Last Year: 20-16; Seventh (8-10) in the Big 12 Conference, lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT
Head Coach: Mike Boynton (Seventh Year; 107-89 at Oklahoma State, with one NCAA Tournament appearance)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Javon Small – 6’3″, 195 – Junior |
| SG John-Michael Wright – 6’1″, 190 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Bryce Thompson – 6’6″, 205 – Senior |
| PF Eric Dailey – 6’8″, 230 – Freshman |
| C Mike Marsh – 6’10”, 250 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Javon Small: 15.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.2 spg – 39.7% FG @ East Carolina
John-Michael Wright: 9.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.8 spg – 34.0% 3FG
Bryce Thompson: 11.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.6 spg – 37.0% 3FG
Eric Dailey: Consensus Top 50 recruit
Mike Marsh: 10.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.7 spg – 55.2% FG @ Jacksonville
Experienced Reserves
| G Jarius Hicklen – 6’4″, 180 – Senior (5th) |
| W Quion Williams – 6’5″, 220 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Jarius Hicklen: 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.0 spg – 36.1% 3FG
Quion Williams: 3.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.4 spg – 35.3% FG
Freshmen
| C Brandon Garrison – 6’11”, 245 – Freshman – Consensus Top 100 recruit |
| G Jamyron Keller – 6’3″, 210 – Freshman – Consensus Top 200 recruit |
| F Justin McBride – 6’8″, 230 – Freshman – Consensus Top 200 recruit |
| F/C Isaiah Miranda – 7’1″, 220 – Redshirt Freshman |
| G Connor Dow – 6’6″, 200 – Freshman |
March has become a frustrating time of the year lately in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It’s not even that the Oklahoma State Cowboys have been bad. They have only had one losing season under head coach Mike Boynton, but they’ve also only been to the NCAA Tournament once. And despite the excellence of Cade Cunningham two years ago, OSU only won a single game in that tournament before being bounced by 12 seed Oregon State. Twice, the Pokes have won 8 Big 12 games only to be left out of the NCAA Tournament anyway.
“That usually is a magic number unless you are Oklahoma State,” Boynton deadpanned in his first comments after last season’s Selection Show. “Because I think we won eight games in my first year and came up short as well.”
Not many coaches at a high major program would feel very good about their job security entering their seventh season with just one Tourney to show for it, and the Oklahoma State of Henry Iba and Eddie Sutton is a proud program. Still, Boynton’s seat isn’t smoldering, mostly because he’s held together a couple of his top scorers from last year and added to them one of the best combined transfer and recruiting classes of any coach in America. Still, the Big 12 hasn’t gotten any easier, and despite the key returnees and incoming talent, the fact remains that there are a lot of new faces for Boynton to incorporate and get onto the same page. And the folks around Stillwater will be expecting a meaningful postseason run given the latest wagon full of talent which have chosen to be Cowboys.
There are very experienced, very productive guards who are ready, Boynton hopes, to lead the way this winter. Bryce Thompson signed with Kansas as a 5-star prospect out of high school, but has seen his career take off after transferring to Stillwater. The Pokes’ leading scorer returns after hitting a career-high 37% of his triples and nearly tripling his previous best in assists last year. A big guard who can create offense in a variety of ways, Thompson is probably best playing off the ball with some freedom to hunt good looks. The knock on Thompson is that, at times, he can be inconsistent and a bit erratic. Last season, that reputation started to change – but there is work yet to do. First, Thompson must be better at the free throw line. After hitting 65 and 67% his first two years, Thompson sank to just 55% at the stripe last year. While he assumed more point responsibilities last season, especially while Avery Anderson was out, Thompson gave away a turnover for every assist he handed out, 93 and 93. An unfortunate theme for Oklahoma State offensively under Boynton has been a consistent abundance of turnovers, and though it’s a team problem, Thompson could set a great example by starting to clean up his act a bit. A highly athletic player, Thompson can slash to the rim when he wants, and create a look for himself whenever it’s needed.
“Bryce is a classic example of a kid who’s playing well, and sometimes can’t appreciate that he’s playing well, because the expectations are crazy,” Boynton told reporters after Thompson scored 19 points in a Bedlam win over Oklahoma last January. “His dedication to the game is really up there. But sometimes he overthinks and does things he doesn’t need to try to prove a point. He’s a really good shooter. And sometimes he has turnovers because he doesn’t just shoot open shots…And we just got to keep him understanding that until people stop it.” If Thompson can find his rhythm and hold to it over an entire season, he’s got all the skills to emerge as an exceptional player.
