OSU Must Turn Big Win Over BYU Into A Building Block For This Season

The Pokes just secured a massive upset win, but they have a long way to go until they're satisfied.

Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Anthony Roy (9) celebrates at the end of a BIG 12 men's college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the BYU Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State can celebrate its win, but not for too long. 

Cowboy basketball pulled off its biggest win of the year Wednesday night, as it took down AJ Dybantsa and No.16 BYU 99-92. This win was made possible by Anthony Roy’s 30-point performance, where he shot 50% from beyond the arc. 

This is the Cowboys’ second ranked win of the season, and finally gives OSU a coveted quad-one win that the Pokes have been searching for. This is a positive sign for the OSU squad, but the Pokes can’t be satisfied with just one win. 

Although Oklahoma State’s win against the Cougars is something that should be celebrated and remembered, OSU has a lot more to prove this season. One quad-one win won’t be enough to secure the Pokes a spot in the NCAA Tournament come March, but that one win can become the first building block to an elite resume. 

Even though OSU started conference play slowly, its remaining schedule makes it possible for the Pokes to sneak into the tournament. The Cowboys have the third-toughest schedule remaining in the Big 12, and although it serves as a challenge, it might be the only way for Oklahoma State to claim a spot in March. 

The Cowboys have the first chance for another resume builder come Saturday, as Steve Lutz’s squad is set to travel to Arizona to take on the No. 1 Wildcats. Arizona is one of just two teams that remain undefeated this season, and will most likely be the best team the Pokes play all season. 

Being the only team to beat Arizona would easily be the top line of the Cowboys’ resume, but again, OSU must continue to build its resume, as it is nowhere near close to finalizing it. 

After they clash with the top team in the land, the Cowboys will have two more chances to take down ranked opponents before the season ends. The first will be No. 11 Kansas, which has the only player ranked above Dybantsa in Darryn Peterson. The Jayhawks are battle-tested and have multiple ranked wins under their belt, including wins over Texas Tech, Iowa State and BYU. 

The final chance for a major resume builder will be the Pokes last game of the season when No. 8 Houston travels to Stillwater. This is an opportunity for the Cowboys to put an exclamation point on their season and hopefully finalize a good enough resume to enter the big dance. 

Oklahoma State might be starting to get national attention after this recent win, but it has a long way to go before it lands where it wants to be. 

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