Cade Cunningham committing to Oklahoma State is a program-changer

Five-star recruit Cade Cunningham committed to Oklahoma State in a decision that is a program-changer for the Pokes.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of collegiate sports and while we’re still months away from knowing how everything will play out in this upcoming season we got a glimpse of what’s to come next year when the number one overall recruit for 2020 committed to Oklahoma State.

Cade Cunningham is a 6-foot-7 point guard who is ranked as the No. 2 player in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

A big guard who plays under control and at his own pace, Cunningham is the type of player who can truly dominate in the modern game.

His talents were easy to see for anyone who watched him play. It makes sense that every elite program in the country was after him. For a while, many believed that blue blood programs Kentucky and North Carolina has the best chances of landing him.

A native of Arlington, Texas—who attends Montverde Academy in Florida—Cunningham’s decision to spend his one year in college at nearby Oklahoma State continues a trend of top players staying close to home for college. A helpful boost came to the Cowboys when they hired Cunningham’s brother (Cannen Cunningham) as an assistant coach.

In his Instagram post where he made his declaration official, Cunningham had this to say about the family ties, “When my brother took a job at Oklahoma State, most people assumed my decision had been made for me but my family encouraged me to explore my options and make my own decision, based on what I feel is best for me…but blood is always thicker than water, go Pokes.”

This is a huge signing for Mike Boynton who is entering his second season in Stillwater. By himself, Cunningham immediately makes the Cowboys a threat. Not just in the Big 12 but in the nation as well. The best word to describe their newest addition is simple, he’s a winner. He’s won at Montverde, on the AAU circuit at the Nike EYBL, and with Team USA. He’ll hope to continue that in the NCAA as well.

For Oklahoma State, getting Cunningham to commit early allows them to target more elite recruits. There is a fair share of other top players in the Class of 2020 that would love to suit up alongside him.

His EYBL teammate Rondel Walker—a four-star shooting guard—is already committed to the Cowboys but they’ll likely try and bring a third member of the Texas Titans with them in Greg Brown.

Although Oklahoma State didn’t make his final five, there’s a chance that the addition of Cunningham can put them squarely back in the running with Auburn, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina and Texas. Brown is an explosive power forward who can impact the game just off sheer athletic ability.

Another player the Cowboys are after is in-state combo guard, Bryce Thompson, the number-one ranked player in the state of Oklahoma. Thompson and Cunningham took an unofficial visit to Oklahoma State together earlier this month. The former tweeted that the latter’s decision “changes things”.

The next target with direct ties to Cunningham is his Montverde teammate Moses Moody. Moody revealed earlier today that he would make his announcement on Saturday. Now that he knows where Cunningham has chosen could that give the Cowboys a leg up over his presumed final three suitors of Arkansas, Michigan and Virginia. Moody is one of the best shooters in the senior class and getting players around Cunningham that can spread the floor will be key to the Cowboys’ success next year.

As the projected number one overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, a lot of eyes will be on the Oklahoma State team just because Cunningham will be there. Joining ranks means that evaluators and scouts will be able to get multiple looks at other players as well. Only time will tell how that works out in the end. Regardless of who else comes to Stillwater, landing Cunningham is a program-changing event.

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