John-Michael Wright took his turn as a key ballhandler and playmaker at times last year, also. Thompson and Wright were the only Pokes to start every game, and in his first season in Stillwater, Wright showed that he can handle big minutes and big situations. After averaging 17+ points across three seasons as High Point’s light-it-up lead guard, Wright scored in double figures 17 times a year ago. While, like Thompson, Wright can be a bit streaky, but in his first high major season he showed that he can be a dangerous outside shooter. Despite the jump to the Big 12, Wright led the Pokes with 13 more assists than turnovers and 69 made 3FG’s, while tying for second in steals. Despite his small stature, Wright is a fierce defender and when he decides to attack the lane, he does so with abandon. Wright does a lot of things well, and Boynton loves both his versatility and veteran closer’s mentality late in games. “I pride myself with finishing the games, whether that’s scoring or playing defense, getting steals or getting assists,” Wright has said. “I try and affect the game everywhere I can towards the end because really that’s the most important part of it.”
That’s not all the backcourt firepower Boynton will be able to call upon, though. Two more talented new transfers are also arriving to fight for minutes, and competition is likely to be fierce. Javon Small averaged 9.2 minutes, 2 points and 1.1 assists in 16 games as a freshman two years ago for East Carolina. Last season, he exploded, averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 assists though 18 games, before an injury cut his second year short. Now healthy, Small is going to make a run at the starting point guard’s job. “We’re really looking forward to having Javon in a Cowboy uniform,” Boynton said upon Small’s commitment. “His ability to create shots for himself and others addresses an area where we need improvement. He is fearless and selfless.” Small loves to use his dribble to get where he wants to go. Not a spot-up shooter, Small prefers to weave and wiggle around screens and get the defense on its heels before deciding where the best shot is. He got to the free throw line more than five times per game last year, and made 85% of his attempts. With more consistent outside shooting, Small will be able to offer the whole package as a lead guard, and figures to play a vital role immediately as a Poke.
Small prefers to weave and wiggle around screens and get the defense on its heels before deciding where the best shot is
Jarius Hicklen is a combo guard with good length who can really shoot the ball. After moving up to North Florida from DII Oklahoma Baptist two years ago, Hicklen has made 80+ triples each of the past two seasons, at a strong combined 38% rate. He also helped to run the offense for the Ospreys, especially last season, when he handed out 98 assists against 61 turnovers. “As an experienced, high-level shot-making guard, Jarius will be able to help us from the moment he steps on campus,” Boynton has said of Hicklen. “He has good size for his position, the ability to create his own shot and understands how to space the floor effectively.” Hicklen has not yet proven to be an all-world defender, and Boynton always demands that his guts can guard, but he wouldn’t have recruited Hicklen if he didn’t play hard on that end of the floor. As a big guard who can pass and shoot, Hicklen should offer a nice scoring option to the Pokes and may be this team’s 6th man.
The biggest thing for Oklahoma State’s guards – for the entire roster, really – is that they must limit turnovers and poor judgment & low-percentage shots. Last season, the Pokes ranked 11th nationally in FG% defense and top 50 in opponent scoring average, but those efforts were often undone by Boynton’s group shooting just 42.8% from the floor themselves – one of the hundred worst marks in the country – and coughing up the ninth-most total turnovers in all of Division I. If they want to get onto the good side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Pokes must find a way to play cleaner basketball.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 65.8 – Opponent Scoring Average (47th) |
| .890 – Team Assists Per Turnover (277th) |
| 45.6% – Opponent Effective FG Percentage (12th) |
| 31.0% – Team 3FG Percentage (329th) |
| 37.4 – Total Rebounds Per Game (36th) |
There is a tremendous amount of change up front, where every player expected to play any sort of consistent role is new. Boynton has recruited a heralded mix of veteran bigs and ballyhooed freshmen to take over, and given that Oklahoma State ranked top 50 in total rebounds and too 25 nationally in blocked shots a year ago, there is a lot of production to replace.
