Oklahoma State Transfer Forward Commits to Nevada

One of the Cowboys' top recruits from last season is headed to the Mountain West.
Jan 3, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Justin McBride (21) and
Jan 3, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Justin McBride (21) and / William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

After taking a visit over the weekend, a former Cowboy has found his new home.

On Monday, former Oklahoma State forward Justin McBride announced his commitment to Nevada via social media. McBride recently took a visit to Nevada and appears to have the start of a new chapter in his college career.

Although he only spent one season at OSU and had limited playing time, it was clear why McBride came to Stillwater as a highly coveted recruit. At 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, McBride split minutes between the four and five throughout the season, but he could never crack coach Mike Boynton’s regular rotation, playing behind star freshmen Eric Dailey Jr. and Brandon Garrison.

Averaging 6.4 minutes and playing in 24 of OSU’s 32 games, McBride showed flashes of the four-star recruit he was before he arrived. Along with shooting 52.1% from the floor, McBride averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds. His highest-scoring performance came in the Cowboys’ first win against Sam Houston when he scored eight points and added a block in 12 minutes.

After a 12-20 season, the Cowboys fired Boynton, who had coached the team for seven years. Several players entered the transfer portal after Boynton’s firing, but McBride stuck around through the coaching search.

OSU hired Western Kentucky coach Steve Lutz a couple of weeks later, and he committed to having open and honest conversations with players who were in the portal and those who had not entered. In his introductory press conference, Lutz referenced conversations he had with McBride concerning the future of the program and where he could fit in.

Shortly after Lutz was introduced, McBride entered the portal and found a new spot in Nevada with coach Steve Alford. Although things did not go as planned for McBride in Stillwater, moving to the Mountain West could be the change he needs to realize his potential.


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Ivan White
IVAN WHITE

Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.