Cowboy Basketball Needs to String Together Signature Wins Next Season

OSU can't rely on wins against middle-of-the-pack teams to reach its goals.

Feb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes att the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is still looking for its breakout moment of the Steve Lutz era.

Over the past two seasons, OSU men’s basketball has been looking to build its way back into being one of the top teams in the Big 12. While OSU hasn’t consistently been near the top of its conference since the Eddie Sutton era, the Cowboys have still had intermittent success over the past two decades.

Of course, there hasn’t been much success over the past several seasons, with only one NCAA Tournament appearance in the past nine years. For OSU, getting back to the big dance is the top priority, but it likely needs a signature moment under Lutz to help get over the hump.

Considering the Cowboys will always have their hands full in the Big 12 when it comes to making a case for the NCAA Tournament selection committee, finding ways to get some signature wins will be critical in the future. Sure, OSU managed wins over UCF and BYU when they were ranked teams this season, but neither of those wins was truly a premier victory.

Take Mike Boynton’s tenure for example. While OSU managed only one NCAA Tournament appearance in his time in Stillwater, he had no shortage of big-time wins, beginning in his first season with a win over a top 5 Oklahoma team and sweeping Kansas in the regular season.

Lutz’s teams have had some fun nonconference battles and some solid Big 12 wins over the conference’s second tier, but getting a win against the best of the best could be what vaults OSU into the tournament next season.

Sure, the Cowboys need more than just a win or two over the top 10 teams that will surely be in the Big 12 next season. However, finding ways to get those types of wins will excuse any inconsistency the Cowboys run into throughout the regular season.

This season, OSU was unable to string together wins consistently in Big 12 play, and its lack of good outings against the top teams was clearly a contributing factor in how quickly the Cowboys left the tournament discussion. Ideally, OSU won’t have to be on the bubble next season and can build a case that’s good enough to get in over the course of the year.

However, if the Cowboys end up among the final teams in or the first teams out next season, their performance against top 5 or top 10 teams could easily be the determining factor.