Cunningham Earns AP Preseason All-America Honors
(This article was generated by Oklahoma State Media Relations and written by Stephen Howard and added to by Pokes Report.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State star guard Cade Cunningham was the lone freshman named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America team.
Cunningham is the first Cowboy to earn a spot on the AP Preseason All-America team since Marcus Smart in 2013, and is joined on the team by Luke Garza (Iowa), Jared Butler (Baylor), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga) and Remy Martin (Arizona State).
In the last six seasons, the only other freshmen to earn a spot on the AP Preseason All-America teams are James Wiseman (Memphis), RJ Barrett (Duke), Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri) and Ben Simmons (LSU).
This is just the latest honor for Cunningham, who was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list last week. He was also named a Preseason First-Team All-American and the national Newcomer of the Year by CBS Sports and Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. College basketball expert Andy Katz ranked him No. 3 on the list of the preseason national player of the year candidates.
The Big 12 coaches named Cunningham the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and a preseason all-conference selection.
Cunningham arrived at OSU with the 2020 Naismith High School Player of the Year Trophy, as well as national high school player of the year honors from MaxPreps and Mr. Basketball USA. He was also named the nation's top recruit by ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals, USA Today, MaxPreps and Ball Is Life.
"I really like our backcourt depth," Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton said on Tuesday. "Of course, Cade (Cunningham) is a big part of that, but we also have Isaac Likekele and "Ice" has been a known commodity in college basketball for most of the past season and heading into this one.
"Cade has been amazing," Boynton said of his newer stellar guard. "He has had every reason not to be here. We don't get many one and one players (at Oklahoma State). The postseason ban happens just before he comes on campus. He has been all in and him saying he wants to be here and he is committed to helping get this program where he believes we can get it really boosts my confidence."
The Cowboys are slated to open the 2020-21 season on Nov. 25 at UT Arlington. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
