Breaking Down Oklahoma State's Big 12 Tournament Path

Oklahoma State’s hopes of making the NCAA Tournament are a long shot, but a perfect five-game stretch would get the job done.

The Cowboys enter the Big 12 Tournament in better shape than most expected coming into the season. While the Cowboys were unable to win a conference road game, their 7-3 record in Big 12 games in Stillwater has given the program some momentum moving forward.

Of course, that momentum won’t mean much for the Cowboys if they can’t improve over the next few seasons. In the meantime, OSU has an opportunity to show it has a solid foundation with Steve Lutz at the helm during the Big 12 Tournament.

OSU would have to win five games in five days to advance to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021. While OSU was able to get up to 12 and earn a somewhat favorable path, it has an abundance of work to do to make even a small run.

The Cowboys might have had a perfect finish to their regular season, considering how they will begin the Big 12 Tournament. OSU tips off against Cincinnati on Tuesday, matching up with the same Bearcats team it just beat in Stillwater over the weekend. 

If OSU can replicate its results against Cincinnati, it will be thrust into a matchup with the Big 12’s fifth-seed Iowa State. Like Cincinnati, the Cowboys recently beat Iowa State, which marked OSU’s only ranked win of the season.

If the Cowboys could get past both of those squads, their run would be an undeniable success. With so much potential momentum and confidence, the Cowboys might be able to make something special happen.

Their next matchup would be No. 4 seed BYU in the quarterfinals. While OSU was blown out at BYU in the teams’ only meeting, the Cowboys showed some fight in the second half and nearly made a comeback before BYU pulled away again.

From there, the Cowboys would simply need some luck on their side throughout the semifinals and final. Although OSU somehow winning the Big 12 is an incredible long shot, March is about chaotic runs.