In the new era of college basketball, finding and developing NBA prospects could become difficult in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State has built its roster through the transfer portal and by getting some underrated recruits thus far in the Steve Lutz era. While getting some of the best recruits in the country is obviously a goal for OSU, getting those great players to come to the Cowboys is becoming more difficult.
With the NIL scene being such a huge factor in the commitments of top recruits, actually getting players to come to OSU could become nearly impossible. While this era could have looked much different in the days of Boone Pickens’ time with OSU athletics, finding the money to throw at the best players in the country could come difficult.
While some programs have some big-money fans more than willing to make those massive transactions, there are some key reasons why those types of deals are unlikely with OSU. Above everything else, the folks funneling money into OSU athletics typically care about the long-term state of the programs.
In going after NBA prospects, that becomes a tough pitch to sell. As seen with Cade Cunningham only a few years ago, getting those big names only results in one season of payoff in most cases.
Still, that could also be the exact case to make to those with the ability to make those decisions. Cunningham’s one season in Stillwater brought unparalleled media attention to Cowboy basketball and resulted in OSU being among the top teams in the country en route to winning an NCAA Tournament game.
Over the past eight seasons, not only did Cunningham’s year in Stillwater feature the only NCAA Tournament win, it was the only NCAA Tournament appearance whatsoever. Sure, OSU was unable to build any momentum from that year, and the success was somewhat minimal, but it was still by far the most successful year for OSU since Eddie Sutton was around.
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