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Texas Tech basketball: Loss to OSU wasn’t as damaging as many believe

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: The Texas Tech Red Raiders court is empty before the college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on January 29, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: The Texas Tech Red Raiders court is empty before the college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on January 29, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Cameron McGriff #12 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
Cameron McGriff #12 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

The Cowboys are finally playing the way many expected them to

Part of what has so many fans upset about this loss is that it came to a team that entered the game tied for last in the conference with Kansas State.  But on paper, Oklahoma State has much more talent than a typical 3-9 Big 12 team and though it is too late to mater, head coach Mike Boynton has finally figured out how to get his team to play up to its potential in the last few games.

With Saturday’s win, OSU has now claimed three of its last four contests.  That includes victories over TCU and Kansas State as well as the Red Raiders.

But while no one is going to applaud any team for beating the two purple teams in the Big 12 given that the Frogs have lost six of their last seven games with the only win coming Saturday at Kansas State (and speaking of the Wildcats, they are now in last place in the Big 12 with a 2-10 overall record), what OSU managed to do in the game in between those two wins stands out the most.

Interestingly, it was the only loss in the last two weeks for OSU that shows how well Boynton has his team playing.  In a 78-70 defeat at No. 1 Baylor on February 8th, the Cowboys put quite the scare into the Bears.

In fact, with just 15 seconds to play, OSU was down only 70-68.  That was despite having four players foul out of the game because…you know…that’s how Big 12 refs treat road teams.  In addition, a couple of important plays that went to review late in the game were both changed from the way they were called on the court to eventually benefit Baylor.

Thus, if the No. 1 team in the nation can have significant trouble putting away the Cowboys at home, it shouldn’t be so shocking for Tech to struggle with OSU in Stillwater.  Boynton is a tough coach to figure out because it seems like he never maximizes his talent until after the season is already lost but his teams never stop playing hard for him and this year’s team is playing its best basketball of 2020 right now.

If OSU had played to its paper all year and was sitting at No. 5 or 6 in the conference race as its roster suggests it should, (the Cowboys were picked 6th in the preseason conference poll) we wouldn’t be nearly as upset about losing at Gallagher-Iba Arena as we are.  Yes, Tech did lose to one of the last-place teams in the conference on Saturday but by no means is OSU one of the worst teams in the Big 12, especially the way the Pokes are playing these days.

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