Could Oklahoma State Make Noise in Big 12 Tournament?

Oklahoma State has only won in Stillwater in Big 12 play, but it could still be a surprise team in Kansas City.

OSU has struggled to make much noise in the Big 12 through the first 15 games of conference play. With last-second heartbreaks and blowouts against national contenders making up a bulk of the schedule, OSU seemingly hit the reset button on Wednesday and might have begun a turnaround.

Against UCF, OSU had an explosive offensive night, scoring 104 points in a tight win. While the OSU defense wasn’t the star of the show, it forced 20 turnovers and was able to turn those into easy points.

The fast-paced, turnover-forcing unit OSU was on Wednesday was exactly what the program was hoping to see when it hired Steve Lutz. Just a few days after suffering the largest loss in the history of Gallagher-Iba Arena, OSU had an impressive response, which could indicate some strong leadership at the top.

In his first three seasons as a head coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Western Kentucky, Lutz made the NCAA Tournament. While OSU is sitting at 13-13 and not even getting a passing mention as a bubble team, there is still one way into the tournament.

The Cowboys would need to make a Cinderella run in the Big 12 Tournament and go all the way. While it is incredibly improbable for OSU to actually win the Big 12, winning a game or two in the conference tournament would be a welcome sendoff into the offseason.

After Wednesday’s win against UCF, the Cowboys moved ahead of the Knights and sit at 5-10 in conference play and are tied with Cincinnati at 12/13 in the standings. While OSU is still mathematically alive for a top-eight finish and a first-round bye in Kansas City, it is three games back with only five games remaining.

That means OSU should have its sights on moving up slightly and perhaps earning an easier first-round matchup. Although it faces Iowa State, Kansas and Baylor in the next three contests, OSU could make up any ground lost by beating UCF and Cincinnati in its final two games.

Finishing near the top of the Big 12 is out of the question, and having a magical run to the NCAA Tournament feels nearly impossible. Yet, the final five games of the regular season and conference tournament could still give the program some much-needed momentum going into Lutz’s second season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.