‘They’re Just a Better Team’: It’s Early, But Steve Lutz Sounds Confident in the Group He Assembled

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STILLWATER — Steve Lutz likes the team he has assembled, and he isn’t afraid to say it.

Lutz’s third Oklahoma State team officially, technically kicked off its practice schedule this week, but in reality, the group has felt together for a while now. The Cowboys took a trip to Puerto Rico this summer, which came with 10 practices and a chance for the group — five returners and 10 newcomers — to mesh.

“These guys are so much further along than any other team we’ve had here,” Lutz said Tuesday. “Sometimes as a coach, you don’t necessarily recognize it, but especially as an assistant coach, they’re constantly saying, ‘Hey, we’re further along than we were last year,’ which is good. Then I’ve had a couple people come to practice that have watched practice over our tenure here, and they said the same thing, like, ‘You’re not having to teach some of the fundamentals that you’d had to teach in years past. You’re not having to really get them to be a team.’

“They move the ball so much better. There’s less animosity. There’s less selfishness. They’re just a better team at this point thus far.”

Lutz’s first OSU team was put together late in the transfer cycle, as he wasn’t hired until after the portal was already opened. That team was good defensively but struggled to score.

This past season, Lutz’s team could score. The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 by averaging 83.7 points a game. But they could not keep other teams from scoring, as OSU ranked last in the Big 12 in points allowed per game (84.2).

“I think that we have a better combination of both (offense and defense),” Lutz said. “We certainly have more length and more athleticism as a general rule, just from top to bottom. But I think that we can be a good defensive team, I really do.

“Now with that being said, I still think this team’s a little bit wired to score. That’s part of the recruiting philosophy and those sorts of things from our staff, but I think we should be much more balanced. If we decide that we’re gonna be a great defensive team, then I think we have a fantastic season.”

OSU’s portal class ranked 12th (Rivals) and 30th (247Sports) nationally.

The haul includes Jordan Burks (UCF), Julius Halaifonua (Georgetown), Luka Bogavac (North Carolina), Andrija Grbovic (Arizona State) and Kashie Natt (Sam Houston), who were all considered four-star transfers by at least one of the recruiting services.

On top of that, OSU’s high school recruiting class ranked eighth (247Sports) and ninth (Rivals) nationally, with all four additions being four-star prospects. Lutz said that freshman group has been competitive in practice.

In the modern world, collecting such a roster takes funding, something OSU basketball has seemingly had an issue with going back to when Mike Boynton was the coach. But Lutz and his staff have gotten in front of the right people.

“We were more selective in the recruiting process, and when you have more money, in terms of NIL and those sorts of things, you can be more selective,” Lutz said. “And I’ve not shied away from that, and I think that everybody should understand that. It’s just where we’re at today.

“But I also think that these guys just naturally play the game a little bit differently — and maybe better is a way to say it — because we do. It’s natural to share the ball, and maybe we don’t have as many guys looking to, say, increase their scoring or prove to the world they’re an NBA Draft pick as much as these guys are wanting to play basketball the right way and make sure that we have a great season.”

Lutz said he hasn’t had to define roles with this group to this point because the players know their skillsets and what they are capable of. He also noted that this group seems more aware that their future opportunities are more closely tied to OSU’s wins and losses than it is tied to their particular stats.

“There’s a different pressure as a player if you think you have to come in here — you’ve been at A, B and C — and you gotta come here and you gotta put up 16 a game in the Big 12 so you can hopefully get drafted,” Lutz said, “vs. I have the confidence in myself to know that I’m a good player, and as long as I play the right way and do what I’m capable of, then it’s gonna translate into me getting to where I want to be professionally.

“But as I tell them all the time, there’s not a single one of you that’s going to get drafted because you scored 20 points and we go 8-22. Now, we go 22-8, you score 15, 18 points, the whole world is gonna know who you are just because of the success of the program and us making a run in the NCAA Tournament. That’s just the facts.”