NCAA Basketball: 25 biggest offseason winners heading into 2021-22 season

Is it fair for me to include Cade Cunningham as part of OK State’s offseason success? I would argue yes because he became the program’s first-ever No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick and head coach Mike Boynton and got credit for the Cowboys past season overall.

It also has had an impact on the recruiting trail, with several five-star prospects in the 2022 class including the Cowboys among their potential options. That includes Anthony Black, Kel’el Ware, and Cason Wallace.

It also helped with transfers, landing a pair of former five-star prospects, Bryce Thompson of Kansas and Moussa Cisse of Memphis. Cisse was the AAC Rookie of the Year and a quality interior defender and with some more development on the offensive end can turn into a national star. The same can be said for Thompson, who was derailed by injuries and a crowded backcourt with the Jayhawks as a freshman.

Although Cunningham is gone, just about the rest of the roster is back for Oklahoma State. Isaac Likekele will go back to being the all-around initiator for the offense, while underclassmen Ronel Walker, Avery Anderson, Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, and Kalib Boone will have bigger roles with another year under their belts.

The Cowboys are going to be flying under the radar without their star guard but there’s plenty of talent still around. If Cisse or Thompson has a breakout campaign next season, look for them to be top-25 good in 2022.