Cade Cunningham PG/SF-Oklahoma State: NBA Draft Preview (video)
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Cunningham's ability to get to the cup is one of the big reasons he averaged six free throw attempts per game in 2020-21.
Cunningham could become Oklahoma State’s first No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. The school has had just three Top 10 picks in the last 70 years (Joe Bradley-1950, Bryant Reeves-1995, Marcus Smart-2014) and the 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year is nearly a guarantee to become the fourth.
In his lone season on campus, Cunningham -a former AAU standout with the Texas Titans- averaged over 20 points per game, shot 40 percent from beyond the arc and pulled in six rebounds per contest. In addition, he shot a sparkling 85% from the free throw line. It all contributed to him being named the school’s first ever AP first-team All-American.
The former junior high school quarterback and 2021 Big 12 Freshman of the Year plays the game with a veteran’s feel and continues to increase his strength and explosiveness. The Detroit Pistons will strongly consider securing Cunningham with the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. If so, he will join former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin and Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins as the only two modern Big 12 players to be selected with the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft. In 1988, Danny Manning was the first overall pick of the NBA Draft (Los Angeles Clippers), but at the time the conference was still known as the Big Eight.
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