Oklahoma State Needs More Than Wins to Make NCAA Tournament

The Cowboys need to add some style points to get where they want to go.

Jan 17, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Parsa Fallah (22) of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts after a play during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State’s hopes of making the NCAA Tournament might be slipping away as Big 12 play ramps up.

After trailing by 30 at halftime in Saturday’s loss to Iowa State, OSU has clearly shown that it isn’t ready to take the big-time leap some had begun to prepare for after a great start to nonconference play. While OSU narrowly missed out on a spot in the top 25 during that nonconference stretch, it was still seen as one of the most improved teams in the country with room to grow once Big 12 competition got underway.

Of course, that hasn’t quite happened yet. If OSU wants to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, it needs to put together a masterful performance over these next few weeks. 

While the conference standings are entirely objective and only care about wins and losses, the tournament selection process is the exact opposite. 

A 13-point home loss to Iowa State at home goes down simply as a loss in the conference standings, but the selection committee can see that it also featured a 30-point halftime deficit. The rest of this season will need to be about much more than getting results on the scoreboard; OSU needs impressive results on the floor.

OSU has dug itself an early hole, but it still has plenty of time to dig itself out. For the next few weeks, the Cowboys will need to find ways to compete at a high level on both ends of the floor and steal some headlines in the national picture.

In the Big 12, those opportunities are abundant, and the Cowboys must take advantage. Another thing that could go in OSU’s favor is the typical storyline of “getting hot at the right time.”

If OSU can put this rough start to Big 12 play in the past and run off a winning streak with some big wins in the mix, it might not take long for Steve Lutz’s team to get right back into the mix for the NCAA Tournament. Of course, OSU will always have the chance to secure the conference’s autobid in the Big 12 Tournament.

While actually winning the whole thing is a long shot for OSU, getting into a position where a deep run in the conference tournament bolsters its status in the 68-team field could be crucial. Overall, OSU has a lot of work to do over the next few weeks, but if it can put together its best performances of the season, the big dance is still well within reach.

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