Photo caption: J.K. Hadlock, Osage, is returning for the 2019-2020 basketball season with the OSU Cowboys. Courtesy Photo/OSU Athletics
STILLWATER, Okla. — Expect a few lulus from Grayhorse when the Oklahoma State University men’s basketball team takes to Gallagher-Iba Arena’s white maple floor in November.
The Cowboys released their non-conference schedule on July 18 via social posts with individual pictures of student-athletes on its 2019-2020 roster. Mixed in with close-ups of Kiowa/Cherokee all-conference honorable mention selection Lindy Waters III, returning all-conference forward Cameron McGriff and FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalist Isaac Likekele is a headshot of Osage Nation citizen JK Hadlock.
A Pah-Su-Li’n water boy and a member of the Grayhorse Inlonshka dance committee, Hadlock was a 2015 Indian All-State and Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State basketball selection, as well as part of two state championship teams.
Despite the prep basketball accolades, the Glencoe High School graduate played junior college baseball at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid and Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas, before a torn labrum ended his pitching career.
Hadlock earned a spot on the basketball team’s practice squad in January after multiple discipline-related departures led to an open tryout. He was officially added to the 2018-2019 roster in February and is one of two players from that open tryout still with the team.
In his first game in a Cowboy uniform, Hadlock scored a season high two points and grabbed one rebound in limited action against Kansas State University.
Joining Waters and Cherokee Nation citizen Gabe Simpson, Hadlock was one of three Indigenous players on Oklahoma State’s 2018-2019 roster.
Based on data published in December by the NCAA, the Cowboys had more Native American players during the 2018-2019 season than any Division I basketball conference did during the previous year. Student-athlete demographics from the 2018-2019 season will not be published until later this year.
By
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton
Original Publish Date: 2019-08-15 00:00:00