Loss to Baylor Puts Cowboy Basketball in Tough Position Early in Big 12 Play
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Oklahoma State is still well within the hunt for a tournament bid, but its latest loss was a discouraging sign.
Over the first several weeks of the season, OSU looked ready to take a leap. Under Steve Lutz, the program had already been moving in the right direction, and an incredibly successful nonconference run had the Pokes in prime position to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The last time OSU made the big dance was in 2021 with Cade Cunningham running the show, and it appeared that the program was ready for big things to follow. However, a postseason ban and some rough luck in 2023 have kept the Cowboys from making it back to the NCAA Tournament since.
While all signs pointed toward OSU being a bubble team coming into the year, it might have some work to do to remain on that bubble in the coming weeks. In Tuesday night’s loss to Baylor, OSU’s defense was porous in the first half, allowing 57 points to the previously conference-winless Bears.
While the defense improved in the second half and OSU had a chance to get back into the game, Tuesday’s performance was nothing short of pure disappointment. After losing in a blowout to Texas Tech to begin conference play, the Cowboys responded with a win against No. 25 UCF, holding the Knights to a season-low 76 points.
After that matchup, Lutz even joked that maybe critics would be a little less harsh on the OSU defense. And while his squad wasn’t able to win at No. 3 Iowa State, it was a tight affair throughout, with OSU falling 83-71.
All of the progress that OSU seemed to have made based on those two games went out the window completely on Tuesday. Although a 94-79 loss isn’t the end of the world, trailing by 18 at home to a team right next to you on the bubble is a bad look for the Cowboys, who already have their fair share of doubters throughout the national landscape.
Getting back on track is still fairly straightforward for Lutz’s team, but the margin for error has already shrunk dramatically two weeks into Big 12 play. With Kansas State coming into Stillwater on Saturday night, OSU will get an opportunity to bounce back and prove it has what it takes to beat teams in its tier in the Big 12.
However, a loss to the Wildcats could simply make the hole dug by this Baylor game even deeper.
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.