Welcome to The Sports Bank’s fourth annual college basketball season preview series where we break 111 teams in the 111 days leading up to the opening tip-off of the 2013-2014 season. We will rank the 84 power conference teams (including the new Big East and American Athletic Conferences) and top 27 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order. We’ll break down rosters, transfers, incoming freshmen, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.
Marcus Smart’s somewhat surprising decision to return for his sophomore season set off a celebration in Stillwater since it meant the Oklahoma State Cowboys would figure to be one of the top teams in the country since they return their top six scorers from a year ago.
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Last Season: 3rd, 13-5 in Big 12, 24-9 overall
Predicted Big 12 Finish: 2nd
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Michael Cobbins (Jr)/Marek Soucek (Jr)/Gary Gaskins (Jr)
F: Kamari Murphy (So)/Leyton Hammonds (Fr)
SF: Le’Bryan Nash (Jr)/Brian Williams (Jr)/Jeff Carroll (Fr)
SG: Markel Brown (Sr)/Phil Forte (So)
PG: Marcus Smart (So)/Stevie Clark (Fr)
Gone: C-Phillip Jurick, G/F-J.P. Olukemi, PG-Kirby Gardner (transfer-Fresno State)
2013-2014 Outlook:
Marcus Smart’s contributions during his freshman year cannot be appropriately expressed just by looking at his numbers, though those were sure as heck impressive; 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and three steals per game. His intense demeanor on the floor, desire to win, and leadership became infectious throughout the program. He certainly would have been one of the top picks in the NBA Draft had he declared and should be a National Player of the Year candidate when the season comes to an end.
Another key reason for OK State’s success last season was the improved play of combo guard Markel Brown who reaped the benefits of playing alongside Smart. Brown is more of a perimeter threat than Smart but is also capable of running the point which he probably won’t have to do as much this season due to the addition of freshman Stevie Clark. Clark is a true creator who adds depth at guard along with three-point specialist Phil Forte. An undersized two guard, Forte averaged more than ten points per game last year as the Cowboys’ sixth man.
Le’Bryan Nash is another integral piece to Oklahoma State’s puzzle. The physical and crazy athletic forward provides versatility for Travis Ford since he can play either forward position. He hasn’t shown much progression with his outside shooting but is still a terrific third scoring option for the Cowboys. Brian Williams who missed the first half of last season due to a wrist injury adds depth on the wing with freshmen Leyton Hammonds and Jeffrey Carroll also competing for reserve minutes.
Kamari Murphy figures to start alongside Nash at forward with Michael Cobbins sliding over to the center spot, filling the void left behind by Phillip Jurick. There isn’t a whole lot of physicality between Cobbins and Murphy so rebounding will be a concern. Marek Soucek is a true seven-footer who needs to throw his body around inside while JUCO transfer Gary Gaskins is a long, athletic shot blocker who could see spot minutes as well.
Expect the Oklahoma State Cowboys to once again compete with the Kansas Jayhawks for the Big 12 Championship. It is hard to bet against KU since they have won at least a share of the last nine conference crowns but if ever there was a year to end that streak, this could be it as Smart and OK State could has the talent that it takes to dethrone the champs and make a deep run in March.
Player to Watch: Marcus Smart
Obvi. Every coach would love to have a competitor like Smart leading the charge. Expectations are astronomical for the sophomore but he should be an All-American and perhaps the most dynamic all-around player in college hoops.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/19 vs. Memphis
11/25 at South Florida
11/28 vs. Purdue (Old Spice Classic)
11/29 vs. Butler/Washington State (Old Spice Classic)
12/1 vs. Memphis/Siena/LSU/St. Joseph’s (Old Spice Classic)
12/6 vs. South Carolina (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
12/14 vs. Louisiana Tech (in Oklahoma City)
12/21 vs. Colorado (in Las Vegas)
OTHER 111 IN 111’S:
#10 Ohio State
#11 North Carolina
#12 Michigan
#13 Marquette
#14 Memphis
#15 Notre Dame
#16 Georgetown
#17 Gonzaga
#18 Creighton
#19 Wisconsin
#20 Virginia
#21 Wichita State
#22 VCU
#23 New Mexico
#24 UConn
#25 Indiana
#26 Colorado
#27 Tennessee
#28 Baylor
#29 St. John’s
#30 Harvard
#31 UCLA
#32 Iowa
#33 Boise State
#34 Villanova
#35 Oregon
#36 St. Louis
#37 La Salle
#38 San Diego State
#39 Stanford
#40 Arizona State
#41 BYU
#42 Pitt
#43 California
#44 Iowa State
#45 Providence
#46 Cincinnati
#47 UNLV
#48 Purdue
#49 LSU
#50 Illinois
#51 Xavier
#52 Boston College
#53 Ole Miss
#54 Missouri
#55 Washington
#56 Saint Mary’s
#57 Maryland
#58 Butler
#59 Minnesota
#60 Florida Gulf Coast
#61 Akron
#62 Temple
#63 Alabama
#64 Florida State
#65 Arkansas
#66 N.C. State
#67 Kansas State
#68 Davidson
#69 Dayton
#70 Miami FL
#71 SMU
#72 Texas A&M
#73 Long Beach State
#74 UMass
#75 Northwestern
#76 Indiana State
#77 Georgia Tech
#78 Oklahoma
#79 Richmond
#80 Manhattan
#81 Belmont
#82 Texas
#83 Houston
#84 Washington State
#85 Iona
#86 Oregon State
#87 Louisiana Tech
#88 Towson
#89 Wake Forest
#90 Central Florida
#91 Rutgers
#92 Drexel
#93 USC
#94 Charleston
#95 Seton Hall
#96 Vanderbilt
#97 George Mason
#98 Clemson
#99 Penn State
#100 Nebraska
#101 West Virginia
#102 South Florida
#103 Mississippi State
#104 DePaul
#105 South Carolina
#106 Texas Tech
#107 TCU
#108 Virginia Tech
#109 Georgia
#110 Utah
#111 Auburn
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu to Milwaukee. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet , AND the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft. (Yup, nearly 3peat champ… #humblebrag.)
You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.