Oklahoma State basketball: No. 20 Cowboys hope national ranking helps pack Gallagher-Iba Arena again

Better yet, the schedule sets up for Oklahoma State to maintain Top 25 status, even enhance it, with seven of the next eight games inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. And until a New Year's Eve showdown with No. 17 Gonzaga, the Cowboys should be regular favorites.

So, who's on board for the return of ranked basketball at OSU?

“It means a lot to us,” sophomore forward Le'Bryan Nash said of the No. 20 ranking, “but it means even more to our fans. We need them to come to our games and see that we're a winning team and to support us. We need that right now, especially with all the home games we've got. We need a packed house, especially for the big games.

“Right now we're showing the fans that we're a winning team and we'd like to see them pack the house.”

Opportunity starts with Sunday's meeting with Portland State, which enters at 1-2. The Cowboys play at Virginia Tech for the only remaining road game in non-conference play Saturday, before closing the first semester with six straight home games.

OSU, 4-0, earned its Top 25 status — its first since the week of Feb. 12, 2007 — with a 3-0 run through the Puerto Rico Tip-Off that featured a rout of then-No. 6 North Carolina State.

As much as the status spike, the Cowboys seemed to gain chemistry and confidence and momentum with each game in the tournament.

“It should give your team confidence,” OSU coach Travis Ford said. “You don't want to be overconfident. We're not trying to be great right now.