Cowboys Basketball Transfer Portal: Gains and losses for Oklahoma State, impact on the backcourt

The news that Cowboy guard Jamyron Keller is going into the portal isn’t a huge surprise. The 6-3 sophomore did start most of this season, averaging just over 5 points per game, and was 4-4 from 3-point range in OSU’s win over Wichita State in the NIT first round.

Transfer Portal update

Broken Arrow native Connor Dow went into the portal two weeks ago, meaning the remaining players from Mike Boynton’s last Cowboy roster have either run out of eligibility or decided to transfer.

With the full opportunity to shape his lineup, head coach Steve Lutz has added size and length. A trio of 6-5 guards have signed, including the nation’s leading scorer this season in Anthony Roy from Green Bay (25.7 ppg). Vyctorius Miller from LSU is also a shooter, and Isaiah Coleman from Seton Hall, who signed today, is a versatile player with solid defensive skills and a slashing offensive game.

That length and size are needed when battling in the Big 12. Only Houston has consistently shown you don’t need to have the tallest backcourt in the conference to win a league title, but the Cougars do employ a relentless toughness and put out a rugged frontcourt to offset some of that.

What does a bigger backcourt mean for OSU? 

When you combine it with a consistent ability to knock down threes (as Roy and Miller have shown) then the Cowboys could become a very dangerous offensive team. The extra length could mean better opportunities to score on drives when opponents try to crowd OSU at the 3-point line. Defensively, there should be fewer times opposing guards can take advantage of OSU by posting up smaller players in certain situations.

There’s still room for playmakers and defenders of any size. Portal signee Kanye Clary from Mississippi State is only 5-11 but has proven to be successful at scoring the ball anywhere on the floor, and steals leader Arturo Dean can wreak havoc on ball handlers. So far, this backcourt mix has the potential to help Lutz’s team make a significant jump in year two.

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