Three exhibition games have only cleared up so many things for the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team entering Monday's opener with Incarnate Word.
Head coach Steve Lutz still has worries about his defense and rebounding. He still believes his team has all the offensive tools to win. He still isn't quite sure how available guard Kanye Clary will be for the opener.
The Cowboys have missed the NCAA Tournament the last five seasons. Lutz is out to change that. Monday's opener with the Cardinals is the first step in building a resume for March Madness.
Here's how to watch it begin on Monday.
Kanye Clary. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Monday, Nov. 2
Time:8 p.m. CT
TV:ESPN+ (Adam Hildebrant & Bryndon Manzer)
Radio:Cowboys Sports Network (Dave Hunziker & John Holcomb)
Incarnate Word:12-19
Oklahoma State:20-15
Incarnate Word:Shane Heirman
Oklahoma State:Steve Lutz
Incarnate Word Cardinals head coach Shane Heirman. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
The Cardinals had a rough season in the Southland Conference last year as they finished tied for seventh in conference action. That was coming off a 19-17 record in Heirman's second season in 2024-25.
UIW has been in Division I since 2013 when it moved up to the Southland Conference. In Division II, the Cardinals reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament just one time in 2002. Their CBI run in 2025 included wins over Manhattan and Jacksonville. Heirman is no stranger to Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Tulsa. But he only has one player returning from last year's team.
Oklahoma State player Jordan Burks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Steve Lutz enters his third season with one clear goal - get the Cowboys back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. His first two years led to incremental improvement, and he won 20 games last season. But both seasons ended in the postseason NIT because the Cowboys were in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings by season's end. That, along with getting better on defense, are what he's identified as the differentiator to getting this team over the hump.
He and his staff signed a Top 10 freshman class with two players that could make an impact right away. He brought in two talented transfers from Sam Houston. And, he has two players that are playing on legal orders, though one - forward Parsa Fallah - won't play until at least sometime in December as he recovers from an ACL tear that he suffered in February.
Kashie Natt. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It's not clear if point guard Kanye Clary will play in Monday's game as he's dealing with a groin injury. Whether he plays or not is immaterial to whether Natt plays. It's just a matter of how much time Natt will log at point guard.
He had an impressive exhibition season, including a double-double against Tulsa. He should be one of OSU's best rebounders, even though he's 6-3, and he's a quality 3-point shooter. He's the other Cowboys star playing on a legal order which keeps him eligible until his case is fully heard, which may not be until after the season.
Connor is a Sacred Heart transfer who averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season. The expectation is that he will run the show for the Cardinals, which means he and Natt will tangle repeatedly whether Clary plays or not.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as How to Watch Oklahoma State Cowboys Basketball vs. Incarnate Word: Time, TV Channel, Matchup to Watch .
