Oklahoma State Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Cowboys
By Andrew Tineo
What should be expected of Oklahoma State Basketball this upcoming season?
Regardless of the results from last season, Oklahoma State Basketball fans are optimistic about the direction head coach Mike Boynton is taking the program in. After a sluggish stretch near the halfway point of their season, Oklahoma State would turn a corner last season.
The Cowboys would win five of their last six games, including a road game against Texas and a first-round win in the Big 12 Tournament against Iowa State. Last season also included three players scoring in double figures and a squad that played Baylor tough in both of their matchups.
Even with those positives, the Cowboys have a roster overhaul from last year. The Cowboys lost four of their top five scorers, notably Forward Cameron McGriff and Guard Lindy Waters. These four players combined for averaging nearly 41 points out of the 67 that the Cowboys averaged last year.
The hope for this year comes through the best recruiting class in school history (4th, according to Rivals), headlined by consensus #1 overall recruit in G Cade Cunningham. The excitement with the Cowboys is the new faces but also can create some growing pains at the beginning of the season. The Cowboys have eight freshmen and have 10 in total that is new to the program in 2020-2021.
The headline returner from last year’s team is G Isaac Likekele. Likekele is a two-year starter from Timberview HS in Arlington, TX, that averaged almost 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and just south of two steals per game. With such an inexperienced group on the court, Likekele is going to have stepped up immediately and be a vocal leader to a team with the most youth in college basketball.
One of the biggest disappointments for the Cowboys that is already known is that we will not have any chance of seeing this young, intriguing team have their claim at an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys have been put on a post-season tournament ban, because of recruiting violations and therefore, will end their season with a Big 12 opponent during the regular season.
Even with that, Oklahoma State fans have to be excited about what kind of team that is going to be displayed in 2020-2021. With that being said, here’s a look at the projected starters for the Cowboys.