Oklahoma State’s strong transfer portal class fuels high hopes for the season

Oklahoma State (17-18, 7-13 Big 12)

Oklahoma State built a reputation for being scrappy last season under first-year coach Steve Lutz. Now, he’ll have more talent to work with. On3 and HoopsHQ say the Cowboys had the Big 12’s top transfer portal class. Lutz seems to have rectified the scoring issues, as evidenced by a 97-95 overtime win over No. 20 Auburn in the preseason. Robert Jennings II highlights the returning players after starting all 35 games.

Players to watch

Anthony Roy (senior, G, 6-5, 25.7 ppg). Roy led the nation in scoring last season at Green Bay before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He averaged 4.4 3-pointers per game last season. He scored 28 points against Auburn.

Jaylen Curry (junior, PG, 6-1, 13.3 ppg). Curry set the tone for Massachusetts’ up-tempo offense and had a 2.67-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. His speed and strong defense make him a good fit for Lutz’s style.

Isaiah Coleman (junior, G, 6-5, 15.6 ppg.). Coleman was a part of Seton Hall’s NIT championship team in 2024 and he led the Pirates in scoring last year. He scored 28 points against Auburn in the preseason game.

Departures and arrivals

Key losses include three seniors: top scorer Bryce Thompson, top rebounder Abou Ousmane and steady scorer Marchelus Avery. Big 12 steals leader Arturo Dean transferred to Central Florida.

The Cowboys have reloaded. Kanye Cleary averaged just under 17 points as a sophomore at Penn State two years ago, but suffered a season-ending injury after seven games at Mississippi State last season. Freshman Ryan Crotty, a potentially dangerous 3-point shooter, started both exhibition games. Parsa Fallah was a second-team All-West Coast Conference player at Oregon State.

Top games

The season opens Nov. 4 against in-state opponent Oral Roberts. The Cowboys play longtime rival Oklahoma on Dec. 13 in Oklahoma City. They begin conference play at preseason No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 3. They play No. 16 Iowa State twice in January — on the road on the 10th and at home on the 24th. Oklahoma State closes the regular season at home against No. 2 Houston on March 7.

Facts and figures

Greek forward Lefteris Mantzoukas and Israeli guard Daniel Guetta are 22-year-old freshmen. … Vyctorius Miller is the son of rapper Silkk the Shocker and nephew of rapper Master P. … G Christian Coleman played the last two years at UAB. … Only three players return from last year’s team that reached the NIT quarterfinals.

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