By ADAM ZAGORIA
Cade Cunningham may be the projected No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft, but he admitted to some butterflies before his first collegiate game at Oklahoma State.
“There’s definitely butterflies going into the first game,” the 6-foot-7 Cunningham said on ESPN. “We haven’t played in about eight months or however long, so definitely butterflies but I just tried to get a feel for it and once it did it was downhill from tom there.”
Cunningham finished with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting with 10 rebounds in his first game and young Oklahoma State fended off UT Arlington 75-68 in a season opener on Wednesday.
Teams like the Knicks may end up “Trying to Fade for a Shot at Cade” this season ahead of next year’s NBA Draft lottery.
An Associated Press preseason All-American, Cunningham was 1-for-5 from the floor in the early going, but had scored a dozen by halftime, showcased a variety of moves in the paint and came up big on the defensive glass in the final two minutes.
Six players made their Oklahoma State debuts. Cunningham, who posted Oklahoma State’s first 20-10 game since 2018, corralled the ball and was fouled after consecutive UT Arlington misses around the two-minute mark and the lead at three points. He made three of four from the line to help put the game away. “I like that he changes pace, changes direction, I like his ability to get to the rim and finish,” ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg said on air. “He reads ball screen situations. He’s playing with a very young basketball team.” Cunningham, who chose Oklahoma State over Kentucky, opted to stay committed to Oklahoma State after the Cowboys were given a postseason ban for their role in the college basketball bribery scandal. The school is appealing the ban. Photo: Ok State Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookCade Cunningham, ladies and gentlemen.
— ESPN (@espn) November 25, 2020
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