With Pierce off the Board, Cowboys’ Staff Still Has Options to Fill Out 2023 Class

When Brandon Garrison committed to Oklahoma State last week, it felt like Trent Pierce was soon to follow.

But, Pierce, who played at Tulsa Union last season, pledged to Missouri on Tuesday after the Tigers made a late push for his talents. But there are still plenty of fish in the sea that is this 2023 class. Here are some guys with recent ties to Oklahoma State that Mike Boynton and his staff could still be in on.

Ugonna Kingsley / 5⭐ / Center

Oklahoma State hosted five-star center Ugonna Kingsley at the end of June, making Boynton and Co. the first coaching staff to host the highly touted shot stuffer on an official visit.

Kingsley is listed as the No. 22 player in the composite rankings, but some are even higher on him. On3 lists him as the No. 5 player in the class. Originally from Nigeria, Kingsley recently made his way to the United States from the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal.

There are some question marks surrounding him. There have been murmurs that Kingsley could reclassify into the 2022 class and miss a would-be senior season at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. There has also been a bit of smoke with him and Kentucky, so it could be another battle between Boynton and John Calipari. Calipari has won his fair share of those duels, but Boynton did snag Cade Cunningham from Big Blue Nation in the 2020 cycle.

Brandon Williams / 4⭐ / Forward

The No. 136 player in the 2023 class, Williams included Oklahoma State in his Top 5 in late June along with UCLA, St. John’s, Illinois and UConn. Out of Christ the King Regional in New York, Williams has played with the PSA Cardinals on the EYBL circuit this summer, where he averaged 11 points and 3.3 rebounds a game through the first three sessions.

Williams told 247Sports recently that he plans to visit Stillwater in August.

Jamyron Keller / 3⭐ / Point Guard

Keller took an official visit to Stillwater in June and raved about it to PFB.

“It was everything and more,” Keller told PFB. “I love the coaching staff. I love the environment. I just liked all of it.”

He went on to say he didn’t want to get caught up in the moment and make an emotional decision, saying then that he planned on picking a program in the fall. A Killeen, Texas native, Keller is the No. 164 player in the country, but his stock has risen this summer. Through three sessions with Drive Nation on the EYBL circuit, Keller averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 23.8 minutes a game.

Jaland Lowe / 3⭐ / Point Guard

Like Keller, Lowe is a facilitator. Lowe is the No. 156 player in the country and made an official visit to Oklahoma State not long after Keller did.

“I really love their culture and their coaches,” Lowe told PFB. “They really make you feel close to them, really interact with you as a person not just as a player. I got along with them well. I got along with some of the players really well. Yeah, the way they just made it feel normal, just talking and everything like that, it was really nice.”

From Missouri City, Texas, Lowe averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and four assists a game through three sessions in the EYBL with Houston Hoops. When we spoke with him in June, Lowe said he didn’t have a timeline on when he wanted to make a college decision.

Recent Offers

Boynton and his staff have taken a few late swings on risers in recent weeks.

Gehrig Normand (enjoys dunking on people), Ashton Hardaway (Penny’s son and a tall 3-point shooter), Michael Nwoko (a four-star Canadian big who has had an efficient summer) and Keanu Dawes (a four-star stretch forward) are examples of players the Cowboys have offered this summer. They’re all guys to watch as their stock continues to rise.