Old Friends, New Foes: Steve Lutz, Don McHenry Set for Reunion as Oklahoma State Faces Utah
When Oklahoma State takes the floor against Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City, there’ll be more than just Big 12 standings on the line. For Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz, this one carries a little extra meaning - because across the court will be a familiar face in a new jersey.
Utah guard Don McHenry, now a key piece in the Utes’ backcourt, was Lutz’s leading scorer during their shared run at Western Kentucky in 2024. That season, McHenry averaged 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, earning First Team All-Conference USA honors and tournament MVP as he helped guide the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Tournament under Lutz’s leadership.
The bond between coach and player still runs deep. “Last time we texted, he knew we were playing,” Lutz said Thursday.
“You never know, I may get one across my messages here saying, ‘Hey, I’m about to bust y’all’s butts.’ He’s a competitor and a great, great guy.”
That competitive fire is part of what made McHenry such a standout in his first year at the Division I level. Before Western Kentucky, he was a JUCO All-American at Indian Hills Community College and spent time at Division II Hawaii-Hilo. Lutz brought him into the fold at WKU, and the two clicked immediately - both on and off the court.
After Lutz made the jump to Stillwater, McHenry stayed behind and played under Hank Plona, a former Lutz assistant and McHenry’s coach at Indian Hills. McHenry thrived again, averaging 17 points per game last season before entering the transfer portal. Oklahoma State was in the mix, but a reunion didn’t materialize.
“Don McHenry’s a fantastic person, and he’s a good basketball player, and I love him,” Lutz said. “It just didn’t work out that he was here.
We had already signed some guys by the time he entered the portal, and then, you know, there’s also financial considerations. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Despite going their separate ways, the connection remains strong. They still text after games, and Lutz says he stays in touch with McHenry’s family. But come Saturday, there won’t be much room for sentimentality - especially with the way McHenry is playing.
Now at Utah, McHenry has taken another leap forward. He’s averaging 18 points per game - second on the team - and shooting a career-best 40% from beyond the arc on over six attempts per game. That’s not just solid production, that’s high-major efficiency, and it’s coming in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.
Utah may be sitting at the bottom of the Big 12 in NET rankings, but don’t let that fool you. The Utes can score, and they’ve got a backcourt that’s been doing serious damage. McHenry and fellow guard Terrence Brown are combining for 40.2 points per game - exactly half of Utah’s 80.1-point average.
For Oklahoma State, that presents a clear challenge. The Cowboys have had their defensive lapses this season, and containing that guard duo will be a top priority if they want to escape Salt Lake City with a win.
“Those guys score, shoot, 50% of their points,” Lutz said. “Obviously I coached one of them at Western Kentucky.
He was a big reason we went to the NCAA Tournament. They’re both good players.
They can score the ball at several levels. They put a lot of pressure on the defense just because they’re so active and constantly on the prowl to score.”
McHenry and Brown aren’t just volume scorers - they’re versatile. They can hit from deep, attack the rim, and float shots over defenders in the lane. That kind of offensive variety forces defenses to stay engaged for a full possession, and Lutz knows it’ll take a team effort to slow them down.
“We’ll have to be locked in defensively as a unit,” he said. “Can’t just be (Jaylen) Curry, or Kanye (Clary), or VJ (Miller) - like you can’t put it on one or two guys. It’s gotta be five guys locked in together the entire possession defensively.”
So while Saturday’s matchup may look like just another conference game on the schedule, it’s also a reunion - one built on mutual respect, shared memories, and a March run that neither coach nor player will soon forget.
But for 40 minutes in Salt Lake City, all that history gets put on hold. Because when the ball goes up, Don McHenry won’t be Lutz’s former player - he’ll be the guy the Cowboys have to stop.