Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys reloading with top recruiting class in school history
November 04, 2005 | Cowboy Basketball
2005-06 Men’s Basketball Preview
Naming Sean Sutton as the head coach designate of the Cowboy Basketball squad did two things. First, it provided the Oklahoma State faithful with a sense of security when Coach Eddie Sutton eventually steps down. Secondly, it gave the coaching staff an opportunity to quash any speculation being filled into the heads of talented young recruits.
The latter was the most significant, as OSU secured one of the top recruiting classes nationally in recent memory and certainly the top class in school history. For his efforts, the younger Sutton was named the National Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.
With the loss of so many seniors, it was vital that the Cowboys reload with some of the best talent in the country. There’s no doubt that the four returning lettermen would be vital to the success of this year’s squad. However, four young men cannot do it alone.
The lone returning starter from last year’s Sweet 16 and Big 12 Tournament champions is sophomore JamesOn Curry. A 6-3 shooting guard, Curry exploded onto the Big 12 scene with a 22 point, six assist performance vs. Colorado in his first collegiate start. He went on to average 13.3 points per game over the last 16 contests. He was named to the Big 12 Conference’s All-Freshman team, and has already been named to the Wooden Award preseason list for 2005-06.
Only three other players return from last season, and they have only one start among them. Senior Aaron Pettway played 58 minutes in 14 games last year, yet failed to score a point in league play. Junior David Monds has played in 45 games over the past two seasons, including a start vs. Baylor last year. However, he is averaging just 1.7 points per game in his career, with a career-best 11 vs. Texas-San Antonio his freshman campaign. Sophomore Marcus Dove, who played 101 minutes in 17 games as a freshman last year, scored a career-high seven points against NWOSU, an NAIA school.
All three players are extremely athletic and have the capability of playing this season. They have spent their entire major college careers behind the likes of Joey Graham, John Lucas, Ivan McFarlin and Daniel Bobik, and now is their time to shine.
Which brings us to the newcomers, one of the most impressive groups ever assembled in a single recruiting class. Not only did the coaching staff wrap up one of the top incoming freshmen classes in recent memory, but they also brought in not one, not two, but three junior college All-Americans.
All five of Oklahoma State’s incoming freshmen were ranked in the top-75 nationally coming out of high school. A sixth — Gerald Green, the Cowboys first signee of the fall — was the top-ranked player in the country but opted for the NBA and was drafted No. 20 overall by the Boston Celtics.
Irregardless, the coaching staff did a fine job completing the roster. Keith Brumbaugh, a wing forward from DeLand, Fla., was a consensus top-15 player nationally and was the No. 2 ranked small forward behind Green.
Byron Eaton, a consensus top-20 player and the No. 2 player in the state of Texas behind Green, was considered one of the top three point guards in the prep ranks last season. He was a McDonald’s and Parade All-American.
Roderick Flemings and Terrel Harris, both from suburbs of Dallas, were both named first-team All-State in Class 5A in Texas and were both honored as the Most Valuable Player of their respective districts. Flemings was ranked as one of the top-25 players nationally by several publications, while Harris was ranked as high as No. 56 nationally.
The Cowboys went after a big man from the state of Louisiana and came up with Kenny Cooper, the No. 5 ranked center in the country. The 6-10 Cooper was named the MVP of the Class 3A state championship, and will still be more than two months away from his 18th birthday when practice begins on Oct. 14.
Cowboy fans were pleasantly surprised in April with the signing of three junior college All-Americans. Torre Johnson, a forward from Garden City Community College, was named first-team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Jamaal Brown, a guard from the College of Southern Idaho, was named honorable mention All-America, as was Mario Boggan, a power forward from Chipola College in Florida. Both Chipola College and the College of Southern Idaho advanced to the NJCAA Final Four.
It will be an interesting season for the Oklahoma State coaching staff, which is one of the finest in the country. If anyone can get all this talent to play together, it’s this staff. And, with the talent and athleticism on this squad, if the chemistry is right, there’s no limit to what they will be capable of accomplishing.
