Oklahoma State basketball: Cowboys hit ceiling under Underwood

Oklahoma State basketball had an exciting year under Brad Underwood, but what is next for the Cowboys?

Brad Underwood turned Oklahoma State basketball into an exciting show this season. The Cowboys ultimately hit the top spot for adjusted offensive efficiency (nationally) thanks to a bevy of talented scorers. It was easy to predict a fun and gritty team given its returning talent and new head coach.

OSU fought back from an 0-6 start in Big 12 play to ultimately finish 9-9 in the conference and 20-13 overall. They also reached the NCAA tournament but fell in a thrilling contest to Michigan. NCAA tournament participants Wichita State and Arkansas were among the teams OSU toppled during the regular season.

The squad was measurably better at scoring at the cost of defense. The perimeter trio of Jawun Evans, Phil Forte, and Jeffrey Carroll was among the Big 12’s most dynamic. They also saw solid improvements from role players, young and old. The ending wasn’t ideal, but this was a great season for the Cowboy faithful.

Final Grade: B+

So, what is next in Stillwater?

Who’s gone:

G – Jawun Evans (19.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.8 spg)

G – Phil Forte III (13.3 ppg)

F – Leyton Hammonds (8.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

The starting unit will look very different next without these three guys. Evans, Forte, and Hammonds were three of the team’s top five scorers and outside shooters. They accounted for just under half of the team’s points scored per game. Hammonds was also third in rebounding for the Cowboys.

Evans leaving for the NBA is particularly damaging as he could have stayed and remained one of the best point guards in the nation. He will now try to stick with a professional team at the sport’s highest level. Forte ended his career as one of the best snipers in OSU history despite standing just 5’11”.

Special mention that the team also lost Coach Underwood to Illinois after just one season.

Who’s back:

G – Brandon Averette (5.2 ppg, 1.8 apg)

G – Lindy Waters III (5.7 ppg)

G – Thomas Dziagwa (3.3 ppg)

G/F – Jeffrey Carroll (17.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

G/F – Davon Dillard (5.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

G/F – Tavarius Shine (4.5 ppg)

F – Cameron McGriff (3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

F/C – Mitchell Solomon (5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg

C – Lucas N’Guessan (2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

A lot returns, but much of it is unproven going into next year. Averette will fight for the point guard position next year after playing backup to Evans this season. Carroll is assured a starting role after dramatically improving in his junior year. His scoring average more than doubled this season. Joining him on the wing is any one of the others listed. Keep an eye on Shine in particular as he recovers from winter back surgery. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds during a healthy 2015-2016 season.

The front court still might not have much, but Solomon was an effective rim protector, McGriff brought energy and toughness in limited time, and N’Guessan has sheer size on his side as a true seven-footer. All three might be bigger parts of next year’s offense, but McGriff and N’Guessan are mostly unproven next to the veteran Solomon.

New coach Mike Boynton is now tasked with keeping this group together and maintaining the program’s upward trajectory.

Who’s new:

G – Zack Dawson (6’3″. 180)

G – Amauri Hardy (6’2″, 175)

F – Latravian Glover (6’7″, 215)

F – Souleymane Diakite (6’8″, 230)

C – Yankuba Sima (6’11”, 220, transfer from St. Johns)

This class has definite potential if Boynton can keep all of them committed. Dawson reaffirmed his future status with OSU and should have the inside track to take over for Evans. The top 100 player has the most hype of any newcomer and retaining his services is huge for Boyton. Hardy has not officially signed (only verbal), but he could factor in as a depth piece with upside.

The front court gets a big boost with Glover, who is Dawson’s teammate at South Miami High. The forward projects as an athletic guy who can run the floor well for his age. Diakite hails as a reserve forward from Spain while Sima will hit the court in December. The former Red Storm big man averaged 5.5 points and 3.2 boards for St. Johns before electing to transfer. He brings a shot blocking presence to the roster with 65 blocks in 36 career games.

The Cowboys are actually one over the 13 scholarship limit by my count if Hardy does indeed sign. Transfer season is ramping up and a player or two could choose to move on. Someone could also decide to waive their scholarship and walk on if nobody decides to leave.

Next: Check out the best remaining open coaching jobs

Final Number to know:

64 — That is the percentage of offensive rebounds coming back for OSU at the moment. Oklahoma State was actually one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the Big 12 thanks to several players including Solomon. Solomon collected just over three offensive boards per game to give his team extra possessions. This could be one of the team’s biggest strength going into next season, but a lot will hinge on guys staying with the program.

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