3 Takeaways From Oklahoma State's Season-Opening Win vs. Green Bay
Oklahoma State began its season on a high note.
On Monday, OSU beat Green Bay 89-76 in Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. The season opener for both teams featured no shortage of storylines, with each team playing under a new head coach.
Of course, the Cowboys hired Steve Lutz in the offseason, and his additions through the transfer portal helped them get an eventually easy win. Meanwhile, former OSU guard Doug Gottlieb began his tenure at Green Bay, making a point of beginning his coaching career in Stillwater.
While the Cowboys struggled to gain separation in the first half, they outscored Green Bay 31-13 to begin the second half and never looked back.
Let’s dive into three lessons that can be learned from yesterday’s game.
Bryce Thompson could thrive in an up-tempo system
OSU’s win against Green Bay featured a few key differences from last season. Among them was how loose and comfortable Thompson looked on the floor.
He finished the night with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. That scoring total is higher than any game he had last season and only one point shy of his career-high. While he didn’t get to the foul line, he nailed some jumpers in rhythm and was solid at penetrating inside.
With Lutz’s system much more focused on getting out in transition than Mike Boynton’s, Thompson’s life as a scorer could be easier. Ideally, the stalled-out possessions that have turned into forced shots over the past few years can be a thing of the past for the Cowboys’ longest-tenured player.
OSU needs to shoot better inside
Although the Cowboys won by double figures and scored more than they did in all but three games last season, there is still room for improvement. Specifically, there is room for improvement on layups.
Against Green Bay, OSU shot only 9-of-31 on layups. While that mark did not hurt it against a mid-major opponent to open the season, that type of performance against a Big 12 team would be a guaranteed loss.
Of course, this is only the first game of the season, and players are getting used to new roles and how to fit offensively. Still, this will be something to watch as the Cowboys continue their nonconference slate.
Forcing turnovers could be a strong suit for the Cowboys
Under Boynton, the Cowboys were seen as a defensive team that liked to make games ugly. While their games were often ugly, they did not often translate to wins.
With Lutz at the helm, OSU forced 19 Green Bay turnovers, including 11 steals. The Cowboys reached those marks only once in 32 tries last season.
Considering the Cowboys are looking to push the tempo and get easy buckets in transition, forcing live-ball turnovers could be exactly what helps OSU be a surprise team in the Big 12.
Overall, the Cowboys impressed in the season opener, particularly with their response after halftime. With one game under their belts, they should be able to build on this performance as their nonconference slate ramps up.
OSU will host St. Thomas on Sunday afternoon as it looks to move to 2-0.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.