More ball, or curtain call: will OSU accept an NIT Bid?

After an early Big 12 Tournament exit, Steve Lutz says OSU players will decide whether to pursue postseason opportunity separate from NCAA Tournament

Daniel Allen

Mar 15, 2026 - 4 min read

Oklahoma State guard Jaylen Curry (0) goes up for a shot against an Oklahoma defender during the Cowboys' 85-76 loss to the Sooners Saturday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Curry, who averages 13.5 points per game, helped lead OSU to a 9-1 start before the Bedlam defeat. – Photo by Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

More ball, or curtain call: will OSU accept an NIT Bid? — Oklahoma State guard Jaylen Curry (0) goes up for a shot against an Oklahoma defender during the Cowboys' 85-76 loss to the Sooners Saturday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Curry, who averages 13.5 points per game, helped lead OSU to a 9-1 start before the Bedlam defeat. – Photo by Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Steve Lutz was abundantly coy when asked about his team’s future this season.

Shortly after Oklahoma State’s 95-88 loss to TCU in Round 2 of the Big 12 Tournament, the second-year coach acknowledged the dim probability of his team reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys (19-14) were already projected outside of the bubble in ESPN’s Joe Lundardi’s latest bracketology installment come Selection Sunday, and their defeat against the Horned Frogs on March 11 likely cemented that.

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