Oklahoma State dominates paint, defeats Tulsa in high-scoring preseason game.
STILLWATER, Okla. — The Tulsa men’s basketball team travelled to Stillwater last Friday to play an exhibition game against Oklahoma State, giving fans their first opportunity to see the 2026-27 version of the Golden Hurricane in a 93-85 loss. Senior guard Kashie Natt had an unbelievable performance in his debut for the Cowboys, notching 26 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and five steals for a near triple-double.
The Cowboys took a chance in the offseason by giving a roster spot to Natt, who is eligible to play this year thanks to a temporary restraining order which could in theory be overturned in court proceedings mid-season. The risk, however, seems to have paid off,, however, because the transfer from Sam Houston State was incredible against the Golden Hurricane on both ends of the court. In a high scoring game, the Cowboys outscored TU 50-18 in the paint, shot a blistering 63% from the floor and made 28 trips to the free-throw line. Tulsa, though trailing for 37 minutes, was able to keep it close with elite outside shooting. Head coach Eric Konkol’s new-look TU team made 16 three pointers — accounting for well over half their field goals — while shooting 42% from deep. They closed the Oklahoma State lead to four points in the final three minutes, but were ultimately unable to overcome the OSU offense. “That was a major emphasis for the first two days after that game with our film sessions, but also in our practice sessions,” Konkol said in his weekly press conference. “We’ve got to protect the paint better.”
The exhibition game gave Tulsa fans their first look at Konkol’s rotation for the upcoming season, with a roster that features 10 newcomers and returns no starters from last year’s National Invitation Tournament runner-up squad that won 30 games. Much heralded transfer guard Kobi Williams led the Golden Hurricane in points and minutes played, scoring 19 while going four for nine from deep. This Missouri State transfer averaged over 14 points for the Bears last year and scored 20 during a game against Tulsa in non-conference play. He figures to be the primary ball handler for this Tulsa squad, and certainly looked the part in Stillwater. Forwards Chris Loofe and Macon Emory got the start in the front court, with Loofe, the senior Middle Tennessee State transfer, collecting nine rebounds before fouling out. Emory, a junior Delaware transfer, was efficient in limited action, but he fouled out as well after just 10 minutes on the court. In his absence, Aleksa Dimitrijevic played 15 minutes and was effective, collecting six points and four rebounds. The redshirt freshman from Serbia — via Creighton — figures to have a significant role off the bench. Konkol and his staff made a concerted effort to prioritize size in their construction of the roster, after struggling down the stretch of last season with relatively undersized forwards. “We want to be able to rebound really, really well. It’s something that we’re leaning into even more than last year,” Konkol said. “We’re bigger, and we want to be able to utilize that. We had a couple blocked shots in that game — that’s new for us, we haven’t had that.” His staff brought in the 7-foot Dimitrijevic, 6-foot-11-inch Loofe and 6-foot-11-inch Derelle Desire through the transfer portal. Konkol added that “we need to utilize their size and length to impact shots.”
The two main takeaways from the scrimmage, however, were the emergence of true freshman Denton Forsythe, and absence of veteran guard Jaylen Lawal from the starting lineup. Forsythe, the lone high school recruit among Tulsa’s newcomers, was a high school star in Dale, Oklahoma, where he scored nearly 2000 points and never lost a postseason game on the way to compiling a 122-6 record. To see him play his way into such a significant role before ever playing a college game is an incredibly encouraging sign for his development. He started and played 22 minutes against Oklahoma State, scoring seven points with two assists. Conversely, sophomore Jaylen Lawal, one of the few returners from last season, was surprisingly absent from the starting lineup after showing flashes of incredible promise down the stretch of last season. He played a significant role for the Golden Hurricane, with the third highest minute total on the team, but struggled from the floor and at the free throw line. Tulsa fans should have little concern about his abilities, however, after seeing him catch fire several times as a true freshman in the 2025-26 season. He scored 24 points in just 21 minutes in an overtime win in the first round of the NIT, and should be a key piece of the rotation even if he comes off the bench going forward. The lone returner to crack the starting lineup was senior guard Miles Rigsby. He played 27 minutes and was excellent, scoring 11 points with a two for three mark from deep, showcasing an improved shot which could help him take the next step in his progression from a key role player to a starter this season.
As a rule, drawing conclusions from the results of exhibition games is foolish in college basketball. Coaches have the luxury of playing a much larger rotation, mixing and matching combinations of players, than they do during the regular season. “We’ve not been consistent with our lineups yet,” Konkol said, “and of course, if you look at anybody right now that’s not exactly the case when you have a lot of new faces. We’re fighting for consistency. We’re fighting for continuity, but I do think there’s going to be an opportunity to play with some depth.” It is not clear how good this year’s Oklahoma State team will be, which makes it difficult to judge the result from the Tulsa perspective. It may only have been a glimpse that Tulsa fans got on Friday of Konkol’s new team as it rounds into form, but it was an encouraging glimpse, and it will be intriguing to watch which players emerge as the leaders of the 2026-27 Golden Hurricane in the coming weeks. Tulsa opens the regular season against Division II Ottawa, before facing Northern Illinois on Nov. 5.
