Ragusa: Three Basketball Players I’m Excited to Watch This Season

The Oklahoma State Cowboys kick off the 2018-2019 basketball season in about two weeks with an exhibition game against Ouachita Baptist. Leading up to the season there’s been a lot of discussion about this team’s youth and if they will be able to replace lost production on the offensive end. The Big 12 coaches think this team doesn’t stand much of a chance competing for a conference title this season as they picked OSU to finish last in the standings.

However, there is still a lot to be excited about with this team and there are some really talented players on this roster. Below I’m going to highlight the three players I am most excited to watch this upcoming season.

Isaac Likekele

Oklahoma State loses 71 percent of their total points scored (excluding Zack Dawson and Davon Dillard who left the program mid-season) from a year ago. The Cowboys will need to make up for a lot of lost production, specifically at the guard spots, and I think one guy who can step up to the task is freshman Isaac Likekele.

Mike Boynton recently called Likekele “the most impressive of our freshman in terms of making the transition”. In addition, the former three-star prospect has been a vocal leader throughout the offseason and has garnered the respect of the more seasoned players on this Cowboy squad.

The 6-4 ball handler played very well during OSU’s three-game tour in Europe this summer. He displayed his ability to finish inside, create for others and locked down on the defensive end. The Mansfield, Texas product also showed he can fill it up from the outside.

At the start of the summer, Michael Weathers was the newcomer most expected to step up for the Cowboys in the scoring department. However, with his status for this season still up in the air, the Cowboys will need to look elsewhere for backcourt buckets and “Ice” has the skills to fill that role.

Cameron McGriff

I’m not sure how someone could create a list like this and leave Cam off it. He’s the most electric player on this OSU roster with his ability to make big plays on both ends of the floor. He’s always good for a few big time dunks a game, and these are not only fun to watch, but they energize his teammates as well as the home crowd in GIA.

As I mentioned above, Oklahoma State is losing a large chunk of their scoring from last year, and McGriff will need to improve upon his average of 8.4 points per game from a season ago. Additionally, I would like to see Cam take more 3s. He’s a capable shooter from the outside and averaged 36.8 percent from beyond the arc a season ago. Now, this was only on 57 total attempts, but you can tell from his shooting form and his free throw percentage of 86.5 percent that his has the tools to continue improving from deep. McGriff will need to step up in the rebounding category as well, especially the offensive glass with the loss of Mitchell Solomon.

In addition to improving statistically, McGriff will need to accept the role of on-court and off-court leader for this young OSU squad. From how things are going in practice so far, it seems as though Cam is fully willing to step into this leadership position for the Cowboys.

Also, this put back…

Lindy Waters

With the loss of Kendall Smith and Jeffrey Carroll, Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa will most likely be the Cowboys go-to guys from 3-point range this season. There are some new faces who will need to step up in this category, along with Cam McGriff as I mentioned above, but Waters and Dziagwa will start the season with the 3-point weight on their shoulders.

Waters saw his season 3-point average drop from 44.2 percent his freshman year to 37.3 percent in his sophomore year. This drop was expected as his attempts per game increased from 1.9 to 3.8, but Waters will most likely see an increase in attempts again this season, and it would be great if he could improve on that 37.3 percent from a year ago.

Additionally, the recently-named captain will be expected to assume some of the leadership role on this team along with McGriff. I think Waters has the skills to lead the team in made 3s, 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage this season, and we all know he has the ice in his veins to take and make big shots.

If he can play consistently on the defensive end and continue improving his offensive play off the bounce, I believe he will be a main contributor for the Cowboys this season.