Oklahoma State Basketball: Evans-Forte, an All-American duo?

A new coach for Oklahoma State basketball means a new approach in Stillwater.

Travis Ford is out and Brad Underwood is in. After leading Stephen F. Austin to a 89-14 record over three seasons, Underwood is tasked with rebuilding a program that used to be among the Big 12’s most feared. Gallagher-Iba Arena is still one of the nation’s most historic places to play even if it has lost some luster.

Getting OSU back to prominence is a tall task for the former Lumberjack. Early results could be frustrating, as Underwood inherits a roster that has underwhelmed for years. Some nice pieces are in place, but several are coming off injury and their size is somewhat lacking. This team will defend well, but offensive problems could still plague this squad.

11 guys played last year, largely due to injury. I expect the rotation to be tighter this season, with more like 8-to-9 players taking the court in Underwood’s system.

The key this season is that two of the Cowboys’ best guards are back and fans are excited. Things will certainly get better in the years to come. Just don’t expect a wild improvement over last season with depth questions looming at several positions.

Jan 27, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Jawun Evans (1) during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Baylor won 69-65. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Point guard: Juwun Evans

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year looked like a superstar in the making until a shoulder injury impacted the rest of his season. How Jawun Evans recovers will go a long way in determining just how the Cowboys’ offense functions.

Before his injury, the 6’0″ freshman was putting up 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals a night. He was also a deadly outside shooter at 47 percent from three. His complete game has him in line for more Big 12 awards and some NBA interest.

Recovering from shoulder trouble might lower his early stats, but Evans is a great looking point guard for the next year or two. If truly healthy, numbers in line with last year’s are easily feasible.

Mar 5, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; The mascot of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls spirit team cheers for his team in a break in action against the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter during the women’s Big 12 conference tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Backup point guard: Brandon Averette

Brandon Averette was the first Oklahoma State player Brad Underwood signed. He has a chance to see some court time right away, relieving Juwun Evans for stretches. The 5’11”, 175 pound guard from Richardson, TX was rated as the 20th best recruit in the state during his senior year of high school, per 247sports.

Averette averaged 22.6 points, 4.6 boards, and 6.0 assists in his senior year. He is small for a Big 12 guard, but he was originally signed to SFA when Underwood was there. This tells me that the new coach loves Averette and plans to use him as one of his potential star freshman.

Because Evans is so important, I don’t see the freshman playing more than 10-13 minutes a night with marginal output. However, someone will have to give Evans a break as to avoid fatigue and potential injury. Averette could be that guy.

Mar 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Phil Forte III (13) brings the ball up court against the Oregon Ducks during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting guard: Phil Forte

An elbow injury suffered against Towson sidelined Oklahoma State’s star guard after just three games. Phil Forte III returns as one of the Big 12’s most talented and experienced deep shooters.

The 5’11”, 190 pound senior was averaged 13.3 points on 37 percent shooting from range before his injury. He has never been a good rebounder or distributor, but his ability to score has never been in question. Forte is also a good perimeter defender for his size, as he has a career steals average of 1.2.

I fully expect Forte to have a tremendous fifth year in Stillwater. Look for him to score early and often. I could see 15-20 points as a possibility (it’s actually necessary without a great deal of offensive talent around him). I also don’t expect Forte to see very much time on the bench either.

Feb 8, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Malique Trent (3) drives to the basket as Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Jeffrey Carroll (30) defends during the second half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Small forward: Jeffrey Carroll

Forced into a larger role, Jeffrey Carroll performed admirably in his sophomore campaign. His minutes more than doubled and his overall numbers followed a similar increase. Consistency is the big thing for Carroll’s junior year.

The 6’6, 205 pound player from Rowlett, TX averaged 8.2 points and 4.0 boards per contest. He did most of his damage as a volume player at just 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from three point range. Having both Juwun Evans and Phil Forte back should help those numbers get just a bit more efficient.

Something around 23-27 minutes per game is about what I expect Carroll to get with more help. My initial projections with that court time are 8-11 points and 4-5 rebounds.

Jan 27, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Tavarius Shine (5) dribbles as Baylor Bears guard Ishmail Wainright (24) defends during the second half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Baylor won 69-65. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Backup small forward: Tavarius Shine

Tavarius Shine is another junior that will be heavily relied upon this season. Like Jeffrey Carroll, Shine was forced into averaging almost twice the minutes that he contributed in his freshman season. Some of this is obviously due to experience, but injuries and lack of talent contributed to the workload too.

Shine has good size at 6’5″, 205 pounds. He put up averages of 6.1 points and 3.3 boards per game while shooting 34 percent from the floor. He wasn’t a particularly large part of the offense, but played an important role nonetheless. Shine was one of the better perimeter defenders last year and that could be what keeps him in Brad Underwood’s new rotation.

20-25 minutes with 7-9 points and 3-5 boards seems right for Shine.

Jan 19, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys fans rush the court after the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU won 86-67. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Utility forward: Cameron McGriff

I don’t really see Phil Forte coming out for long enough stretches to have a true backup, so I am shoehorning the Cowboys’ best recruit into the lineup as another swing man. Cameron McGriff could rotate anywhere from the shooting guard to power forward.

At 6’7″, 210 pounds, McGriff has the size to play in the Big 12 as a freshman. He can attack the rim from multiple places and defend well. He will need to gain strength as most freshmen do, but McGriff is a core piece for years to come.

Even with his talent, it is hard to comfortably project first year guys who haven’t played at high-major speeds. I’ll peg McGriff for 12-to-18 minutes a game with averages of 7-10 points and 3-5 rebounds.

Feb 24, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Leyton Hammonds (23) prepares to shoot the ball as Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) defend during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Power forward: Leyton Hammonds

Even if you throw Cameron McGriff in at forward and go small, Oklahoma State could struggle to rotate enough bodies through the front court. Leyton Hammonds will have his hands full as the likely power forward. He had a fine season, but much more could be asked out of him this year.

The 6’7″, 215 pound forward was effective last season with per game averages of 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. He played just over 28 minutes a night, but I could easily 30-to-35 minutes per game with a lack of big man depth.

Hammonds shot 34 percent from three, meaning teams can’t just pack the paint against his post moves.

Plan on Hammonds getting close to his junior year averages, maybe edging more toward 12-13 points and 5-7 rebounds. Just don’t expect him to sit a lot unless McGriff plays the four spot.

Feb 24, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) drives to the basket against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Mitchell Solomon (41) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Center: Mitchell Solomon

Mitchell Solomon is a fine player who wasn’t asked to do much last season. Even with the injuries and ineffectiveness of other front court guys, the sophomore only played more than 25 minutes five times in 31 games. The ten man rotation the Cowboys used at the end of the season meant that nobody was on the court for particularly long stretches of game.

The junior is the team’s tallest returning player at 6’9″ and weighs 240 pounds. Aside from Leyton Hammonds, he is the only front court player back. That means we should expect far more minutes than his 18 per game last year.

He averaged 3.7 points and 3.9 boards while shooting 47 percent from the field in 2015-16. Out of volume, I project Solomon to play around 25-30 minutes and average somewhere between 5-8 points per night with 6-8 rebounds.

If he ever comes out, Hammonds could shift over with Cameron McGriff and the other small forwards filling in for small ball.