Texas A&M basketball freshman forward Josh Irving continues to make the most of his opportunities under first-year head coach Bucky McMillan, delivering his best performance of the young season during Thursday's 88-69 victory over Oklahoma State at Reed Arena.

With Cade Phillips sidelined following a knee injury suffered against Louisiana-Monroe, Irving stepped into an expanded role and recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes.

The 6-foot-11 freshman was efficient offensively, shooting 4-of-6 from the field, connecting on his only 3-point attempt and making five of six free throws. Irving also contributed two assists, one steal and one block while grabbing four offensive rebounds. His performance represented a significant improvement from the first three games of the season, when he averaged just 4.7 points and three rebounds in 10 minutes per contest.

Irving had shown flashes of his potential during Monday's 108-67 victory over Louisiana-Monroe, finishing with eight points, five rebounds and a block in 13 minutes. However, Thursday's matchup against Oklahoma State provided a much tougher challenge, and the freshman responded with his most complete performance. While PJ Haggerty led Texas A&M with 22 points, Irving's production in the frontcourt was equally encouraging, especially with Phillips' availability uncertain moving forward.

The Aggies also received 14 points apiece from Jordan Pope and Zach Clemence, improving to 4-0 while earning their first victory over Oklahoma State since 2017. For Irving, the performance could prove important as McMillan continues evaluating his frontcourt rotation. Whether Phillips returns immediately or misses additional time, Irving has demonstrated he can contribute beyond limited minutes off the bench.

With Texas A&M entering a more challenging portion of its schedule, the freshman's development gives the Aggies another option in the frontcourt and a promising young player capable of making an impact on both ends of the floor.