Oklahoma State holds strong, retains Montverde phenom
MONTVERDE, Fla. (BVM) — A program-altering recruit. A generational talent. Cade Cunningham, the consensus five-star college basketball prospect, is poised to change the culture of Oklahoma State men’s basketball. A player who could’ve easily chosen the overseas professional or G-League route, but instead decided on the Cowboys, who finished 18-14 last season.
Named the Naismith National High School Player of the Year, Cunningham has NBA size standing at 6-foot-7, and guard skills that give him a huge advantage compared to other players at the position. Starring at No. 1-ranked Montverde Academy, Cunningham averaged 14 points, six assists and four rebounds per game, all in just 22 minutes of action. This propelled the Eagles to an average victory margin of 39 points.
The projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft surprised people with the commitment to Oklahoma State, and now staying there has come as a surprise to even more people. The NCAA came down on the Cowboys men’s basketball program on June 5, sentencing them to a one-year postseason tournament ban. Former assistant coach Lamont Evans was found to be accepting bribes, steering players from Oklahoma State and South Carolina to specific agents and financial advisors.
For what will likely be a one-year college career for Cunningham, a postseason ban was thought to have maybe changed his mind on the commitment. However, that is not the case. Cunningham recently reaffirmed his decision and is ready to be a Cowboy. Oklahoma State will still be appealing the NCAA’s decision, hoping for a chance to make the most of landing their star recruit. And a big reason for Cunningham’s willingness to remain is likely due to Cowboy’s assistant coach Cannen Cunningham.
Cannen is Cade’s brother, and a former basketball player himself. He played at Southern Methodist University before going on to have a short stint playing professionally overseas. Since then, Cannen has been working his way up the coaching ranks, now with an opportunity to coach his superstar brother.
However, head coach Mike Boynton has made it known that his job as the lead man was to help his players, whether that means their future is in Stillwater or elsewhere. Boynton let his ideology be known via Kentucky Sports Radio.
“I’m not in the position to try and sway him from doing what he wants to do,” Boynton said of Cade Cunningham. “My job is to help him understand what each option means.”
This appears to have paid off, as OSU can now take a sigh of relief and look forward to a year filled with optimism. A top 10 recruiting class for 2020 and a bonafide superstar could mean a stellar season in Stillwater. Perhaps the best in school history.
