STILLWATER — Mike Boynton’s present four-man recruiting class looks like rather a lot, nevertheless it won’t be sufficient.
Division-I basketball groups are allowed to have 13 gamers on scholarship. Oklahoma State enters this season with 11 gamers on scholarship, initially taking one hit due to the group’s NCAA sanctions earlier than unintentionally taking one other when the NCAA deemed Russell Harrison ineligible.
Listed here are Oklahoma State’s 11 scholarship gamers:
- Caleb Asberry — Redshirt senior
- Bernard Kouma — Senior
- Avery Anderson — Senior
- Chris Harris — Senior
- Kalib Boone — Senior
- John-Michael Wright — Senior
- Tyreek Smith — Redshirt junior
- Bryce Thompson — Junior
- Woody Newton — Junior
- Moussa Cisse — Junior
- Quion Williams — Freshman
Again within the day, seeing six seniors on a roster would imply these six gamers are performed after this season, however not on this post-pandemic world. Amongst that group of six seniors, Anderson, Harris, Boone and Wright all have an additional season of eligibility due to the pandemic, ought to they select to make use of it. Harris truly ought to have two seasons as a result of he redshirted with harm final yr (however he isn’t listed as a redshirt junior on OSU’s roster). Asberry and Kouma are already of their additional yr, in keeping with Boynton.
Then that group of juniors all have two years left after this season, nevertheless it’s inconceivable to say who will keep and who will go.
Boynton mentioned Tuesday that Cisse will “most likely not be again in faculty subsequent yr.” A former five-star recruit, Cisse has all of the bodily instruments of being an NBA participant at 7-foot-1, 216 kilos. Boynton additionally mentioned that if Thompson, one other former five-star recruit, has a powerful yr, he is also testing draft waters after his junior season.
Then on high of all that, due to the sanctions, OSU might elect to burn one other scholarship, the ultimate one, subsequent yr.
So, what number of scholarships does Mike Boynton have out there? Someplace between 4 and 11 — most likely.
“I don’t speak about it,” Boynton mentioned. “I give it some thought, clearly, as a result of I wish to put together, nevertheless it’s an inconceivable train. … What do you do? You simply attempt to signal as many good gamers as you’ll be able to and determine it out subsequent yr when the time comes.”
Boynton appears on tempo to signal good gamers. OSU’s four-man class of Brandon Garrison, Justin McBride, Jamyron Keller and Connor Dow ranks twelfth nationally. And it might develop. Boynton didn’t say whether or not there’s quite a lot of signees he would cease at. Sooner or later, the highschool recruiting will most likely flip into ready till the top of the season, seeing who leaves and hitting the switch portal.
“It’s laborious turning down good gamers,” Boynton mentioned. “Credit score to our employees, they’ve performed an incredible job right here early in figuring out guys who we predict can match what we’re attempting to construct right here sooner or later. And so they ask the query, and once more, I’ve to reply it. In the end, I’m answerable for it. I do know that there’s a restrict of scholarships we’ve to be at by subsequent fall. We gained’t be over it.”
