Here Are 10 Storylines For The 2016-17 Season

Oklahoma State hoops starts tonight, and we have some storylines for the year that we need to discuss. Let’s get to it.

Kyle Porter

How high does Jawun’s draft stock rise?

One of the undercurrents this season will be Jawun Evans’ NBA draft-ability. I think his ceiling is as a top 15 pick. I’m not totally sure he’s a lottery guy, but several draft prognosticators currently don’t even have him in the first round.

Does that flip as OSU thrives and Evans stuff stat sheets all over America (shoutout to the Maui Invitational)? I think it does, and it’s going to be fascinating to follow for the next eight months.

How much will the freshmen *actually* contribute?

We have somehow talked ourselves into Lindy Waters being the second coming of Ben Gordon. The reality is that he’s probably going to be pretty average this year. Playing right away as a freshman is easier in basketball than football, but it takes a special player to do what Jawun Evans did last year.

I don’t think anyone is expecting Waters or any of the other first-years to be Evans, but I think we may have overstated their skill level early (this will be especially evident in Big 12 play).

Does Underwood’s style work in the Big 12?

We have already discussed Brad Underwood’s blueprint on defense — get turnovers, get stops and get more turnovers. SFA was in the top 10 in the nation (350 teams) in creating turnovers in each of the last three seasons.

That’s fine when you’re playing bad athletes at Lamar, but does it work in the Big 12? Logic would say, “sure, Underwood has better athletes now, too, so it will,” and if you watched the SFA-West Virginia NCAA Tournament game, you would say he doesn’t even need better athletes. But I’m cautiously optimistic.

Kyle Boone

Can Brad Underwood break the bad habits of coaches past?

With the new regime, Underwood preaches consistency and effort, specifically on the defensive end of the floor. There are no days off, and it’s a big adjustment from last year to this year for the players. I’m curious to see how they adjust.

Is Jawun Evans elite? (All the cliches)

I’m convinced Evans, if he can stay healthy, will vault into first round draft discussions by the end of the year. He’s a quick, slashing guard who can create for himself and for others, and has the shooting threat to keep opponents on their toes.

I’m very interested to see how he stacks up against  Big 12 competition, since we were stripped of his talents for most of conference play last season due to his shoulder injury.

Kyle Cox

What is the buy in?

First off, I want to see how everyone buys into to Underwood’s culture. From what we can tell (from the outside) a “contradiction in styles” would be an understatement, both off the court and on.

Let’s face it. Travis Ford didn’t exactly come off as a strict disciplinarian. Underwood is passionate and strict and doesn’t look like he would accept anything but 100 percent commitment from his players.

How does Jawun Evans handle the pressure?

He is the leader of this team, at least in terms of talent. How will he direct his new head coaches’ offense? We know the big moments aren’t too big for him. Can he take that next step as a leader on the court?

Sam Aldrich

How far can OSU go with a team that lost 20 games last year?

It is always interesting to watch new coaches in the first year with another coach’s players. Some buy in, some don’t, and it takes a lot of time for a new coaching staff and team to gel.

I have higher hopes for Underwood than most because of the return of Phil Forte/Jawun Evans in the backcourt, but it takes time and patience to build a program up. Give Underwood a few years, and Cowboy basketball will be back to its rightful place, competing for Big 12 titles and making deep runs into the NCAA Tournament.

Will the Rowdy Be Back?

Last year, only around 6,000 tickets were sold per game at historic Gallagher-Iba Arena. This is a statement on how far the program had fallen and the lack of energy around the team. I’ll be curious to see how quickly the fans come back — I think a big non-conference win will get the fan base buzzing and we’ll see a rowdy GIA come Big 12 season.

Can Phil Become the All-Time leader in 3-pointers made?

I’m a little surprised more people aren’t talking about this, but Phil trails Keiton Page 299-244 in career 3-pointers made. In his first three full seasons, Phil averaged 79.3 threes made/season. He will need 56 threes this season to become the all-time school leader in 3-pointers made with No. 1 running the show at point, I’d bank on him to do it.