Oklahoma State doesn’t need to spend much time pretending the problem is hidden. Steve Lutz laid it out plainly at Big 12 media days in Kansas City: the Cowboys’ biggest issue entering this season is defense.
That was his first response to the first question he got, and it came even though the topic was really about what Oklahoma State needs to do to break through and get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
“Our biggest hurdle is just going to be playing better defense,” Lutz said. “We have the offense to get there.”
The roster construction backs that up. Lutz added height and offensive firepower through the portal, bolstered the perimeter scoring, and brought in talented freshmen who could take on meaningful roles. But none of that matters much if the Cowboys can’t get stops.
“It’s year 3 and that’s what we’ve got to finish with.” #OkState HC Steve Lutz on the Cowboys’ goal this season. #GoPokes #Big12MBB pic.twitter.com/Y0OgFWWId0
Still, Lutz isn’t ready to declare the defense solved just because the pieces look better on paper. When asked what the one thing was, his answer was basically that the Cowboys would have to show it in games.
“We’ve shown spurts in practice for extended periods of time where we’re pretty good defensively,” he said. “But until we get hit in the mouth [by an opponent] I’m not going to be able to answer that one for you.”
By that point, Oklahoma State had already taken one early test, an exhibition loss to New Mexico.
“I can tell you that against New Mexico the other night that we weren’t nearly good enough,” Lutz said.
The numbers from last season tell the same story. Oklahoma State finished last in the Big 12 in scoring defense, giving up 84.2 points per game.
Only one other league team allowed more than 80 points a night. The conference as a whole was a grind defensively, with the Big 12 average rising to 85.2 points allowed per game, the worst mark in the league.
That matters in a conference where strong defense is a requirement, not a luxury. Iowa State is one of the best defensive teams in the country, and Oklahoma State has to find a way to climb into that kind of company if it wants to change its trajectory.
The simplest place to start is on the glass. Lutz views rebounding as part of defense, and that was another weak spot for the Cowboys a year ago.
In Big 12 play, they ranked second-worst in combined opponent rebounds, allowing 38.9 per game. Iowa State led the league in that category at 32.2.
That helped drag Oklahoma State down to the fourth-worst rebounding margin in the conference, as the Cowboys were outboarded by 3.1 per game.
It’s not flashy, but it’s clear where the cleanest improvement can come from. Defensive rebounding cuts off second chances and easy put-backs. Offensive rebounding creates extra possessions and extra points.
While Lutz and his staff keep working to sharpen the team’s defense, rebounding stands out as the quickest way to patch a major weakness until the bigger fix takes hold.
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Oklahoma State Enters A Brutal Stretch With Little Room For Error
Oklahoma State heads into a tough Big 12 run with little margin for slipups, starting with a road trip to Iowa State and three of its next four games away from Stillwater. The Cowboys are ranked No. 24 and have leaned on an offense that leads the conference in scoring, while the defense offered a better look in the recent win over Colorado, giving the team at least some momentum as the schedule tightens.
Iowa State brings its own wrinkles into the matchup, beginning with a quarterback situation that coach Jimmy Rogers has handled carefully after recent changes under center. The Cyclones also have a few versatile pieces who can affect a game in multiple ways, which makes this an especially tricky opener for an Oklahoma State team trying to protect its early standing and avoid getting caught in the wrong kind of conference grind. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States New Roster Just Got An Early Reality Check
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Julius Halaifonua led the Cowboys with 16 points, and Jacob Walker added 12 as Oklahoma State tried to find some offensive rhythm against a veteran Wisconsin group. Owen Foxwell paced the Badgers with 19 points in a game that gave the Cowboys plenty to clean up before the results start to count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Former OSU QB Sees One Big Test Coming For Drew Mestemaker
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf liked what he has seen from the Cowboys lately, especially the way Drew Mestemaker has settled in and the way the offense has started to come together around him. The line in front of Mestemaker has been a big part of that progress, and Chelf pointed to that growth as one of the main reasons the unit has looked more comfortable and more productive.
The next challenge, though, comes in one of the toughest spots on the schedule: a Halloween night trip to Iowa State. Chelf talked about the environment and the conditions that can make that game hard to navigate, which adds another layer to an already important test for a quarterback still building his reputation. Mestemaker has already started to turn heads beyond Stillwater, and there is still real interest in how far he can carry this offense from here. [Read more 🡒]