Oklahoma State Cowgirls
Overall Rank: #41
Conference Rank: #5 Big 12
Following a couple disappointing seasons, Oklahoma State returned to the NCAA Tournament behind a 19-9 overall record. The Cowgirls are in an interesting spot this season as Coach Jim Littell enters his 11th season leading the program. The team is now moving in the right direction, but top scorers Natasha Mack and Ja’Mee Asberry are gone. Does this team have the offensive firepower to replace those two?
2020-21 Record: 19-9, 13-5
2020-21 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Jim Littell
Coach Record: 176-111 at Oklahoma State, 176-111 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Natasha Mack, Forward, 19.8 ppg
Ja’Mee Asberry, Guard, 17.0 ppg
Bigue Sarr, Forward, 1.9 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Lauren Fields, Junior, Guard, 8.7 ppg
Lexy Keys, Sophomore, Guard, 7.3 ppg
Taylen Collins, Sophomore, Forward, 6.6 ppg
Neferatali Notoa, Sophomore, Guard, 4.3 ppg
Kassidy De Lapp, Senior, Center, 3.7 ppg
Sara Rodriques, Junior, Guard, 3,0 ppg
Brittany Reeves, Senior, Forward, 2.7 ppg
Micah Dennis, Junior, Guard, 1.4 ppg
Abbie Winchester, Senior, Forward, 0.9 ppg
Key New Players
Tracey Bershers, Freshman, Forward
N’Yah Boyd, Junior, Guard, Transfer from North Texas
Tori Garza, Freshman, Forward
Macie James, Freshman, Forward
Chloe Mayer, Junior, Guard, JC Transfer
Projection:
Three starters are back, led by the backcourt duo of Lauren Fields and Lexy Keys. Those two are both capable shooters, but will need to be more consistent now that they will be asked to take more shots. Sophomore Neferatali Notoa earned a handful of starts last season and showed some promise during her freshman campaign. Taylen Collins will have to pick up some of the scoring and rebounding slack lost with Mack. Most teams who lost a key player or two this season went out and picked up a bunch of transfers, but Coach Littell just has one Division I transfer. The hope is N’Yah Boyd can step into the starting point guard job after starting the last two seasons at North Texas. Last year she averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Junior college transfer Chloe Mayer and a trio of incoming freshmen forwards will add more options, but it remains to be seen if this group can come together to replace the production lost with Mack and Asberry.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.0 (75th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.2 (105, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.3 (59, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.2 (48, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.8 (188, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.5 (53, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.1 (238, 10)
Rebound Margin: 1.5 (115, 6)
Assists Per Game: 16.7 (16, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.6 (49, 1)
Madness 2021 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#112 Macie James
