Oklahoma State's Defensive Woes Exposed in Bedlam Loss to Sooners
Oklahoma State head coach Steve Lutz didn’t mince words after his team’s 85-76 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. The frustration was written all over his face-and echoed in his postgame comments-as he took aim squarely at the Cowboys’ defensive effort, or lack thereof.
“We didn’t guard anybody,” Lutz said. “They got anything they wanted, whenever they wanted it.”
And he wasn’t exaggerating. The Sooners carved up Oklahoma State’s defense with surgical precision, hitting 61% from the field and connecting on 10 of their 20 three-point attempts. It was a clinic in ball movement and shot selection, and the Cowboys had no answers.
From the opening tip, Oklahoma’s offense looked in rhythm. Whether it was in transition, off pick-and-rolls, or simple drive-and-kicks, the Sooners consistently found open looks. Their spacing was excellent, their execution crisp, and they punished every defensive lapse OSU made-which, unfortunately for the Cowboys, came early and often.
Lutz highlighted a particularly frustrating trend: his team’s inability to contest shots or rotate with urgency.
“They were getting wide-open looks,” he said. “We weren’t in the right spots, and when we were, we weren’t closing out hard enough. You can’t win like that.”
The loss dropped Oklahoma State to 3-6 on the season, and while there’s still time to turn things around, the defensive issues are becoming a pattern rather than a one-off. This wasn’t just about a hot-shooting opponent; it was about breakdowns in effort, communication, and discipline-hallmarks of a defense still searching for its identity.
Lutz has been vocal about the need for his team to play with more toughness and accountability on that end of the floor. Saturday’s performance only reinforced that message.
“You don’t have to be the most athletic or the most talented to play good defense,” he said. “You just have to care. And we’ve got to figure out how to get these guys to care more about getting stops.”
To be fair, the Cowboys did show some fight offensively. They put up 76 points, with spurts of strong ball movement and individual shot-making. But when you allow a rival to shoot over 60% from the floor in your own building, it’s hard to stay competitive, no matter how well you score.
The Sooners’ backcourt, in particular, had its way. They controlled the tempo, got into the paint at will, and kicked out to shooters who knocked down open looks. OSU’s perimeter defense was a step slow all night, and the rotations inside weren’t much better.
Lutz didn’t shy away from the criticism. He acknowledged that the team’s defensive struggles are on him as much as anyone else.
“It’s my job to get them ready,” he said. “And clearly, I didn’t do that today.”
With Big 12 play looming, time is running out for the Cowboys to shore things up defensively. The conference is loaded with teams that can score in bunches, and if Oklahoma State doesn’t tighten up its rotations and bring more consistent energy on defense, nights like Saturday could become all too familiar.
Still, Lutz remains committed to the process. He’s not panicking-but he’s also not sugarcoating the reality of where his team stands.
“We’ve got to look in the mirror,” he said. “Each guy.
Coaches included. We’ve got to decide what kind of team we want to be.”
If Oklahoma State wants to climb out of this early-season hole, that decision has to start on the defensive end. Because right now, the Cowboys aren’t just losing games-they’re making it too easy for opponents to win them.