None of our in-state men’s college basketball teams made it into the NCAA Tournament this year. This is not always the case, but it may reflect the fact that OU, OSU, Tulsa and ORU, are all in rebuilding mode. That being said, two local teams have been invited to participate in the NIT.

Last year, the Oklahoma Sooners made it to the NCAA Tournament as a nine-seed in the West Regional. It was the first time under head coach Porter Moser for the Sooners to make the tournament. They had missed the tournament during Moser’s first three seasons as the team’s head coach. This year, the Sooners have missed the tournament once again.

The last time the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team made the NCAA Tournament was in 2021, when they earned a No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under head coach Mike Boynton. Boynton is now gone, and the Cowboys just finished their second season under head coach Steve Lutz.

The Cowboys accepted a bid to the NIT and as a No. 2 seed, they were scheduled to host Davidson on Tulsa night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. If they won, OSU would host either No. 3 seed Wichita State or Wyoming in the second round (Saturday or Sunday), with quarterfinal action scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

This is Oklahoma State’s 15th NIT. The Cowboys were part of the inaugural six-team field in 1938, placing third, and have reached the quarterfinals in each of their last three appearances (2018, 2023 and 2025).

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, when they were an 11-seed and lost to Michigan in a “first four” game.

However, Tulsa has earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT. It’s Tulsa’s first NIT appearance since 2015. The Golden Hurricane was scheduled to open the NIT against Stephen F. Austin this past Tuesday night at the Reynolds Center. If Tulsa won, they would advance to play the winner of the game between UC Irvine and UNLV this weekend.

Tulsa has won the NIT twice, 1981 under Nolan Richardson and 2001 under Buzz Peterson.

The last time the Oral Roberts University men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament was in 2023, when the Golden Eagles earned a 12-seed and played in the First Round against No. 5 Duke at the Amway Center in Orlando. I was fortunate to travel with the team to that tournament as a member of the ORU Pep Band. Unfortunately, ORU lost to Duke, 51–74, ending their tournament run after only one game. ORU had made it all the way to the Sweet 16 in 2021.

WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT

For the 26th time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners are headed to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The Sooners earned the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region and will host first- and second-round games at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.

The 10th-ranked Sooners will open against Big Sky champion and No. 13 seed Idaho on Friday. The winner advances to face either No. 5 Michigan State or No. 12 seed Colorado State, in Sunday’s second-round game at the LNC.

“We’re grateful for the chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament and to do it at home in front of Sooner Nation,” head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “This team has grown a lot since November – in how we play together, how we respond to adversity and how we continue to improve every day. Hosting at the LNC is a testament to the work our players have put in all season, and we can’t wait to play in front of our fans again.”

For the second consecutive year, the OSU Cowgirls made the Women’s NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls are an 8-seed and will face 9-seed Princeton in Los Angeles on Saturday, in the opening round of the tournament.

If the Cowgirls win, they would advance to face the winner of the 1-seed UCLA vs. 16-seed Cal Baptist matchup.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week, my guests will be Majed El Shafie, founder of One Free World International, which rescues Muslims who have become Christians and put in prison, also Bob Speer from the U.S. Census Bureau. He has experienced a life changing miracle in his body. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.