Oklahoma State Cowboys Get Little Love from Big 12 Basketball Coaches Poll

In the eyes of Big 12 coaches, the Oklahoma State Cowboys didn’t do enough to be considered even among the top eight teams in the league going into the season.

The Big 12 Conference released the men’s basketball preseason poll and preseason all-Big 12 teams on Thursday, and unlike the Cowgirls – who were picked to win the conference and had both the preseason player of the year and newcomer of the year – the Cowboys were picked to finish 11th in the league and had no players selected to the preseason team.

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Oklahoma State received 98 points in the poll. Arizona was picked to win the league receiving 12 of the 16 first place votes from coaches, followed by Houston, which received four first place votes. The Wildcats and the Cougars were separated by just six points.

Oklahoma State’s Uphill Climb

Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Kanye Clary. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys have made progress under third-year head coach Steve Lutz, but they have yet to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, where their last appearance was in 2021. In two seasons under Lutz the Cowboys are 37-33 and have improved their win total by three victories from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

Oklahoma State has finished no better than a tie for 12th place in the league in either season and has played in the postseason NIT both years. The Cowboys won 20 games last year.

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Lutz recruited one of the best freshman classes in the country, one that includes three four-star recruits, some of whom analysts expect to make an immediate impact for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys also brought in several transfers. The Cowboys also bring back several players from last year’s team, including guard Kanye Clary and forward Parsa Fallah, the latter of which is eligible on a waiver obtained in a court case as he pursues a fifth season of eligibility.

Big 12 media days is set for Tuesday and Wednesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Cowboys and the Cowgirls are expected to talk on Wednesday with…

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Publish date : 2026-10-15 20:00:00

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