Thursday, July 9, 2020

The future is now no. 1 recruit Cade Cunningham arrives at osu with high expectations

Courtney Bay/OSU athletics

“Coach Boynton is so family-orientated. The team, when they were on my visit, we all went to his house, and the team knew every inch of the house like they’ve been there a thousand times. On your visits, you can tell when a team is uncomfortable like, ‘We don’t ever do this. Why are we making this time so special for this recruit?’ You can tell, and the team was acting like, ‘This is what we do, and I guess Cade is here this time.’ I feel like that meant a whole lot to me. It’s just the little stuff that was super important to me. “ - Cade Cunningham

OCOLLY.COM

Courtney Bay/ OSU athletics

C OV E R S T O RY

O S U bas k e t ba l l

‘There’s still so much I could still accomplish’: Cade Cunningham stands pat with his decision to go to OSU S ud eep tum m a , Sports Editor, @As k tu m m a

When Cade Cunningham was just a freshman, there wasn’t talk of him being the potential No. 1 NBA draft pick. There wasn’t even talk of him being recruited.

The 5-star point guard from Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, was once upon a time a no-name freshman small forward at Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas, who no one was recruiting.

Well, not no one.

Going into his freshman year, Cunningham and his team, which included Texas Tech guard Kyler Edwards, were getting prepped for the season. Cunningham hadn’t played a game yet, it was mostly conditioning workouts, but there were some pickup games going on.

Then OSU coach Mike Boynton took notice.

“I didn’t come in thinking I’d even be recruited, I was just a freshman,” Cunningham told reporters in a Zoom call Wednesday. “He came in, he watched me a couple of times. Then he walked up and just offered me. He was like, ‘I want to extend you a scholarship to Oklahoma State University.’ I was like, ‘What?’”

Brad Underwood, who was OSU’s head coach THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

Courtney Bay/OSU athletics

at the time, didn’t even know Boynton had offered Cunningham.

“It’s just a crazy story,” Cunningham said.

“Coach Boynton, he believed in me so much early on, and I’m super thankful for that.”

That was the beginning. Now, four years later, it’s been something of a roller coaster. Since taking over as OSU’s head coach, Boynton has faced much adversity. And the postseason ban stemming from the Lamont Evans bribe scandal is only the latest of headaches for OSU. But that penalty, which many have called harsh and unfair, had the college basketball wondering if Cunningham — and others on the roster — would transfer.

As soon as the program found out about the penalties, Boynton called every one of his players and told them the situation — candidly.

“There’s not a lot of coaches I could think of that would tell a recruit, ‘Do what you want to do, Imma help you if you want to leave,’” Cunningham said. “You’re not going to hear that from anyone else. That meant a whole lot to me because I knew he really cared about me as a person instead of just the player that I am.”

The way Boynton approached the situation simply stood out to Cunningham.

The first day Cunningham found out about the sanctions, emotions were running high. He

thought he might want to want to explore other options.

But that only lasted a day.

After that first day, Cunningham knew who he was going to play for.

He said a big part of that decision came down to how great of a basketball mind Boynton and the rest of staff possess.

“I feel like that’s the biggest thing that’ll help me as a player, it’s just surrounding myself around people that really know the game,” Cunningham said. “I feel like there’s still so much I could still accomplish, and all of my goals are still intact by staying at Oklahoma State.”

On the court, the decision made sense, but another important

OCOLLY.COM

aspect of Cunningham’s decision was the type of person Boynton is.

“It would have been tough for me to go overseas and go play for a foreign coach or even the G League or anything, I just hadn’t built a connection with anybody like that,” Cunningham said. “Coach Boynton, I already had a great relationship with, and that’s who I wanted to play for.

Boynton’s high character has been well-documented over the past few years, and Cunningham appreciated how Boynton puts loyalty and the people around him over basketball — calling him a super genuine dude.

Cunningham said he appreciated having Boynton as the leader of this program and said

that’s someone he can learn a lot from.

The coach was clearly a factor, but the teammates were also key.

Cunningham has played AAU ball with Rondel Walker and Montreal Pena on the Texas Titans. Isaac Likekele, Avery Anderson and Chris Harris are all from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

That familiarity was prime to Cunningham’s decision. He said the sense of family among the team was apparent and genuine, which is so important to him.

It was a big part of why he committed to OSU in the first place over elite programs such as North Carolina and Kentucky.

After spending two years away from family at Montverde, Cunningham said he understood how important it is to be comfortable with your teammates and coaches.

“All those schools are great programs, and I feel like I could have been successful in all those schools,” Cunningham said. “But being comfortable and wanting to go to practice at 5 a.m. with these guys and being able to run suicides with guys that I’ve known for a long time and I know are going to have my back, I feel like all that stuff really makes a difference.”

