. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 94 games with La Salle from 2021-24.

Brantley will provide additional firepower for the Cowboys, as he was a dependable scorer for the Explorers over the past two seasons.

#3. Arturo Dean

The nation's steals leader is taking his talents to Stillwater. Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz snapped up 5-foot-11 guard Arturo Dean from Florida International after a stellar 2023-24 season, through which he recorded an NCAA-leading 104 steals (3.4 swipes a game).

Aside from his eye-popping numbers in steals, Dean tallied 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his second season with the Panthers.

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Predictions for Oklahoma State's 2024-25 season

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz brings in an unpredictable roster that would rely heavily on defense to win. Although the Cowboys have dependable scorers in Bryce Thompson, Khalil Brantley and Arturo Dean, producing stops will be the primary duty of the team before hitting the gas pedal on offense.

Expect Oklahoma State to surprise its Big 12 rivals with a trapping game that suits well for steals leaders like Dean. A 15-to-20-win season would be huge for OSU, as this would mean a drastic improvement from last season's 12-20 record, but the program needs more than the production of the three guards to stand a chance in the loaded Big 12 and possibly the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Will Oklahoma State improve on its 2023-24 record? Let us know your views in the comments section.