Probably the most eagerly-anticipated arrival of all is Eric Dailey, Jr, a versatile freshman forward who has competed internationally for Team USA each of the past two summers. He can shoot it from the outside, handle the ball and pass it smartly, and defend a range of players. A strong, fluid athlete with inside-out scoring skills, Dailey is about as physically ready for the college game as any freshman you’ll find, and is ready to step straight into Boynton’s lineup. “(Eric) is a really good, complete basketball player,” Boynton told 247 Sports this summer. “We’ve talked about having versatile guys before, but not necessarily with his true skill set. He’s…athletic enough that he can come out on the perimeter and go by guys. He’s got a really efficient jumpshot. He can shoot threes and play off the ball and help the spacing on the floor.”
Dailey is the scion of an elite hoops bloodline – his mother, Shell, played at Texas during her college days and has coached in college and the WNBA for two decades, while Eric Sr played for TCU and then professionally overseas. Having worked hard this summer – both after arriving early in Stillwater and with Team USA – to add muscle in preparation to handle all that he will get from NCAA bigs, Dailey Jr is now listed at 6’8″, 230 after first showing up on USA hoops rosters two years ago at somewhere around 6’6″, 215. With Dailey’s skill, experience and a great attitude, Boynton – who has already had the chance to coach the freshman-to-be as an assistant with Team USA – is expecting major things from the consensus Top 50 national recruit. “He’s obviously a kid who has worked himself into being a really good basketball player,” Dailey’s new coach says. “He’s got a sense of maturity about himself that will give him an opportunity to have an impact on our program from day one. Winning is a priority to him.”
Not far behind Dailey as a star prospect is home-grown center Brandon Garrison. An Oklahoma City product who turned down Arkansas, Houston and Kansas to play for the Pokes, Garrison was named to the McDonald’s All-American team this year and is considered particularly well-prepared for the collegiate game. The overwhelming takeaway that scouts have from watching Garrison play is that he is a smart, savvy big who understands both his role up front and the larger schemes being executed, frequently by both teams. While he isn’t considered to be an extraordinary athlete, Garrison has good hands and footwork, can scoot when he needs to and stands nearly seven feet tall with a wingspan to match – and he gives a tremendous effort every time he’s on the court. He sets great screens, passes crisply and creatively, and is rarely caught out of position at either end of the floor. Garrison doesn’t dominate as a scoring big, but he surely knows how to stuff a putback or roll nimbly to the cup after setting a great pick. He shoots a bit of a flat ball, even on his hook shot, but that is a correctable blemish, especially seeing as Garrison is confident operating with either hand. He may not swagger in and start posting double-doubles right away, but Garrison is another clever, rock-solid prospect who should be immediately appreciated by his teammates and fans alike for the range of things he does at a high level.
Jacksonville transfer Mike Marsh will add great physical strength and a veteran presence among the youngsters in the paint. The South Carolina native has truly worked his way up the hoops ladder, going from USC-Salkehatchie, to Dodge City (KS) Community College, to the past two seasons as a Dolphin. Now, Marsh is eager to earn his spurs in Stillwater. “Mike brings a physical interior presence that can immediately impact next year’s team,” said Boynton upon signing the proven, experienced Marsh. “His ability to score in the post and defend with physicality will be welcomed.” While Marsh hasn’t often been described as particularly fleet of foot, he understands how to use his frame and hips to get good position and reliably score in the post. He used to weigh more than 300 pounds and play football, but Marsh told Pistols Firing Blog that he slimmed down to better focus on being a basketball player during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. “There was really not too much that you could do because there were no gyms and stuff,” Marsh told PFB. “I just decided that would be a good time to get in shape, trim down because everybody was just at home and just chilling…So, I just used that time to lock into what really matters.” Marsh snagged 103 offensive boards in 51 games at Jacksonville, and threw back 29 putback tries in that span. If he can bust it up and down the floor and defend at the level Boynton demands, Marsh should play a significant role in his season as a Cowboy.
