Taking Stock of Big XII Transfer Classes: Oklahoma State
Khalil Brantley, from La Salle Expected role: Starting guard Brantley has not been an efficient scorer yet through three years of college basketball, but his decision-making has gotten better and better. Even with a jump up to the high-major ranks, it wouldn't be stunning if Brantley puts it all together. Brantley is comfortable operating as a top-two option on the team, but he's a good cutter and never stops moving which makes him a tough cover. Brantley should play on and off the ball for Oklahoma State. He's a solid, but not spectacular, shooter from downtown and the midrange. But the 6-foot-1 guard has struggled to finish at the rim throughout his career and his defensive tape has some issues on it. Brantley got drilled on screens way too easily. His attention to detail defensively has to be on point if he wants to survive in the Big 12.
Arturo Dean, from FIU Expected role: Backcourt rotation, potential starter Steve Lutz has relied on heating you up defensively and playing with a ton of tempo. That's exactly what Dean did at FIU. He had the top steal percentage in all of college basketball. Dean will get right up in your shirt and move his feet. But he's only 5-foot-11 and 163 pounds which could be exploited by some smart offenses if you can get past that first wave of hounding ball-pressure. Dean's lack of size and mediocre jumper make him a tough sell in the Big 12, so he's probably best-suited coming off the bench and bringing high energy.
Brandon Newman, from Western Kentucky Expected role: Potential starting guard Newman is a career 77% free throw shooter, so he's clearly a good shooter. But his 3-point stroke has been hit-or-miss. He drilled 3s as a freshman at Purdue but he hasn't shot over 33% from downtown in each of the past three seasons. Newman does know the system and can provide depth on the wing as a rock-solid, 3-and-D complementary piece. But he's not very comfortable creating offense for himself.
Marchelus Avery, from UCF Expected role: Potential starting forward Avery shot just a smidge under 40% on his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last year at UCF, and he's clearly a high-major athlete. Avery looks to have the inside track to start at the 4. He's not a big play-creator. Avery relies on others to create advantages for his shots, but he should space the floor, attack long closeouts and give Lutz's defense some size at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds. He was helpful on the glass last year at UCF, but he fell out of favor in Big 12 play and nearly was out of the rotation for good. The smaller usage rate, the better.
Abou Ousmane, from Xavier Expected role: Starting center Xavier's defense was a complete trainwreck whenever Ousmane was not on the floor. Xavier's defense worsened by over 11 points per 100 possessions without Ousmane, per hoop-explorer and opponents shot just 52% at the rim against Sean Miller's club when Ousmane was on the floor. His defense will keep him relevant for an Oklahoma State club that's pretty thin in the frontcourt. Oklahoma State's offense will likely heavily rely on its perimeter players, but Ousmane can give the Pokes some semblance of a low-post threat.
Davonte Davis, from Arkansas Expected role: Starting guard The best version of Davis is a downright killer who wants to slash to the rim, hit 3-pointers and play with fire and tenacity. The worst version of Davis is a player who can't get the ball out of his hands fast enough. Oklahoma State will provide a much-needed change of scenery for the up-and-down, 6-foot-4 guard. Lutz should be able to simplify things for Davis. He can be a hellacious on-ball defender. Do more of that. He can attack off the bounce. Do more of that. Playing with tempo should keep Davis from bogging down against set halfcourt defenses. If Oklahoma State can unlock Good Devo Davis, it is in business. But it's been awhile since we've seen that dude.
Robert Jennings, from Texas Tech Expected role: Frontcourt rotation, potential starter Jennings had to play a lot of minutes as a small-ball 5 for Texas Tech due to some injuries. But the 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward is probably closer to a 4. It might be hard to put Ousmane and Jennings on the floor together because both guys aren't real floor-spacers yet, but Jennings has a path to a significant role for Oklahoma State in his first year with the program. He's a good offensive rebounder who showed he can hang at the Big 12 level because he plays hard and has those physical tools. Adding skill is going to be so key to unlocking his game.
Pat Suemnick, from West Virginia Expected role: Frontcourt rotation, potential starter When Jesse Edwards was out, Suemnick stepped into a big role for West Virginia last year. He had a 20-point, six-rebound showing against Kansas' intimidating frontline. He had 16 and 6 against Texas. He's a capable play-finisher as a roller. He has nice touch in the middle of the paint and should be a good release valve for Oklahoma State's guards. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward will be in the mix for double-digit minutes every night and could end up starting at the 4.
Steve Lutz begins his reclamation project at Oklahoma State with a mixed bag of transfers.
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