Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season
team. 465. . . . Cowboys . 6
Oklahoma State is once again eligible for the postseason after a year removed from that possibility. The Pokes should have enough returning talent to get there, too.
The Cowboys didn’t punt on the season last year, but they didn’t have the same edge they’d have if they were competing for more than pride. The team went 15-15 in the first year post-Cade, sneaking into a fifth-place tie in the Big 12 despite a losing record in conference play.
A number of significant players left in the offseason, among them guard Isaac Likekele. He transferred to Ohio State, leaving the Cowboys without one of their most consistent contributors of the past three years.
Oklahoma State has a lot coming back, though. Point guard Avery Anderson III was a Third Team All-Big 12 player last year, averaging 12.2 points per game. He needs to be a better distributor (he only dished two assists per game), but he should be steady in the backcourt.
Shooting guard Bryce Thompson returned too. In his first season after transferring from Kansas, Thompson averaged 10.6 points per game. Improvements to his less-than-ideal three-point shooting could lead to a big year.
Consensus five-star recruit Moussa Cisse is also returning. In his first season with the Pokes, the big man earned Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, something he’ll certainly build upon.
Expect High Point transfer John-Michael Right to play a significant role right away. He could be the best pure scorer in Stillwater.
As Mike Boynton enters his sixth year – and my, how times does fly – he has quietly put together a squad good enough to make noise in the middle of the Big 12.