Oklahoma State Men’s Basketball 2022-23 Roster Analysis
Leading up to the opening of the 2022-23 Big 12 Men’s basketball season Heartland College Sports will analyze each of the Big 12 men’s basketball rosters. Today it’s the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
2021-22 Season-Ending Roster: G Avery Anderson III, G Bryce Thompson, G Chris Harris Jr., G Donovan Williams, G Rondel Walker, F Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe, G Isaac Likekele, G Bryce Williams, G Carson Sager, G/F Keylan Boone, G Brooks Manzer, F Kalib Boone, F Tyreek Smith, G Woody Newton, F Bernard Kouma, F Moussa Cisse, G Weston Church.
No longer at Oklahoma: Donovan Williams (transferred to Pacific), Rondel Walker (transferred to TCU), Alexander-Moncrieffe (transferred to Georgia), Likekele (transferred to Ohio State), Bryce Williams (eligibility), Keylan Boone (transferred to Pacific)
2022-23 Season-Opening Roster: G Avery Anderson III (6-3, Sr.), G Bryce Thompson (6-5, Jr.), G Chris Harris Jr. (6-2, Sr.), G Woody Newton (6-8, Jr.), G Caleb Asberry (6-3, Sr.), G Quion Williams (6-4, Fr.), G Carson Sager (6-4, Jr.), G Brooks Manzer (6-3, So.), F Kalib Boone (6-9, Sr.), F Tyreek Smith (6-7, Jr.), F Bernard Kouma (6-10, Sr.), F Moussa Cisse (7-0, Jr.), G Weston Church (6-3, Jr.), G John-Michael Wright (6-1, Sr.), G Naz Brown (6-0, Fr.)
How The Cowboys Are Built
Returning Players (11): Anderson, Thompson, Harris, Newton, Sager, Manzer, Boone, Smith, Kouma, Cisse, Church
Transfers (2): Asberry (transferred from Texas State), Wright (transferred from High Point)
Freshman/Recruiting Class (2): Brown, Williams
Potential starting lineup: Anderson, Thompson, Wright, Boone, Cisse
Why?: The Cowboys have a backbone of returning players here, led by Anderson and Thompson, who with a little more production could be one of the most dynamic backcourts in the conference. The pair averaged a combined 22 points per game and if they can combine for 30 a game, the Cowboys go to another level. Boone and Cisse give the Cowboys a solid interior presence, and Cisse appears ready to take his game to another level after earning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. He should be ready to be more of a scorer. In the Big 12 you can’t survive without three quality guards in the starting lineup, which is why Wright crashes the party after averaging more than 18 points last season at High Point.
The bench: Harris, Newton, Smith, Asberry
Why? Smith isn’t a great scorer, but he can jump out of the gym, so using him as a third forward off the bench makes sense. Asberry put up more than 13 points per game last season at Texas State, and he slots nicely as a back-up guard. Harris has always given the Cowboys consistent defense, and Newton should have an opportunity to contribute more a season after transferring in from Syracuse.
The Wild Card? Kouma. He barely played last season, but with his height and wing span, he should get a bit more time. Even if it’s just five to 10 minutes per game, his presence in the paint alone will make some drivers think twice.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
