Critical Week Ahead for Cowboy Basketball's Turnaround Hopes
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Oklahoma State has struggled in Big 12 play, but its upcoming schedule could help it turn things around.
After beating Colorado to move to 2-4 in conference play, the Cowboys faced a tough week. Not only did OSU host an Arizona team that had been playing its best basketball of the season, but it also had to go on the road against a good Texas Tech team.
The Cowboys fought hard against the Wildcats throughout the first half and kept the contest close. However, the second-half offensive explosion from Arizona was too much for OSU to keep up with, falling 92-78 in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
While OSU faced a tough team, protecting home court was something the Cowboys desperately needed to do. After falling in a high-scoring affair against Arizona, OSU flipped the script at Texas Tech, forcing the Red Raiders into a slugfest.
Eventually, the Red Raiders built their lead up to 18. Although OSU got its deficit down to three in the final minutes, its hole was too large to come out of.
Those losses leave the Cowboys at 2-6 in conference play and 10-9 overall. Although OSU is nearing a losing record, it has a chance to get a couple of wins this week.
On Wednesday, OSU will look to get its first road win in Big 12 play and will do so against one of the only teams it’s beaten. The Cowboys will be in Manhattan to face Kansas State, which is also 2-6 in conference play.
The Wildcats are having their most disappointing season in the Jerome Tang era and are desperate to get a home win. However, OSU should go into the matchup with confidence, given its earlier success against Kansas State and could get that elusive first conference road win.
After the Cowboys head to Manhattan, they will be back in Stillwater with a chance to beat another team near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. OSU will play against Utah, a 3-5 team in conference play.
OSU lost its first meeting against Utah in Salt Lake City 83-62, but it has been playing better in the weeks since and may need a win to avoid a losing record to start February. No wins will come easy for Steve Lutz’s team in the first year of a rebuild, but when a week like this comes up on the schedule, OSU needs to take advantage.
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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.