Oklahoma State Basketball All-Decade Second Team

The 2010s won’t go down as the most illustrious in Cowboy basketball history. The new decade saw the last year of a McDonald’s All-American, who was followed by three more that struggled to move the needle for the team as a whole. But don’t let that fool you, there were some fun teams and moments.

It’s not hard to think through the first-team for the All 2010s, right? This is the team full of dudes who just straight up performed.

PG: Jawun Evans (2016-2017)
SG: Marcus Smart (2012-2014)
SF: James Anderson (2008-2010)
PF: LeBryan Nash (2011-2015)
C: Marshall Moses (2007-2011)

I’d hear a smallball argument for pushing Nash down to the five, Anderson to the four and putting Keiton Page (2009-2012) out on the perimeter. But I think these are the guys if you wanted a true positional all-decade team. I think they win a Big 12 title together, right?

But taking those six out of circulation (we’re making Keiton the sixth man) and it gets really hairy for a second team. It’s mostly one-year wonders or better-than-average role players that muck it up. Regardless, I want to take a shot at putting a squad together.

Cowboy All-Decade Second Team

Guard: Markel Brown (2011-2014)

Scoring 12.4 points a game in Stillwater, the two-time All-Big 12 guard was a crowd favorite and really the only developmental piece that happened under Ford’s tenure.  With only four more inches than his backcourt mate below, he was able to get into the lane, get out in transition and shoot, a dynamic offensive threat.

Markel was the guard version of Desmond Mason a decade later. Mason impacted the game more on the other end of the floor with his length, but Brown was a stellar on-ball defender for his size, rounding out a solid two-way game.

Guard: Phil Forte III (2012-2017)

Forte was the ultimate “get this guy with that guy” deal when the Pokes brought in Marcus Smart. While ability to finish around the hoop never truly developed, he averaged double-digit points. And while his three-point percentage is a hair below Thomas Dziagwa (Dizzy – 41 percent vs. Forte 39.5 percent), the win shares statistic gives Forte a 16.4 vs. Dizzy’s 4.7. This was the highlight moment — beating OU in Norman:

Forward: Jeffrey Carroll (2014-2018)

A two-time All-Big 12 guard and as steady of a secondary scorer as they come, Carroll was a shoo-in for this list. His years as an upperclassman were stellar, and he thrived with Evans and Kendall Smith setting him up. And don’t let anyone fool you that Carroll was just a shooter.

Jeffrey Carroll ? #SCTop10 #okstate pic.twitter.com/hymHR1AFvv

— Carson Cunningham (@KOCOCarson) February 24, 2018

Forward: Michael Cobbins (2010-2015) vs. Leyton Hammonds

This spot for Cobbins could be an honorary one just based on being the fourth piece on the best team of the decade. His numbers are incrementally better than his frontcourt mate below and he was All-Defense twice in his tenure in Stillwater. Solomon is on the list for his intangibles while Cobbins is here for his numbers. To his credit – Cobbins is still making it.

teamwork at its best | @The1_MikeCobbs @OSUMBB ↗️ @CapitalCityGoGo pic.twitter.com/v0mGJmMsKk

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 29, 2020

Forward: Mitchell Solomon (2014-2018)

Solomon was the ultimate plus/minus guy. In his upperclassman years, he brought a calming presence to the floor and a tough-nosedness on defense that buoyed the team. Solomon diving to keep the ball from Trae Young in 2018 was a top-five moment in a decade devoid of tournament runs, and his elbow jumper is the closest thing Oklahoma State fans experienced to Russell Westbrook’s cotton shot.

As I put this list together, I realized you could have a number of different guys on it depending on when you were truly focused on OSU hoops. You went to a game in 2011 and Cezar Guerrero did unspeakable things to UTSA and you think he’s the point guard on this team behind Smart. Matt Pilgrim was a force on the interior his junior year and you can’t imagine him being left out.

Lindy Waters put a national title contender on the ropes, how is he not the guy?

But if you watched the entire decade, I think that’s your second team. I think those are the guys who stood out (second) most behind the top five (six). Here is your third team.

Third-Team

Guard: Jean Paul-Olukemi (2010-2013)
Guard: Obi Muonelo (2007-2010)
Guard/Forward: Lindy Waters (2016-2020)
Guard/Forward: Leyton Hammonds (2013-2017)
Forward: Cam McGriff (2016-2020)