OSU Basketball: Steve Lutz Set to Bring Fast-Paced Style to Stillwater
Oklahoma State hired a new coach, and the product on the floor might look unrecognizable.
Throughout the past seven seasons, OSU has been a team focused primarily on defense. Under Mike Boynton, the team often tried to make games as ugly as possible and grind out low-scoring matchups.
Last season, OSU ranked 227th in pace, averaging 68 possessions per 40 minutes. Out of 362 teams, OSU’s style never stood out offensively and often led to sluggish performances on that side of the floor.
The Cowboys might have hired Steve Lutz because they wanted a significant shift in style. Although he has only been a head coach for three seasons, Lutz’s style has already garnered attention for his team’s fast offense.
In Boynton’s seven seasons, his team only cracked the top 100 in pace once. That came in 2021 when No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham helped the Cowboys to 41st in pace and the only NCAA Tournament appearance in that span.
Meanwhile, Lutz’s rank of 38 in his second season at Texas A&M Corpus Christi is the lowest-ranked pace he has had as a head coach. While with the Islanders, Lutz led one of the fastest teams in the country, but he took it to another level in his one season at Western Kentucky.
In 2024, the Hilltoppers ranked first in the nation in pace at 76 possessions per 40 minutes. Although the Hilltoppers were only 190th in offensive rating, that is still a significant step up from OSU’s placement at 247.
Lutz’s teams also typically get inside, with only 32.1% of Western Kentucky’s shots coming from 3-point range last season. With that style, offensive variance is somewhat limited and can contribute to a solid defensive team.
Last season, Western Kentucky ranked 36th in defensive rating. However, the team’s pace can overshadow its defensive ability, ranking 258th in points allowed per game.
Although Lutz might not be able to bring the same immediate success to OSU, a new style in Stillwater is bound for exciting results.
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IVAN WHITE
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.