I was happy to see that [Cade Cunningham] stayed with his commitment. I think that speaks volumes about the university, the basketball program and the fan base.�

Courtney Bay/ OSU athletics

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

OCOLLY.COM

S P O RT S

O S U bas k e t ba l l

‘Just the cherry on top’: Cade Cunningham on his brother coaching him C h ris Becker , Sports Reporter,

@ B h r is_cec ker 31 6

When someone is the best basketball player in the country, every school is competing to have him or her on its side, but a check list has to be crossed in order to make the decision. Luckily for Oklahoma State, it filled all the important items on Cade Cunningham’s checklist and then some.

OSU offered the 5-star recruit from Montverde Academy the one thing no other school could — the comfort of having his brother as the assistant

coach.

“My brother has been one of my best friends in life,” Cade told reporters in a Zoom call Wednesday. “He’s been my biggest life coach besides my parents. So being around him for another year was super important to me, but I feel like him being there was just the cherry on top.

“I feel like the whole program as a whole was the foundation and everything else in between was just that’s what won me over. Then having my brother being here made it almost no-brainer for me.”

Cannen Cunningham joined the Cowboys’ staff before last season.

Cannen played a big role in shaping his brother into the No. 1 basketball recruit in the nation.

“Off the court I don’t have to get rushed by people giving me these fake opportunities or all the fake love,” Cade said. “I feel like he’ll just handle all of the new responsibilities and (let me) be the player that I am. I feel like without him, who knows how I’d be taking all this in and if I’d be the man I am right now. I’m just super thankful for that.”

Cade is known for his amazing basketball IQ and ability to facilitate plays. His brother was also a star in college.

Cannen played close to home at SMU and excelled. Cade is looking to further their brand and will have his brother alongside him as he begins the journey to the NBA. “On the court, he knows what he’s doing,” Cade said. “It’s hard to explain, he’s just a genius at that. I’m just excited to be able to have more time with him, and now he lives five minutes from me, so it’s easy.”

where a lot of things can go at my speed, especially on the court.”

Despite the NCAA postseason ban handed down to OSU, Cunnigham decided to stick to his commitment to play his college basketball with his brother at his side.

“You know, having Cannen here means a whole lot,” Cade said.

“Him and my cousin Ashton are two of the biggest reasons I am the player I am today. Being able to work a full season with them I feel like will help my game tremendously.”

Courtney Bay/OSU athletics

Cunningham leaned many things from his brother and coach Cannen Cunningham

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

Having an older sibling live minutes away is a great scenario for a person beginning the biggest change of his or her life.

Cunningham is anything but an ordinary student at OSU. He is a future top NBA draft pick, but still has to learn a lot in just a short amount of time at OSU about the outside world.

That’s where Cannen steps in.

“I feel like the biggest thing (Cannen’s taught me) is knocking out outside noise, but also just staying patient with everything,” Cade said.

Now I’m in the position

OCOLLY.COM

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

OCOLLY.COM

S p o rt s

O S U Bas k e t ba l l

Blocking out the noise: The unfazed nature of Cade Cunningham Ryan Novoz in s k y, Editor in chief, @ryan n ovo6 2

The day the NCAA announced that Oklahoma State would be facing a one-year postseason ban, all eyes turned to No. 1 recruit Cade Cunningham for a response.

Cunningham’s response?

A tweet that read: “Black lives matter!”

He knew the spotlight would be on him that day, so he decided to bring attention to an important social issue rather than appease people with a recommitment.

“The reason for me tweeting it out, I knew that it was the perfect time to do it because it’s something that I really believed in,” Cunningham said. “But the NCAA sanctions had just came down and I knew everybody was looking at my page ready for anything so I feel like that was the best time for me to let my views on things be known.”

This further proves the notion that Cunningham is a master at blocking out the noise and staying focused on the things that matter-- which is something he learned from having sky-high expectations throughout his basketball career.

Whether it’s questions about his initial commitment, recommitment or THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

In addition to basketball skills, Cade Cunningham thrives on blocking out the noise.

the status of the athletic department’s appeal, Cunningham refers back to two simple goals he has: “I’m gonna try to get good grades and score a lot of points,” Cunningham said.

In fact, Cunningham is an enigma who likes to keep things vague. He knew he was staying at OSU within 24 hours of the sanctions, but didn’t officially reaffirm his commitment for another 17 days.

“I announced that I was gonna come back later just because I let the media do their thing,” Cunningham said. “It doesn’t really matter too much to me so I was just chilling away from my phone.

OCOLLY.COM

Courtney bay/ osu athletics

“I knew where I was going.”

This decision was in large part thanks to the coaching staff that coach Mike Boynton has built at OSU. Cunningham’s ultimate goal is to play at a high level in the

NBA and he knows that, despite the ban, this coaching staff will help him reach that dream.

“After maybe a day, I knew who I wanted to play for,” Cunningham said. ‘I figured coach Boynton is such a great basketball mind, our whole staff is full of good basketball minds and I feel like that’s the biggest thing that’ll help me as a player is surrounding myself with people who really know the game.”

