Under the Radar: Oklahoma State Has a Chance to Put Itself on the Map Today

Still unranked and somehow flying under the radar, Oklahoma State has a huge opportunity to put itself on the map when it hosts Baylor today.  The Big 12 is without question the nation’s best basketball conference this season, and while I think Baylor is the class of the league and a notch above everyone else, Oklahoma State is in the group just below them.  The Cowboys are coming off a win against Kansas, and if they can defend home court once again against Baylor they’ll certainly get some nationwide recognition.

The lack of attention given to Oklahoma State this season is a little surprising considering they’ve got a player who might hear his name called first in the 2021 NBA Draft.  Cade Cunningham is one of college basketball’s best players, and as a 6’8” point guard he’s causing a lot of problems for his opponents.

Cunningham does everything well and is a matchup nightmare for pretty much everyone.  He’s a great ball-handler and passer who prefers to get his teammates involved, but he has the ability to take the game over when it’s needed. 

He can post-up smaller defenders down low, or beat bigger defenders off the dribble.  He’s a great shooter from all over the floor, and he’s able to see over the defense to find open teammates.  He uses his size to grab his share of rebounds and cause problems defensively.  He’s certainly a guaranteed lottery pick.

Cunningham’s unselfishness and elite court vision results in tremendous ball movement, as his teammates are inspired to follow his lead and find the open man.  Oklahoma State surrounds Cunningham with some lightning quick athletes capable of putting pressure on their opponents on both ends of the floor.

Unfortunately Oklahoma State is banned from postseason play this season, but as an unranked team that I think is top ten material, they’ll be plenty of opportunities to make some money betting on the Cowboys this year.  I wouldn’t ever want to bet against Baylor, but I’d definitely be placing some wagers on Oklahoma State more than a few times down the stretch this season.