Can Oklahoma State Avoid Back-to-Back Losing Seasons?
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Cowboy basketball has struggled in recent years, but this season could take those struggles to another level.
Oklahoma State basketball fans would say the program has been on a downward trend for many years. Since Eddie Sutton’s departure, the program has been unable to find the glory days or anything resembling them.
Over the past seven seasons, the Cowboys mustered only one trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they earned their lone tournament win since Sutton was at the helm. OSU hasn’t been a national contender with any consistency since Sutton was around, but the Cowboys have managed to leap back into national relevance every few years.
From the Marcus Smart squads to Jawun Evans’ special sophomore year to Cade Cunningham’s one year of college basketball, OSU has still had some impressive peaks. As Steve Lutz’s first season reaches its midpoint, the program could be in a position it hasn’t been in in nearly 40 years.
Last season, OSU went 12-20, leading to the firing of seven-year coach Mike Boynton. Although OSU looked solid in the opening weeks of the 2024-25 season, things have begun to spiral a bit for the Cowboys.
OSU’s loss at Utah dropped its record to 9-6 with a 1-3 mark in conference play. Considering the tough Big 12 slate and its increase to 20 games, OSU would need to go 7-9 or better to avoid a losing record in the regular season. If OSU can’t do that, it would need a minimum of two wins in the postseason to get back to even or finish with a winning record.
Considering how OSU has looked through four Big 12 games, a 7-9 record seems unachievable. Should the Cowboys fail to hit that mark and end with a losing record, it would be their first time with back-to-back losing seasons since doing so in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
OSU basketball is in a dark place, and it might need a miracle to escape for at least this season.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.