13. Oklahoma State (7-3)
A new era began this offseason with the hire of Steve Lutz, a pretty young head coach who had immediate success with multiple programs. You shouldn’t expect that same type of instant turnaround with the Cowboys, as the Big 12 is a different animal. Still, this Oklahoma State squad has shown signs of progress in their first few weeks on the court.
Very few pieces returned from last season, with the Cowboys getting good work out of transfers like Marchelus Avery from UCF and Abou Ousmane out of Xavier. It’s a veteran lineup filled with new faces that can win games and put up points, though there’s not a lot of future prospects or young talent in this rotation. Jamyron Keller, a rare returner from last season, is the only underclassman seeing significant run.
The Cowboys won three straight games at home to open the season, though their best play has actually come in recent weeks. Despite tough losses at the Charleston Classic against Florida Atlantic and Nevada, this team played well in their win over Miami and then picked up back-to-back road wins at Tulsa and Seton Hall the following week. They were silenced by rival Oklahoma last week but it’s been a solid start to the season nonetheless.
Questions remain about the defense, which has been overwhelmed inside the paint several times in the Cowboys’ first ten games. This just doesn’t stand out as a team that’s going to win regularly against much better teams in the Big 12, but that doesn’t mean Oklahoma State won’t have a say in the Big 12 race. Lutz will have his well-experienced team playing hard; they just need to make major strides on defense for them to matter in league play.