Can Oklahoma State Avoid Worst Season This Century?

The Cowboys are bad, but just how bad will they go down in the record books?
Jan 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz looks on during the second half against the Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz looks on during the second half against the Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is in the middle of another rough season, but it still has time to avoid setting a bad record.

On Wednesday night, OSU was blown out at Kansas State 85-57 to fall to 10-10 this season. With a 20-game conference slate this season, the Cowboys are still set for another 11 matchups in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Add in at least one Big 12 Tournament game and the Cowboys have another 12 games to try and make the season respectable.

However, after falling to Kansas State, a team it beat earlier in the season, OSU’s hopes of making a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament or even getting a bid to the NIT seem quite far-fetched. Wednesday’s loss also marked the team’s third-straight loss, helping it fall to 2-7 in Big 12 play. If the Cowboys continue this trajectory, they could be staring at a 12-20 season for the second year in a row.

However, the Cowboys have shown they could be among the worst teams to play on the hardwood at Gallagher-Iba Arena. With losses piling up and tough opponents lining up to take their shot at OSU toward the end of the season, a 12-20 finish might be a success for the Cowboys.

In 1986-87, OSU finished 8-20, marking the last season the program won less than 30% of its games. If OSU fails to win at least two more games this season, it would join that 1986-87 team and add to the six OSU teams that have failed to win at 30% of its games in the Big 8/Big 12 era, which dates back to the 1957-58 season.

Last season’s 12-20 mark tied two other seasons for the worst records in the 21st century. Although OSU basketball has been on a downtrend for quite some time, it still only has three losing seasons since Eddie Sutton took over the program in the early ‘90s. 

This season looks poised to add to that mark, but if the Cowboys can’t find some ways to win against solid conference opponents, this season will soon go down as the worst in recent history.


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Ivan White
IVAN WHITE

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.