Mike Boynton is High on Incoming Freshmen Class

STILLWATER – For the first time in three years, Oklahoma State men’s basketball will have a plethora of freshmen on campus in June.

Mike Boynton and Co. signed just one ahead of this previous season, Quion Williams, zero ahead of the 2021-22 season as they brought in four transfers. You have to go back to the 2020 class of Cade Cunningham, Rondel Walker, Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, Donovan Williams and Montreal Pena.

Boynton and Co. have signed four incoming freshmen so far, Brandon Garrison, Jamyron Keller, Justin McBride and Connor Dow. There’s a fifth commitment in Eric Daily Jr., who we’re told is set to sign in April.

Boynton had some good things to say about each of the current signees this past Monday as he broke down each player’s game.

Garrison checks in as the No. 30 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the ESPN Top 100. The 6-9, 205-pound forward/center recently competed in the McDonald’s All-American game down in Houston. He posted 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor, four rebounds, two steals and an assist and a block in just over 20 minutes of action.

"I think Brandon can have a similar type of impact in terms of impact winning, but the game will look totally different," Boynton said of Garrison during his end-of-the-year press conference. "He's physically capable of stepping on campus with a good summer, getting to a place where he's gonna be able to make a difference on the court. And his game isn't such that he's gonna have to have a ball to impact it. He's gonna be a really good defender, he's going to be a great rebounder. But the best thing Brandon Garrison does is he's an unbelievable passer for a kid his size at his age. Which is good for both him and us because that only enhances his ability to be able to be trusted with the ball. But [it] also will help us offensively, a team that struggled with playmaking, the decision making moving forward.

"There'll still be a learning curve. There'll be an older big guy here – I don't know who, maybe one of the guys come back, maybe somebody we'll recruit out of the portal that'll be pushing him around for a couple of weeks in June and July, and that's okay. And then hopefully by the time November, December rolls around here, he'll be ready to take those blows and deliver some back."

Keller is listed as the No. 139 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports. He’s a 6-1, 190-pound combo guard out of Ellison HS in Killeen, TX.

"They're all basketball junkies, which is what I like the most," Boynton said. "Jamyron Keller played on a broken foot all the way to the state championship game in the state of Texas. He's been in a boot since the day after the state championship game. He's healing now. He's gonna be fine. He's got time. But he's a competitor. Tough. Can shoot it, can score. He's another that can get downhill, drive, get to the lane and create offense.”

Connor Dow is a prospect who holds a handful of offers, but didn’t really get onto the scene until late in the process. He’s a 6-5, 180-pound guard/small forward out of Broken Arrow and checks in as the No. 3 overall prospect out of Oklahoma.

"Connor Dow is gonna bring some [Thomas] Dziagwa memories back," Boynton continued. "He shoots the ball – Dizz is gonna kill me – he shoots the ball really, really well from 3. And because he comes from Broken Arrow, maybe he brings the arrow [celebration] back. But I'll say this without reservation, he's a much better athlete than Dziagwa was. He's a great kid; he comes from a family that really, really loves basketball. He's a competitor.”

Justin McBride checks in at 6-7, 210 pounds out of Plano (TX) HS and is listed as the No. 113 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports composite ranking.

"Justin McBride, who may be the most versatile player in the class," Boynton added. "At 6-8, can play inside and outside. Can handle it. He's another guy who's gonna have another chance to impact it, but the truth is if you're talking about five freshmen really having an impact in the Big 12, it's not necessarily trending that way in terms of the country, but those guys will get here in June and have an opportunity to compete for a spot."

That last comment of the Boynton’s quote is a really important one to keep in mind. Yes, Boynton and Co. have put together a very good high school class. In fact, 247Sports ranks the Cowboys as having the No. 11 overall recruiting class in the country, and that’s without any possible transfers they might add over the next couple of months depending on if they have players leave and open up spots.

It takes a while for most freshmen to get acclimated to the speed, physicality and toughness of playing D1 college basketball, especially in the Big 12. Does that mean they won’t be good this fall? No, not at all. But it does mean to temper expectations and give them a chance to get adjusted.