Senior Night will be sendoff for unique group of Oklahoma State basketball players

STILLWATER — As it prepares to host Texas Tech in its final home game of the season, the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team is also set to salute six players as part of Senior Night festivities.

OSU plays host to the Red Raiders at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, which will be the last game on Eddie Sutton Court for a unique group of seniors.

The class includes three career Cowboys, all of whom are walk-ons, plus three transfers who — all combined — have four OSU seasons under their collective belts.

Here’s a look at the Cowboy senior class:

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John-Michael Wright, guard, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Spending two years with the Cowboys after transferring from High Point, the 6-foot-1 sharpshooter has been the team’s most consistent player through Big 12 play this season, though his impact has been more significant. Aside from his leadership presence, Wright has played an average of 27.0 minutes per game with 9.4 points and a 3-point percentage of 34.2% over his two seasons.

“I’ve just really appreciated my time here, the people I’ve met and the coaching staff and the relationships I’ve developed with them,” Wright said. “I’m taking away great relationships that I built here. Being able to experience the Big 12 for the two years that I’ve had — it was a dream of mine when I was younger to play at this high of a level.”

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Mike Marsh, center, Columbia, South Carolina

The 6-foot-10 transfer from Jacksonville, Marsh provided depth and experience in the paint, where his defense and rebounding were of value in his only Cowboy season. Playing 11.7 minutes per game, he averaged 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. More importantly, Marsh served as a mentor to freshmen like Brandon Garrison and Eric Dailey Jr.

“It was a great experience coming here and being able to play at this level,” Marsh said. “The people here are great, the players, the coaches, the students. It’s been a great experience for me.”

Jarius Hicklen, guard, Dallas

The 6-foot-4 guard began his career at Division II Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee before spending two years at North Florida. That catapulted him to OSU, where he has been the team’s best 3-point shooter at 41 of 106 (38.7%) in his lone season.

“Coming from a lower level — Division II, then low-major — it’s been a great experience to be able to play in this type of league,” Hicklen said. “It’s been great, from the people that I met to the connections that I’ve made. It’s been great all the way around.”

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Weston Church, guard, Fairview

Selected by the OSU Alumni Association as a 2023-24 Senior of Significance, which honors the top 1% of graduating seniors who have excelled in scholarship, leadership and service to the campus and community. Church spent four seasons with the Cowboys as a walk-on, appearing in 15 career games.

“I had a few memories come up on my phone the other day, and it’s crazy how time flies,” Church said of his OSU career. “I want to go into college coaching, and the relationships I’ve built on the team, all my teammates I’ve had throughout the years and getting to learn under such a great coaching staff — all that sticks out in my mind about my four years here.”

Carson Sager, G, Wichita Falls, Texas

The younger brother of former Cowboy Christien Sager, Carson has spent four years with the program as a walk-on, appearing in 16 games. He was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection last year and spent the summer of 2023 as an intern at NASA.

“It feels like yesterday I was stepping in here, going in the weight room and dying, then missing my first couple layups because my arms were so sore after the hardest lift of my life,” Sager said. “Thinking back on all the memories, all the people you’ve met, all the relationships you’ve built … all the hard days, all the easy days, all the fun days — all that stuff came to my mind recently, and it’s been tough to think about.”

Brooks Manzer, guard, Edmond

The grandson of longtime OSU marketing professor Lee Manzer — who served as the official scorer for Cowboy games at GIA for more than three decades — and the son of former Cowboy standout Bryndon Manzer, Brooks has battled injuries in his basketball career, but was a valuable part of the program as a walk-on over the last three years.

OSU vs. Texas Tech

TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball players who will be honored on Senior Night