Oklahoma State has a new look under its new coach.

On Saturday, OSU took the floor for the first time under coach Steve Lutz in an exhibition against SMU. The Cowboys won 89-78 and played well against another Power Conference team.

Although the game counted for nothing, the Cowboys’ victory was an encouraging sign. After a 12-20 record last season, OSU is hoping its new coach and especially its new team can make this season different.

Intriguing stats from OSU’s win over SMU:

Against SMU, the Cowboys shot 14 of 28 from beyond the arc. While OSU took 28 shots from outside on multiple occasions last season, it only made 14+ 3-pointers in three games, all in non-conference play.

Although SMU is a non-conference opponent and this game does not count, it is important to show the ability to knock down outside shots against a power conference team. If OSU can play a modern game and consistently hit shots from beyond the arc, it could have a better offense than any season in Mike Boynton’s tenure.

In addition to scoring 89 points and hitting shots from the outside, OSU also took care of the ball. The Cowboys offense was smooth and finished the game with just seven turnovers.

OSU also only allowed six points off those turnovers. If the Cowboys can generally take care of the ball and play well defensively after turning it over, they could make a big move this season.

Only two of OSU’s seven turnovers were live turnovers, leading to zero fast break points for SMU. Even though the goal is to hang on to the ball, dead ball turnovers are the least costly turnovers.

After missing the final 11 games of the 2023-24 season, Thompson was back on the field Saturday. In his first action in nearly nine months, Thompson scored 24 points while shooting 9 of 12 from the floor.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of his performance was his outside shooting. While OSU shot well overall, Thompson was the leader in that area, shooting 5 of 5 from 3-point range.

In 18 games last season, Thompson scored in double figures nine times, but never scored more than 20. Although his five outside goals tied his season high of 2023-24, if it can be an effective scorer for the Cowboys, he could have made a positive impact.

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