Oklahoma State Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Cowboys

Starting Lineup

Backcourt

This group as a whole has plenty of players and guys that will be getting quite a few minutes. Like mentioned earlier, however, this group is extremely young and made up of quite a few underclassmen.

Freshman G Cade Cunningham

The 19-year-old is the biggest recruit to come through Stillwater since the Marcus Smart era, way back in 2012.

Cunningham’s size of 6-7 and ability to do a little bit of everything at an extremely high level, gives him deserved hype. His 7-0 wingspan makes him such a mismatch and elite IQ makes him that much more dangerous. If there’s one conference that can give Cunningham a good test on defense, it’s the Big 12. Over the past few years, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Kansas have headlined not only the conference but the country in terms of elite defense.

The playmaking ability of Cunningham is not a question and he is a guy that will score 20+ just about every game. However, it’s his efficiency shooting the ball that will be the question. Cunningham isn’t a bad shooter and is certainly better than the players he’s been compared to in College, most notably, Ben Simmons.

His three-point shooting was fine at some of the most elite competitions, however, he needs to improve on that, facing much more difficult competition. With Cunningham on the floor, it gives Oklahoma State a chance to win just about any game they are in.

Junior G Isaac Likekele

From an experience standpoint, the captain of the team returns and is lonely, in terms of veteran teammates around him. Likekele’s strengths are not shooting the ball from the perimeter as he was just 21% last year in that category and rarely does shoot from 3. However, He is an above-average passer and can score well near the rim at a very good 46%.

Likekele is expected to be the #2 scorer on this team, so his offensive role isn’t expected to be new. However, this team does not look it’s best on the defensive end. Even with the height and wingspan the lineup has, it’s going to be up to Likekele to start the trend of playing better on-ball defense.

The Cowboys were good last year on defense, ranking in the Top 50 in the country in adjusted defense. However, with a roster in a complete overhaul, the whole team and experience go through the Junior guard.

Senior G Ferron Flavors

One of the less-discussed impact transfers and someone that does bring college experience into this team is Ferron Flavors. While also having one of the best names in CBB, Flavors also brings in one of the best shooting strokes as well. The transfer from California Baptist, ranked 16th in the country last season with a 42.7 percent shooting mark from three. He made nearly three of them per game and brings something this team needs desperately.

Flavors led Cal Baptist to winning 21 games and finished second in the WAC with a 10-6 mark in conference play, by far their best finish in program history.

Flavors has been around the block as this will be Flavors’ 3rd different college he will be attending. Prior to Cal Baptist, he spent a season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with the Fairfield Stags. In the one season with them, he hit 95 3 pointers, which would be the second-most in school history in a season.

The grad transfer brings an immediate offensive impact that will help out Boynton when the Cowboys are on scoring droughts from the field.

Frontcourt

There is a lot of excitement for the Guard position in the starting lineup with a High School phenom, a known veteran, and a graduate transfer. There’s more uncertainty with the frontcourt, however. All of the four forwards expecting to get minutes are underclassmen and only once finished a full season last year.

There is some excitement, but this might be a group that needs to gel together before seeing serviceable results.

Freshman F Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe

The best player from Ontario made his commitment to Oklahoma State and due to the lack of forward depth, is expected to be the starter to begin the season. Moncrieffe had a decorated senior season, even if it was against competition that is comparable to most elite American high school.

He has won the All-Canadian Player of the Year award twice, an award that notable NBA players like R.J Barrett and Thon Maker have won. Moncrieffe was a consensus four-star recruit and is a Top 200 recruit.

Moncrieffe dominated at the Canadian high school level, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, on 57% from the floor. Moncrieffe played at Orangeville Prep and helped them win the Ontario Final 8 Championship.

Similar to the majority of these freshmen, it’s the transition from the High School to College level. It may be a little more difficult for Moncrieffe with transitioning to American College Basketball. However, he isn’t expected to be a one and done guy, and getting a chance to start this early is hard to refuse. This is a guy to keep an eye on over the next few years.

Sophomore F Kalib Boone

Boone stands at just 6-9 and weighs a shade over 210. However, Boone’s wingspan helps to get to shots as he averaged almost a block a game last year as a role player. With Yor Anei graduating, Boone’s role will be expanded exponentially.

Boone averaged 4.7 points and 3 rebounds in sparring playing time. The former four-star out of Tulsa showed promise, notably with a 16 point, four rebound performance in their win against #24 Texas Tech. Even with all of that, Boone was efficient, when he did enter the game, shooting at a near 55% from the field.

The question with Boone is that can he make the jump to being a serviceable Big 12 starter. The progression that will be needed will be similar to Baylor’s Freddie Gillespie last season. Although their overall games are different, the size and situation each is in are eerily similar. If Boone makes the steps needed for progression, it will go a long way.