Oklahoma State should have no issues performing better in basketball than football, but the Big 12 is a gauntlet that will give the Cowboys problems.
After the Steve Lutz era got out to a fun start, losses against Florida Atlantic and Nevada blemished the Cowboys’ record for the first time. They rebounded and managed to put together one of their most complete games at Tulsa but are stumbling into conference play. After an uncompetitive loss in Bedlam, the Cowboys took care of business at home in unconvincing wins against Tarleton State and Oral Roberts.
With a 20-game Big 12 slate on the horizon, beginning with Houston at the end of the month, OSU’s ability to finish with a better Big 12 record than Mike Gundy’s team is as simple as winning once in the next two months.
Considering how tough it can be to win in the Big 12, OSU will need to play much better basketball than it has in December. Still, OSU’s fast style of play should be enough to get the Cowboys over the hump on several nights offensively.
While OSU should have no problems performing better in the Big 12 than the 0-9 football team, it has been an uphill battle in that area in the Gundy era. Since Gundy took over the football program in the 2005 season, OSU football has had a better Big 12 record than men’s basketball 14 times and the same winning percentage in another three years.
The only times men’s basketball has had a better winning percentage was Gundy’s first season in 2005-06, which was also Eddie Sutton’s final season, and 2012-13, which was Marcus Smart’s freshman year.
Steve Lutz will almost certainly add the 2024-25 Cowboys to that list, but a winless Big 12 record in football was also unthinkable entering the season.
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