Oklahoma State's Rotation Becoming Clear as Big 12 Play Nears

The Cowboys' coaching staff seems to have their guys as the conference schedule begins soon.

Big 12 play is around the corner for Oklahoma State, and its rotation is beginning to come together.

After a 3-5 start to the season, the Cowboys have won three straight games with two likely wins to finish their nonconference slate. With losses to teams such as Abilene Christian and Southern Illinois, Mike Boynton’s team has struggled out of the gate.

Part of those struggles were due to OSU’s lack of consistency within the rotation. In its opening loss against Abilene Christian, OSU missed leading scorer Javon Small.

Small has been a catalyst for an otherwise stagnant offense to begin the season, averaging 15.8 points and shooting 44% from 3-point range. His 29-point outburst against Notre Dame nearly led OSU to its first win against a major program this season.

Alongside Small, Bryce Thompson and Quion Williams have been reliable options on the wing in the starting lineup. Similarly to Small, Thompson has the capability to have big performances to lead OSU to wins.

While the senior guard has been a mid-range aficionado, his five makes from beyond the arc led OSU to a win against Wofford to move over .500 for the first time this season. To fill out the starting five, a couple of freshmen have held down the frontcourt for OSU.

Eric Dailey Jr. and Brandon Garrison are progressing into reliable options for the Cowboys. Dailey has scored in double figures in six of OSU’s 11 games while averaging 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Garrison has been the Cowboys’ top rim protector this season at 1.5 blocks per game. Splitting minutes with Garrison at the five, Mike Marsh has established himself as a reliable option off the bench at 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds.

But OSU’s most dynamic option down low is just getting started. Isaiah Miranda missed the first eight games of the season with injuries but has shown flashes of dominance in limited minutes.

But the backcourt off the bench is still up in the air. Guards John-Michael Wright, Jarius Hicklen and Jamyron Keller have competed for minutes through nonconference play, and all could go into Big 12 play without a guaranteed role.

Still, OSU’s starting five looks to be set for the foreseeable future, which is a significant step in the right direction. Plus, having competition off the bench as conference play begins is not necessarily bad and is a sign of OSU’s improved depth.

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