Oklahoma State Showed Plenty of Promise—But Also Plenty to Clean Up

If you only looked at the final score from Oklahoma State's first exhibition game in Puerto Rico, you might come away feeling underwhelmed.

A close game against a Puerto Rican club team wasn't exactly the dominant start many fans envisioned.

If you watched beyond the scoreboard though, there was another takeaway.

This team has talent.

It also has a lot of work to do.

That's exactly what I expected from a roster that was playing its first live game together.

There were stretches where Oklahoma State looked like the team Steve Lutz has been trying to build.

The Cowboys played with pace.

They forced turnovers.

They created easy transition opportunities.

Their athleticism stood out, and there were moments when the offense flowed naturally instead of looking forced.

Those flashes are what should excite fans.

This roster clearly has players capable of making plays on both ends of the floor.

You don't need a full game to recognize talent.

Sometimes a few possessions tell you everything you need to know.

At the same time, Oklahoma State showed why expectations need to remain realistic.

There were defensive breakdowns.

Communication wasn't always sharp.

The Cowboys struggled to put together a complete 40-minute performance, allowing a team they were expected to control to stay within striking distance.

Against this level of competition, that's fair to criticize.

Whether it was rebounding, defensive rotations or simply getting everyone on the same page, there were plenty of moments where the Cowboys looked like a team still learning how to play together.

That's not ideal.

It's also not surprising.

It's easy to forget just how new this team really is.

Steve Lutz is in his first season leading the program.

The roster has been rebuilt through the transfer portal.

Several players are learning new teammates, a new coaching staff and a new system all at once.

Chemistry doesn't magically appear after a few summer workouts.

It develops through live possessions, mistakes and adjustments.

That's exactly why these exhibition games exist.

You'd rather discover communication issues in Puerto Rico than during Big 12 play.

As strange as it sounds, this game may end up helping Oklahoma State more than a blowout victory would have.

Winning by 35 points can hide problems.

A competitive game exposes them.

Steve Lutz now has real game film showing where his team struggled and where it succeeded.

Those are valuable teaching moments that can't be recreated in practice.

The Cowboys now have a clearer understanding of what needs immediate attention before the regular season begins.

One exhibition game doesn't define a season.

It also doesn't erase legitimate concerns.

Both things can be true.

Oklahoma State showed flashes of being a team capable of competing in the Big 12.

It also looked like a team that still has plenty of chemistry to build before it reaches that point.

That's not a contradiction.

That's what happens when nearly an entire roster is learning to play together for the first time.

I'm encouraged by what Oklahoma State showed in Puerto Rico.

Not because the Cowboys looked like a finished product.

They didn't.

They looked like a talented team that is still figuring itself out, and I'd much rather see those growing pains now than in conference play.

The flashes of potential were real.

Now comes the hard part—turning those flashes into consistent basketball.

Oklahoma State didn't prove it's ready to contend in March.

It proved it has the talent to get there—if it learns from everything its first game exposed.