The wildcard in Oklahoma State’s frontcourt is former Top 50 prospect and NC State commit Isaiah Miranda. Though he reclassified and enrolled early in order to redshirt and develop, he never played for the Wolfpack, and Miranda will step onto a collegiate floor for the first official time when he debuts for the Pokes. Miranda is a mobile, long and long-armed big man who has a great deal of potential at both ends of the court. He has a smooth jump shot, solid footwork, above average agility and athleticism, and can make plays at or above the on both ends of the floor. Sometimes, Miranda has shown a tendency to become enamored of his jumper rather than working into the post, but it’s an advantage to have his face-up skills. He’s a dangerous rim protector on defense, and has some versatility to switch and range outside of the paint, but must keep getting stronger. In all, Miranda has great physical tools and the size to use them very effectively, and he should provide contrast to Boynton’s other post players.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Creighton – November 30 |
| N – Auburn / Notre Dame – November 17 |
| N – St. Bonaventure – November 16 |
| vs Sam Houston State – November 12 |
| @ Southern Illinois – December 5 |
Despite many defections, Quion Williams is back from last year looking to grow his role. Williams is a big, strong wing who plays a big, strong game. Despite averaging just over 13 minutes as a freshman, Williams spent plenty of time around the paint – enough to post 21 putback attempts; two more than departed paint monster Moussa Cissé. The Arkansas native loves to get a head of steam going towards the rim, and has real scoring potential, but his outside shot wasn’t quite ready for the big minutes last year. Still, Williams finished his rookie year strong, posting 11 & 11 for his first career double-double against Youngstown State in the NIT and then following it up with 9 points and 4 assists the next game. Williams reaffirmed his commitment to OSU this spring amid many transfers, largely because of his developing relationship with Boynton and his staff. “Those are my dudes, for real,” Williams told The O’Colly. “Another reason is I’m adjusting to coach Mike (Boynton) and the coaching staff. I’ve yet to play my best basketball at Gallagher-Iba Arena.”
There are more freshmen still to add their talents to Boynton’s roster, and the three non-Top-100 recruits the Pokes have signed are all good players who each bring translatable skills which should help in the near future. Jamyron Keller is an athletic marvel who, like Williams, will play just as effectively around the lane as he will anywhere else. “He has the size of a guard, the build of an elite running back prospect, and the athleticism that translates at any level of Division I basketball,” Brandon Jenkins of 247 Sports has said of Keller. Though not the most polished ballhandler or shooter in his class, Keller is a highly intriguing prospect not just because of his tremendous natural gifts, but because he plays as hard as you like and is a tough, tough dude. “He’s always been that way,” Boynton says of Keller, speaking especially of his power and quickness around the goal. “I think the summer program has really helped him kinda learn how to use his explosiveness. Mitch (assistant coach Mark Mitchell) did a phenomenal job with all those guys, but he’s one that’s pretty naturally gifted.”
Though not as hyped as his classmate Dailey, Justin McBride is a similar forward who has got a whole lot to offer the Pokes. McBride isn’t an incredible athlete, but he’s added strength and some explosion to his game over the past year-plus and will continue to do so. “He’s crafty and clever around the rim, can stretch defenses a bit with that shooting and does a solid job of handling his duties on the glass,” said Eric Bossi of 247 Sports when he evaluated McBride. As McBride’s shot develops, he could be a nice compliment to OSU’s hard-charging wings by drawing post players away from the rim. The least-heralded of this year’s freshmen, Connor Dow nonetheless has a valuable trait: he can pure, straight score the rock. “He does really shoot it well,” says Boynton. He [adds] really, really good athleticism on the wing. Anything coming off the catch, catching a lob – he dunks it – and then [on-ball] he catches it, comes down with it and comes to the three-point line. He’s gonna be a really, really good player.” Dow is a lanky wing who will look to get stronger, but he has the length to shoot over people and a solid handle.
If you were to ask Oklahoma State fans, they would say that this is a program that consistently has the talent and determination to beat great teams, but has often shot itself in the foot – or blown the thing clean off of their leg – with sloppy or inconsistent play. Boynton has surely heard those rumblings. After a summer spent with Team USA and then an exhibition tour of Spain to get to know his team, the Pokes’ leader is looking to do his best-yet job of coaching this winter.
“I just want to see us make more shots and turn the ball over less. We’ve got to continue to get better on the defensive end, but we’ve made great progress offensively just by being more committed to taking great shots and, obviously, taking care of the basketball,” Boynton told Oklahoma State Athletics of his hopes for this season. If this can be the posse of Cowboys who finally figures out how to play efficient basketball, their ceiling should be quite high. There are a bunch of very good teams between the Pokes and an NCAA Tournament berth, but the Big 12 will also afford this team many chances at resumé-building wins. Oklahoma State has virtually everything except consistency on their side; so if things truly start to click, watch out.
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