Cunningham Likely Okay, but the Sight Is Scary

The sight that everybody was staring at on their screen whether it was a 75-inch big screen or watching on their smartphone was the total story for Oklahoma State as the Freshman of the Year in college basketball, the potential Player of the Year in the Big 12 Cade Cunningham was sitting on one of the chairs front and center in the COVID-19 bench configuration bent over with his hand rubbing his left ankle. Basketball trainer Kevin Blaske stood next to Cunningham, likely starting to figure out how he was going to start treatments on the face of Cowboy basketball.

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Cunningham with trainer Kevin Blaske checking him out.

How critical is Cunningham to the Cowboys? Well, with a casual first half shooting 2-of-8 and four points from Cunningham, the Cowboys trailed No. 2 Baylor on their home floor 42-31. The second half Cunningham became more involved in the scoring like he has sometimes done. He hit 8-of-11 shots in the second half in scoring 20 points in that half and finished with 24 points overall.

The injury took place as Cunningham brought the ball down the floor with less than a minute to go and kind of got a little off balance and his left foot got caught under him, almost his toe only. He may have stepped on the toe of Baylor’s Davion Mitchell.

“It happened right in front of me and I didn’t think there was anything unusual except maybe he stepped on the Baylor player’s foot,” head coach Mike Boynton said. “We’ll get an evaluation and pass what we can on to you.”

Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Here is where the injury occurred. 

Boynton said he saw Cunningham walk off the court and to the locker room on his own power and thought from seeing that Cunningham would likely be okay. He added that is why they have trainer and doctors and he would take his cue from them on where to go forward with Cunningham.

I agree that Cunningham’s ankle probably isn’t that serious, but I like the attitude that Boynton has toward the situation.

“I’m always first and foremost worried about his future because that as much as winning and representing our program is my commitment to these kids is always first,” Boynton said. “I want to make sure he is okay. If he is okay then he will continue to work with us. If it is anything more serious than it feels like it is right now, then we’ll evaluate on it moving forward.”

“He’s strong and I know he’ll be back,” fellow starting guard and tough guy himself Avery Anderson III said afterwards.

You can’t help but think about the injury and the sight of Cunningham limping. It is human nature and the night after Villanova loses one of the best point guards in the nation in Collin Gillespie for the rest of the season to a torn MCL you can’t help but see an injured player’s season and possibly his team’s flash before your eyes.

This doesn’t look like the case, but don’t be surprised if Cunningham is held out on Saturday at West Virginia. Oklahoma State has made the tournament and the most important games for the Cowboys aren’t Saturday in Morgantown or next week in Kansas City. The most important games from this point on will be played in Indianapolis.