STILLWATER – Steve Lutz and Co. have got a big man back for next season as Makhi Ragland announced on Wednesday he’s returning for his sophomore season.
Ragland is the fourth player from last year’s roster who’s announced a return for next season, joining Kanye Clary, Ben Ahmed and Ryan Crotty.
Ragland played in 14 games this past season as a true freshman, playing nearly six minutes per game. In that time, he averaged just over one point and one rebound per game, while shooting nearly 35% from the floor.
There’s no doubt Ragland improved incrementally throughout his freshman season, but he’ll need to continue losing weight and progressing on the practice court and in the weight room to be a bigger contributor next season.
As it stands right now, Ahmed is the starting big man for the Cowboys next season with Ragland coming off the bench. I would anticipate Lutz and Co. bringing in another big out of the transfer portal.
Ragland’s return speaks more to the culture and program Lutz is building in Stillwater. The number of portal players he’s had to bring in the past two seasons is very high. The return of four players off last year’s team, plus four incoming freshmen mean the process is working.
