Cowboys Q&A: Brandon Newman

Brandon Newman knows Steve Lutz well enough to offer a solid scouting report on Oklahoma State's first-year men's basketball coach.

"He's a coach who want to be aggressive, push the pace and score fast."

But when Newman entered the transfer portal last spring, Lutz took the opposite approach.

"We didn't really need to talk much. He just checked in here and there," Newman said. "We just kind of let things happen."

There was no need for a hard sell on someone who had already bought in.

Newman knew all he needed to know about Lutz after playing for him last year at Western Kentucky and during the first half of his four-year career at Purdue, where Lutz was an assistant coach.

The 6-foot-5 graduate transfer spent nearly a month doing his homework – visiting with other coaches and learning about their programs – but says his final decision wasn't difficult.

"As a person, as a coach, he doesn't sugarcoat things," Newman said. "He's going to tell you how it is. He's going to coach you hard. He's going to demand a lot from you, and that's all you can really ask for."

Newman saw first-hand how quickly that type of approach can transform a program.

When Lutz arrived, Western Kentucky was more than a decade removed from its last NCAA tournament appearance and in need of five new starters. It was an eye-opening experience for a player who spent the last four years in a program where postseason trips were both the expectation and the norm.

"That's the only thing I knew. I thought it was like that everywhere," Newman said. "(At WKU) it was a lot harder to make it back (to the NCAA tournament), coming from a one-bid league and playing a larger role."

Newman enjoyed the best season of his college career, earning honorable mention all-conference honors while averaging career-highs in points (10.1) and rebounds (5.3). More importantly, the Hilltoppers won 23 games and the Conference USA tournament title to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.

A similar rebuild is underway in now Stillwater, and Newman wants to help ease the transition by serving as a bridge between Lutz and his new Oklahoma State teammates.

"I know what it's like to come into a new system," he said. "I know what it's like to play for a new coach, trying to figure out his likes and dislikes and how he wants things, and then also doing it on the fly. So, whenever guys need help, I'm making sure they know what they're doing."

Newman's Purdue and Western Kentucky experiences were different, but the teams shared common threads. He's seen a lot of those same winning traits inside OSU's locker room.

"The teams that hang out the most off the court, that know each other the best, are the ones that are able to weather the storm, the adversity, the up and downs of a season," he said. "I believe in the basketball gods, so it's important to do everything the right way: showing up to practice, working out every day. As cliché as it sound, I don't know any other way."

Cowboys Q&A with Brandon Newman:

What's something OSU fans would find interesting about you?
I played with and against Cade Cunningham… I went to Montverde Academy for a month or so but then ended up coming back to Valparaiso (High School). So I know him a little bit.

What's your favorite animal?
Lions

Favorite food?
Italian Pasta

Realizing that you grew up in the Chicagoland area and are therefore required to answer this question in a certain way… Who is your basketball G.O.A.T.?
I'm going to still stay with Mike (Jordan). It's getting close, though.

Give us your favorite musical genre and artist.
Rap, Future

What is your favorite hobby, outside of basketball?
Traveling

What's your favorite place that you've visited?
Barcelona

Favorite sport, other than basketball?
Football

Who is the funniest coach on the staff?
Robert Guster

Favorite school subject?
Math

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