Oklahoma State's Inconsistency Could Cost Cowboys NCAA Tournament Spot

OSU needs to start playing well on a consistent basis to get into the tournament.

Feb 7, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz reacts during the second half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is only digging a deeper hole for itself.

It’s no secret that OSU men’s basketball is a shell of what it once was. From competing for national titles in the 1990s and early 2000s under Eddie Sutton to the present day, where a tournament appearance is a rarity, things have been going downhill in Stillwater for quite some time now.

OSU’s last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2021, with No. 1 overall pick and future NBA All-Star Cade Cunningham leading the charge. That season was the midpoint of Mike Boynton’s seven-year stint as OSU’s head coach and his only trip to the big dance.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it’s starting to look more and more like Steve Lutz will be following the same path through two years, with OSU looking less likely to make the tournament with every loss it suffers. On Tuesday night, OSU suffered its latest loss, and it was one that the Cowboys couldn’t really afford.

On the road in Tempe, the Cowboys fell 85-76 to an Arizona State team that is barely over .500. After falling to No. 1 Arizona in such embarrassing fashion, it would’ve made sense for the Cowboys to get back on track against a much worse opponent, but it simply couldn’t get a win.

With the Cowboys still sitting at one Big 12 road win since Lutz took over last season, they’ve only been hurting themselves when it comes to playing away from Stillwater. Even with the Cowboys’ road woes in mind, this was still a game that seemed like a must-win for them.

However, with that loss now in the books, Saturday’s matchup back in Stillwater against TCU likely does become a must-win if OSU wants to make the tournament. After an all-out collapse in Fort Worth in the first meeting against the Horned Frogs, OSU must rebound with a win on Saturday to avoid a three-game losing streak and near-elimination from the tournament picture.

Of OSU’s final seven games, only two appear to be clearly winnable for the Cowboys, given their trends under Lutz. Three of those games are on the road, and two of the remaining home games will come against current top 10 teams in Kansas and Houston.

The road ahead is difficult for the Cowboys, but if they want to prove they are a tournament team, they have to show up in matchups that they’ve spent most of the past two seasons losing.

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