As the Oklahoma State Cowboys face a grueling February slate, Saturday’s high-altitude clash with the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City could ignite or derail their NCAA Tournament push.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Oklahoma State needs a road dub against Utah come Saturday.
The Cowboys (14-6, 2-5 Big 12) head to Salt Lake City for a matchup with the Utes (9-11, 1-6 Big 12) at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CT on January 31, 2026.
This Big 12 clash comes at a pivotal time for OSU, who are looking to rebound from a recent 84-71 loss to Iowa State and build momentum before a grueling February schedule.
Utah, meanwhile, is desperate to snap a two-game skid after falling 91-78 to BYU, with both teams hovering near the bottom of the conference standings.
Under second-year head coach Steve Lutz – 2nd Season at OSU (31-23); 6th Overall (101-58) – OSU has shown flashes of potential but struggled with consistency, particularly on the road where they’ve lacked this season.
First-year Utah coach Alex Jensen – 1st Season at Utah (9-11), a former Jazz assistant and Utah alum, is still settling in, emphasizing defensive grit and home-court advantage in the high-altitude Huntsman Center.
This game represents a critical opportunity for OSU to start their uphill push toward the NCAA Tournament.
With a current NET ranking around the bubble and no Quad 1 wins yet, the Cowboys can’t afford slip-ups against similarly struggling teams.
Now is the time to kickstart that momentum, especially with a tough upcoming February slate that includes road trips to No. 1 Arizona on February 4, Arizona State on February 7, home games against TCU on February 14 and No. 19 Kansas on February 18, a road tilt at Colorado on February 21, West Virginia on February 24, at Cincinnati on February 28, at UCF on March 3, and Houston on March 7 .
That’s a murderers’ row of opponents, many ranked in the top 25, which could make or break their postseason hopes.
If OSU wants to be dancing in March, they need to string together wins starting here.
One of OSU’s biggest issues has been failing to play complete games. They’ve shown the ability to compete in spurts—evidenced by their high-scoring offense averaging 86.2 points per game (25th nationally), but defensive lapses and turnovers have plagued them, allowing 80.4 points per contest.
If they don’t start playing tough for a full 40 minutes, holding leads and closing out quarters strongly, they might not be dancing in March.
Utah presents a winnable matchup, but the Utes are 8-3 at home and will look to exploit any inconsistencies.
How To Watch
TV: ESPN2 (Roxy Bernstein on play-by-play, Corey Williams on color)
Streaming: ESPN App or fuboTV (free trial available)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb) or ESPN 700 (for Utah fans)
Odds: OSU -3.5, O/U 148.5 (per OddsShark)
The Cowboys boast a potent offense led by senior guard Anthony Roy, who averages 17.0 points per game, including efficient three-point shooting at 43.3%. Junior guard Kanye Clary dishes out 4.9 assists per game, while senior forward Christian Coleman provides size and versatility at 6-8, contributing on both ends.
Sophomore guard Vyctorius Miller has been a scoring spark off the bench, recently dropping 30 points against Prairie View A&M.
Senior forward Parsa Fallah anchors the glass with 6.5 rebounds per game .
OSU’s bench depth is solid, with players like Jaylen Curry (1.7 steals per game) and Isaiah Coleman adding athleticism.
However, injuries have been a factor. Forward Robert Jennings II is out for the season with a hip injury, and forward Lefteris Mantzoukas has been sidelined recently.
The Cowboys are 12-2 at home but winless on the road in conference play, making this a test of their away-game mettle. They force turnovers well but need to improve rebounding margins, where they’ve been even in conference play.
The Utes, in their second Big 12 season, rely on a balanced attack under Jensen.
Junior guard Terrence Brown leads the way with 22.2 points and 3.9 assists per game , shooting efficiently from deep.
Senior guard Don McHenry adds 18.0 points , while junior forward Keanu Dawes is a double-double threat at 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.
Forward Seydou Traore brings defensive energy, and guard Obomate Abbey provides bench spark.
Utah averages 80.1 points but allows 81.5 , struggling in conference games.
Injuries loom large for the Utes.
Forward Babacar Faye is out for the season with a leg injury , guard Jacob Patrick is sidelined indefinitely (undisclosed), forward Jahki Howard is out with an undisclosed issue, and guard Lucas Langarita is questionable (undisclosed).
The Utes are 8-3 at home, using the crowd and altitude to their advantage, but their 1-6 league mark shows vulnerabilities in close games.
Edges for each:
Rebounding - Utah holds a slight edge with Dawes dominating the boards, but OSU’s Fallah and Coleman can match up. The Cowboys need to crash the offensive glass to generate second-chance points.
Tempo Control - OSU prefers a faster pace (top 50 in tempo), while Utah slows it down. Whoever dictates the speed could win. Oklahoma State needs to force Utah into mistakes or grind out possessions.
Turnovers - Both teams are turnover-prone, but OSU’s guards like Curry excel at steals. Utah must protect the ball to avoid transition buckets.
Three-Point Shooting - The Cowboys shoot 34.8% from deep, led by Roy, while Utah is at 37.1% . Hot shooting could decide a close one.
Home Court Advantage - Huntsman Center’s 15,000 fans and 4,600-foot elevation could wear down OSU, especially if the Cowboys don’t start strong.
Cowboy Player to Watch
Junior guard Kanye Clary. The 6-0 playmaker’s vision and quickness (4.9 APG) will be key in breaking Utah’s defense. He’s averaged 8 assists in recent wins and could exploit mismatches against Brown’s scoring focus. If Clary controls the game, OSU pulls away.
This matchup boils down to execution over 40 minutes. OSU has the talent edge on paper, but Utah’s home cooking and desperation for a win make it tricky.