But aside from the postseason ban, the college basketball landscape is full of uncertainties right now. The COVID-19 pandemic is surging and many experts are predicting a second wave during the beginning of college basketball season.

However, as with most issues brought to him, Cunningham remains in his natural, unfazed state.

“There’s a lot of unknowns, but we’re gonna prepare like there’s going to be a season and work as hard as we can in the offseason to get ready for it so that if they do say there is a season, we’re prepared and we’re gonna win games,” Cunningham said. “And if not, we’re still gonna train to be the best players that we can be until we do play basketball again.”

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

OCOLLY.COM

The O’Colly is now publishing a daily newspaper online. To check out our edition online go to www.ocolly. com If you would like to place a display ad please email ads@ocolly.com To place classified advertising email lori@ocolly.com

Horoscope

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Todays Birthday (07/09/20). Together, you’re unbeatable this year. Your disciplined collaboration provides bountiful gifts. Keep adapting to social changes. Educational dreams expand your frontiers. A summer epiphany inspires new directions with a partnership. A quiet, peaceful winter comforts, energizing your work, health and vitality. Love unites and heals.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 6 — Harmony requires effort. Don’t show unfinished work. Wait to make final decisions. Sort, plan and organize. Rest and review. Write down dreams and visions.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Teamwork is essential. It could get messy. Adapt with social changes. Set goals high. When you fall, get back up. Steady each other.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Professional dreams don’t match with reality. Keep going anyway. Don’t stop in the mud patch; patiently keep advancing. Small steps add up.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Educational pursuits could get messy. Costs and barriers could seem higher than anticipated. Ignore beautiful details and aim for functionality. Writing and studies flourish.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Wait for the dust to settle before making big financial decisions. Research and discuss potential options and strategies. Avoid stepping on toes. Make backup plans.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Adapt your expectations to current conditions. Clean up a mess with your partner. Despite chaos or misunderstandings, keep communicating. Creative collaboration provides solutions.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Exercise clears your head. You can see your own physical limitations. Prioritize health and relax your standards. The rules seem to change mid-game.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Teach a lesson about waiting. Find romantic moments hidden in the chaos. Put in extra effort for your sweetheart or partner. Express your heart.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 6 — You may need to make a mess to realize a domestic vision. Get family on board. Adapt to shifting circumstances.

Feed everyone and keep cleaning.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — Review data and sift facts to find the answer you’ve been looking for. Tally, outline and sort information. Edit and craft. Share your story.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Focus on generating income. Ignore mess or distractions, and focus on your objective. Make your deadlines and keep promises. Rely on and provide team support.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — You’re especially charismatic.

Dress for the part you want. You can see what doesn’t work. Take action to advance what does. Show appreciation to someone who is helping.

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

FOR RELEASE JULY 9, 2020

Level 1

2

3

4

7/9/20

Solution to Wednesday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

ACROSS 1 Number system in Programming 101?

7 Tyler, the Creator work that won the 2019 Grammy for Best Rap Album 11 NYSE news 14 Gets around 15 __ colada 16 Golf scorecard word 17 Best Actress between Halle and Charlize 18 Late-day religious service 20 *49ers Hall of Famer who was MVP of Super Bowl XXIII 22 Envelopepushing 23 Produit de la tête 24 Maze rodent 25 Writer Deighton 26 *Inactive sort 31 Bit of verbal derision 35 Like some patches 36 Student, to a counselor 37 Not empirically derived 38 Sequel title words 39 Shows contempt for 40 *One hard to fool 43 __ tee 44 Newark-based insurer, on the NYSE 45 Musical note connector 49 Leg bone 51 *Head honcho 54 Rest stop facility 57 Like much humor 58 Assn.

59 Sooty passage 60 It has its pros and cons 61 Grill fuel 62 Diet that involves eating fat, cutting carbs, and avoiding the ends of the answers to the starred clues 63 Not so tough

7/9/20

By Stella Zawistowski

DOWN 1 Scruffy film dog 2 Like some college walls 3 Mussel shell lining 4 Absolutely flip for 5 Bank (on) 6 River of Flanders 7 Poison remedy 8 Donates, biblically 9 Unseparated 10 Bled or fled 11 Music players discontinued in 2017 12 Hunger twinge 13 Wild indulgence 19 “Get this done” 21 “Who’s better than me?!”

25 “Five Minutes” country singer Morgan 26 Small Spanish house 27 Acid found in vegetable oil 28 Longstocking of kiddie lit 29 __ Bora: Afghan cave complex

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

30 “I’ll get this done” 31 Baseball hats 32 Cain raiser 33 Nielsen concern 34 Thick-skinned yellow fruit 37 Invite to a balcony 41 Refuse to participate 42 Words from a balcony

7/9/20

45 Ones looking down 46 Molokai neighbor 47 Become 9-Down 48 Slot car, for one 49 Urban portmanteau 50 Greek goddess of marriage 52 Wait for 53 Zone 55 ’60s atty. general 56 Cheer for un gol