Oklahoma State Showed Out for Cade Cunningham Watch Party

STILLWATER – Thursday night, Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham was drafted No. 1 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft. In fact, it marked the first time a Cowboy basketball player was drafted No. 1 overall.

The program held an official watch party for the draft at Eskimo Joe’s, which featured an ABC broadcast led by one of ESPN’s top reporters, Marty Smith. Stillwater’s jumpin’ little juke joint was definitely rocking as there was an hour and a half wait to get a table at five o’clock.

Oklahoma State’s newest leaders, President Kayse Shrum and Athletic Director Chad Weiberg on hand on the second-floor balcony overlooking the festivities below. In the middle of the floor on the ground level was the Cowboy basketball team, which erupted when Cunningham’s name was called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

“Man, it’s crazy,” Avery Anderson said of Cade Cunningham going No. 1 overall to Detroit. “I’m happy for him because when you see the dude put in work every day, day and night, you just want to see him be great and I know that’s what he’s going to be.”

“It’s one of those feelings of all those dreams, late night talks we had in the rooms for the away games, being my roommate here and with the Titans [AAU], we’ve always dreamed of this moment,” Rondel Walker said of Cade getting drafted. “It’s different from hearing he was going No. 1, to actually seeing it. So, actually seeing it just made the feeling much that much more special.”

So, what does it mean for the program and Avery to have a Cowboy go No. 1 overall? It means a lot of extra work is going to be put in.

“It puts a lot of energy into my body to get up and work every day so I could get to that point in my career. Hopefully if not No. 1, then at least get drafted,” Anderson said of the motivation of seeing Cade drafted.

The Cowboys kick the 2021-20 season off with a non-conference home game on Nov. 9 as they host UT Arlington in Stillwater.