Steve Lutz Could Help Oklahoma State's Home-Court Advantage Return

Oklahoma State has been close, but Steve Lutz could finally accomplish something years in the making.

Over the past few seasons, OSU has been among the worst teams in the Big 12 and has made only one NCAA Tournament appearance in the past eight years. With such a lack of success for a once-storied program, the Cowboys have failed to find the fan support that made them special for so long.

Of course, the saying loyal and true doesn’t always apply to losing teams. As much as OSU fans would try to dispute that, the evidence is clear that the fanbase is unwilling to unconditionally support the team in bad years.

OSU’s home-court advantage last season was almost nonexistent. Yet, the Cowboys still managed to have a great home record, losing only three games in Stillwater throughout the regular season.

Considering all of the moves the Cowboys have made this offseason, there is a chance that Lutz’s team could do something special next year. Gallagher-Iba Arena was once known for being the rowdiest arena in the country, and a bit more winning could bring back a whole lot of rowdy.

The winning must come first, but OSU has set itself up for a potentially potent home-court advantage by the start of conference play. If the Cowboys’ new stars can come in and led the team to a good nonconference record, they could be in the business of selling tickets for the premier Big 12 games. 

In the Mike Boynton era, there is no doubt that OSU would have had a sold-out Gallagher-Iba Arena when Cade Cunningham was around. However, the pandemic and following postseason ban made it impossible for the Cowboys to capitalize on Cunningham’s season or build on the momentum of that run.

Finally, the Cowboys have a chance to build momentum again. Lutz has a chance to revitalize a program that has been starving for great basketball.

Assuming the Cowboys can do their part on the court, Stillwater could soon be one of the toughest places to play in the country again.