'Film Room': Boynton and Pastrana on Cunningham

Next up in Oklahoma State's 'Film Room' series with Mike Boynton and Erik Pastrana is the No. 1 overall prospect in the country, Cade Cunningham.

STILLWATER – We continue with Oklahoma State’s ‘Film Room’ series and next on the list is No. 1 overall player in the country: Cade Cunningham.

What about @CadeCunningham_ has @thacoachmike excited and what will he need to work on next year? Let's head to the film room.#NewEra I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/bjSNVunye7

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) April 23, 2020

Cunningham is a 6-7, 215-pound point guard out of Montverde (FL) Academy and is the No. 1 overall prospect and point guard in the country, as well as the No. 1 player out of Texas. He marks the highest-rated recruit to sign with Oklahoma State since Gerald Green in in the 2005 class, and would mark the highest in school history should he suit up for the Pokes as Green went straight to the NBA out of Houston Christian.

Cunningham was tabbed a McDonald's All-American, as well as being named the 2020 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year.

Cunningham played on the AAU team Texas Titans along with fellow Oklahoma State signees Rondel Walker and Montreal Pena. Throughout the summer, Cunningham averaged 23.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

Cunningham also played with current Oklahoma State point guard Isaac Likekele on USA Basketball’s U19 team that took home the gold medal at the U19 FIBA World Cup last summer.

This is how Mike Boynton and Co. describe Cunningham.

• Elite pass first PG

• Great in transition/BS’s

• High IQ & leadership skills

• High level defender

• Best trait is his unselfishness/competitiveness

While he’s a stellar athlete that can score at will on the offensive end, you’ll hear from Boynton and Co. that Cunningham is also a defensive juggernaut.

“Obviously, the crown jewel of the class,” Mike Boynton said. “I think, without question, the best player in America, not really sure how debatable it is. This kid really impacts the game in so many different ways. The thing I’ve always been most impressed with was just his maturity level. When I met him, he was 14 I think, he didn’t talk like a 14-year-old. He had a presence about himself. Then we watched him play, you could just see how competitive and unselfish he is, and I think that’s why people are drawn him and what he can become ultimately as a college player, but certainly well, well beyond that into his pro career.

“This may be the most underrated, underappreciated part of his game,” Boynton said of Cunningham’s passing abilities. “I think people know that he can score pretty much when he wants. He probably doesn’t look to score as much as he’s capable of. He passes unbelievably well; I think people acknowledge that, but his ability to rebound defensively at 6-7, which eliminates an extra pass from the break and he becomes immediately in attack mode and then it just translates to the next level. He has no problem commanding the floor and being the guy who puts his teammates vocally in positions that they’re supposed to be.”

“The one thing that jumped out at me with him is the way he controls the pace of a game,” said Erik Pastrana. “Whether it’s rebounding and pushing on the run or getting guys into spots and making plays after those guys are in those spots.”

Probably the most impressive thing watching [Team USA] play Greece was his defensive IQ. The way he saw the game, the way he communicated on the court defensively. Obviously, you know what he can do offensively, his packages’ really strong, but his defensive communication, the way he saw the floor is really, really impressive for an 18-year-old kid.”