ACU Opens Monday at Oklahoma State

Monday, November 6

Stillwater, OK

8 p.m.

Abilene Christian

Oklahoma State

Airion Simmons celebrates a made three in a win over UTA

Photo by: Aly Bayliss

11/4/2023 9:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Ray Fink

ABILENE – Abilene Christian gets a tough test in its season opener on Monday when the Wildcats travel to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State.

Tip-off is at 8 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena

ACU is coming off of a 13-17 season in 2022-23 and meets OSU for the first time since 1970.

Oklahoma State was 20-16 last season and 8-10 in the Big 12.

The game will be on 101.7 FM, the Patriot, with Grant Boone on the call. ESPN+ also carries the game live.

ACU Storylines

WAC VEGAS: The field is more narrow this season with only eight teams qualifying for the WAC postseason tournament. The league coaches, in the preseason poll, voted the Wildcats fifth.

WELCOME BACK: ACU returns five players who started at least six games last season, including leading scorer Immanuel Allen (10.8 ppg) at guard, leading shot-blocker Airion Simmons and guard Ali Abdou Dibba, who all averaged more than nine points per game. Hunter Jack Madden and Cameron Steele return with a combined 18 starts. Also returning are forward Leonardo Bettiol and guards JV Seat, Muodubem Muoneke and Colby Tanner.

NEW HOME: Three transfers should make an impact for the Wildcats this season. Guards Nasir DeGruy comes to ACU from LSU-Eunice and Kavion McClain transfers from Howard College. Aidan Igiehon, a 6-10 forward, comes to the Cats from WAC rival Grand Canyon. Igiehon averaged 2.6 points and 3.3 rebounds at GCU last season. DeGruy averaged 11.3 points and 3.0 assists last season at LSU-E.

FRESH LOOK: Joining the Wildcats as freshmen are 6-4 guard Yaniel Rivera out of Bayamon, Puerto Rico (Dade Christian High School), and 6-9 forward Ma'Shy Hill from Austin (Spire Institute Academy).

EXHIBITION NUMBERS: Abilene Christian put 14 players on the floor and easily defeated Arlington Baptist 82-61 in an exhibition on Saturday. Kavion McClain scored 11 points and Cameron Steele added nine for ACU, both playing only 14 minutes. McClain and Hunter Jack Madden had five assists. McClain also had four steals. Airion Simmons led the Cats with seven rebounds in 12 minutes and Muodubem Muoneke added six.

Series History
Oklahoma State leads the series 3-1
1962 – OSU 74, ACU 60
1965 – OSU 54, ACU 42
1966 – ACU 67, OSU 52
1970 – OSU 61, ACU 51

Scouting Oklahoma State

The Aggies ended their 20-win season last year with an overtime loss in the NIT at the hands of North Texas.
The Cowboys are picked 10th in the preseason Big 12 poll.
OSU will lean on backcourt veterans Bryce Thompson and John-Michael Wright while working to get a group of nine newcomers (six of them freshmen) up to speed. Thompson – a 6-6 senior wing – was OSU's leading scorer last year (11.2 ppg) while starting all 36 games. Wright – a 6-1 graduate who can play on or off the ball – hit a team-high 69 three-pointers last year for the Cowboys after transferring in from High Point. He's closing in on 2,000 career points (1,852) and 4,000 minutes (3,982).
OSU dominated Division II Oklahoma Baptist in an exhibition on Wednesday, 95-53. Rookies Justin McBride (game-high 19 points), Eric Dailey Jr. (14 points on 7-of-7 shooting), Brandon Garrison (11 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks) and Connor Dow (11 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting) all made strong impressions in their unofficial Cowboy debuts. Veteran guard Bryce Thompson (10 points) and Jacksonville graduate transfer Mike Marsh (10 points, eight rebounds) also finished in double-figures for OSU, which won its 56th straight exhibition game at Gallagher-Iba Arena.