Cowgirls Looking to Improve NCAA Tournament Standing in Final Week

Oklahoma State has held steady but could make up some ground in NCAA Tournament seeding to finish the regular season.

OSU has been one of the most surprising teams in the country this season. After finishing eighth in the Big 12 last season and holding a 14-16 record with injuries derailing the season, OSU’s expectations coming into this season were not all that high.

Still, after Jacie Hoyt led the Cowgirls to an NCAA Tournament appearance in her first season, there was plenty of optimism they could get back to the big dance in 2025. After losing only one game in nonconference play, OSU began to show how talented it was once Big 12 play began.

Early wins over preseason contender Iowa State and potential Big 12 champion Baylor were no flukes. The Cowgirls sit at third in the conference with only two games remaining in the regular season, but their standing within the Big 12 and their impressive wins over the conference’s top teams haven’t necessarily led to national respect.

The Cowgirls came in at No. 21 in the latest AP poll and hold only a seventh seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology. Of the other six Big 12 teams in the bracket, only one has a lower seed than OSU, with Iowa State coming in as an 11 seed.

Tied with Utah and below TCU, Kansas State, Baylor and West Virginia, the Cowgirls might not be getting the respect they deserve. Of the five teams on the same level or above OSU in ESPN’s bracketology, West Virginia is the only one to beat OSU to tie the season series. OSU won the lone matchup against the other four teams and holds a 5-1 overall record in those matchups.

The Cowgirls have had some slip-ups in conference play, with a loss to Houston still dragging them down, but their ability to compete with the best in the Big 12 can’t be ignored. And if the Cowgirls’ struggles truly only appear against teams clearly below them, that could bode well in March.