Oklahoma State Cowboys
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #31
Conference Rank: #5 Big 12
Oklahoma State finally won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2009. They beat Liberty before being upset by Oregon State. It was a step in the right direction for Coach Mike Boynton and company, but now the goal is to keep it going. However, that will be easier said than done without first overall pick in the NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham. The Cowboys do return just about everybody else and bring in plenty of transfers ready to make an impact.
2020-21 Record: 21-9, 11-7
2020-21 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Mike Boynton Jr.
Coach Record: 72-58 at Oklahoma State, 72-58 overall
Key Departed Players:
Cade Cunningham, Guard, 20.1 ppg
Ferron Flavors, Guard, 3.4 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Avery Anderson III, Junior, Guard, 12.2 ppg
Kalib Boone, Junior, Forward, 9.4 ppg
Isaac Likekele, Senior, Guard, 9.1 ppg
Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, Sophomore, Forward, 9.0 ppg
Rondel Walker, Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 ppg
Bryce Williams, Senior, Guard, 7.3 ppg
Keylan Boone, Guard/Forward, 4.4 ppg
Chris Harris Jr, Junior, Guard, 4.0 ppg
Bernard Kouma, Junior, Forward, 1.5 ppg
Key New Players:
Woody Newton, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Syracuse
Tyreek Smith, Sophomore, Forward, Transfer from Texas Tech
Bryce Thompson, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Kansas
Moussa Cisse, Sophomore, Forward, Transfer from Memphis
Projection:
Cunningham may have overshadowed his teammates last season, but the rest of the roster did their part too. And they are ready to do more now that Cunningham is gone. Avery Anderson III was the only other double-digit scorer last season, averaging 12.2 points per game. But there are a whole slew of scoring threats in the backcourt. Isaac Likekele dished out 3.6 assists per game on top of his 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. Rondel Walker and Bryce Williams were the most prolific outside shooters after Cunningham last year and will look for more shots in 2021-2022. Kalib Boone is an athletic big man who is poised for a huge junior campaign. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and was often the second-best player on the Cowboys after Cunningham. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe is another athletic forward who can get up and down the floor. The frontcourt will get an influx of depth with the addition of Moussa Cisse and Tyreek Smith. Cisse will join Boone at the five spot after transferring in from Memphis. Smith comes from Texas Tech where he saw limited playing time with the Red Raiders. Add Woody Newton from Syracuse and Bryce Thompson from Kansas and this is suddenly a very deep Oklahoma State team. With all of those options, Coach Boynton will have to work out his rotation, but once he does the Cowboys could be nearly as good as they were last season.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.6 (55th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.7 (240, 9)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.8 (75, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.1 (52, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.3 (268, 10)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.2 (197, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.0 (170, 5)
Rebound Margin: 2.3 (110, 5)
Assists Per Game: 12.8 (196, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.6 (310, 10)
