Lutz Demands Defensive Improvement After Bedlam Loss – Cowboys Address Glaring Weakness Before Big 12 Play

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz didn’t shy away from reality during his weekly media availability Tuesday.

His Cowboys, coming off their first loss of the season in 85-76 fashion to Bedlam rival Oklahoma at the Paycom Center, need to progress defensively. Too often, inconsistencies have plagued the Cowboys, Lutz said. And for the first time this season, they were too much to overcome.

“The tape didn’t look any better than it did firsthand at the Paycom Center on Saturday afternoon,” Lutz said. “We did not play well enough defensively.”

Opponents are averaging close to 80 points per game on OSU, which ranks last in the Big 12. Lutz referred to his team’s aforementioned inconsistencies as “defensive lapses.” At times on Saturday, the Cowboys (9-1) showed flashes of a sound defensive club, only to surrender lengthy runs to the Sooners until the game grew out of reach. 

That’s not a feasible makeup for a NCAA Tournament-caliber team. Especially not in the Big 12, which Lutz acknowledged. 

Throughout the season, OSU has played through its offense. And rightfully so. 

Lutz came to OSU a year ago from Western Kentucky with an established pedigree of up-tempo, high-octane offenses. That’s been on display more in his second season at the helm.

Through 10 games, OSU is averaging roughly 91 points per contest, having scored less than 80 once. Five Cowboys — guards Vyctorious Miller (15.6), Anthony Roy (15.1) and Jaylen Curry (13.5), and forwards Parsa Fallah (13.1) and Christian Coleman (11.1) — are averaging double figures in the scoring column.

But defensively, the product on display has been, in Lutz’s words, subpar. 

His solution? More intense, defensive-focused practices.

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“We’ve always spent a lot of time on film, but this is now bone on bone, man on man, who’s gonna stop the other person — that’s where we’re at at this point,” Lutz said. “All of the schemes and all of the vernacular that we use, it doesn’t matter if you don’t guard the basketball. It doesn't matter if you don’t go box out your opponent and go get the dang ball. 

“We’re back to the basics of the (being) physical every possession, grind it out defense. That’s where we’re at.”

Lutz said with winter break underway, practices have also been longer. Players have taken accountability for the loss, showed up early and departed late. All signs, Lutz said, of a team willing to account for their flaws and glaring woes. 

“It’s just another day to get better,” Curry said. “We’re working on the little stuff that we need to get better at — defense and talking. We’re mainly focusing on the defense. That’s the main thing. Because in that Oklahoma game, it really showed.”

Sure, the Cowboys were riding high. Until Saturday. 

Lutz acknowledged that his team’s defensive woes prolonged for longer than he’d have liked. Now, he said, they need fixing. And with OSU’s Big 12 opener at Texas Tech approaching January 3, such issues will need to be at a minimum if the Cowboys wish to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 season. 

Because being “punched in the mouth” can be a wake-up call. But it can’t be a deflating moment. Not with the caliber of competition still lingering on OSU’s schedule. 

“It’s never good to lose,” Lutz said. “You’re not — we’re not — here to lose games. With that being said, yes — we needed to get smacked in the face. We needed to get checked. Because we’ve talked over and over about playing better defense and sustaining better defense and being tough and being disciplined. We’ve won those games (before Saturday). And so you get a false sense of security. Well, that false sense of security is gone. I can promise you that.”

Parsa Fallah, Ben Ahmed injury updates

Parsa Falla’s injury midway through the first half of Saturday’s loss to OU put a wrench in Lutz’s gameplan.

In turn, players garnered enhanced minutes. Forward Christian Coleman played 26 while center Andrija Vukovic logged 19 — tied for his second-highest total this season. But if Fallah’s impact wasn’t evident beforehand, it is now.

On Tuesday, Lutz said Fallah’s status was day-to-day, not clarifying on the likelihood of Fallah playing in Thursday’s home game against UMKC.

“He’s making progress,” Lutz said. “He did not practice Monday or today. We’ll see about tomorrow, and (he will) probably be a game-time decision for UMKC.”

Lutz also said freshman center Ben Ahmed could make his season debut soon. Ahmed, a former four-star recruit, flipped his commitment from Miami to OSU after former Hurricane coach Jim Larrañaga announced his retirement midway through last season. But after suffering an injury in the fall, requiring a plate to be inserted in his foot, Lutz said his inaugural appearance as a Cowboy might not be far out.

“Hopefully we’ll get Ben back,” Lutz said. “He might play on Thursday. He might play on Sunday. So, that would be good. We’d have another big body in the post. And if not, we’ll go with whoever is there.”

Kanye Clary, Jaylen Curry embracing roles

For most of this season Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry have split time at point guard.

And while that can become frustrating for players trying to establish themselves as a go-to prospect, Clary and Curry have instead embraced their roles.

Both have different playstyles. Clary fits the mold of a facilitator while Curry has shown that of a downhill scorer. Still, both complement OSU’s offense and both have guided the Cowboys to their best start since the 2006-07 season. 

“(We’ve) definitely embraced it as far as just coming out there with energy, leading the team and putting people in a position to score,” Curry said. “He’s like a big piece in what we’ve got going on right now. So, we’ve got to keep looking at him, seeing what he’s doing and looking at what he’s got going on, for sure.”