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Oklahoma State Basketball head coach Mike Boynton hired former Tulane assistant Cannen Cunningham onto his staff today.
Cunningham is a former standout at Southern Methodist and served under Mike Dunleavy Sr. for the Green Wave last season.
Welcome the newest assistant coach to the Cowboy basketball staff, Cannen Cunningham. #letswork #okstate
— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) June 25, 2019
Standout forward at SMU under Larry Brown
Coaching/recruiting base in DFW
Spent ’18-19 season on staff at Tulane with @MikeDunleavySr
▶️ https://t.co/XiaCXLc41P pic.twitter.com/zmM6lAGZWF
“He has a great knack for player development and has a relatability with players that will be a tremendous asset to the continual growth of our program,” said Boynton.
Cunningham, who played for the great Larry Brown at SMU, told 247, “First and foremost, I’d like to thank God for this extremely exciting opportunity to join coach Boynton at Oklahoma State... I have a ton of respect for coach Boynton and what he’s done here in Stillwater, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to do what I love at such a high level.”
He had an illustrious career at SMU, setting a school record with 134 games played and he was an integral part of the Mustang’s 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance.
He is also the brother of Cade Cunningham, the number 2 overall recruit in the class of 2020, who could be the highest rated recruit OSU has ever landed (Gerald Green was a higher recruit when he committed to OSU, but he later decided to go straight to the NBA).
This is huge news because Cannen Cunningham just happens to be the older brother of one of the top high school players in the country — Cade Cunningham. Smart move by Mike Boynton. https://t.co/sCpDLcxJTs
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 25, 2019
His brother’s new job “is obviously a big factor,” the 6’7 combo guard from Texas told Rivals, “but it does not determine my recruitment.”
Cunningham also said he is in no rush to make his decision, but most experts expect a commitment to OSU very soon, including 247’s Evan Daniels. 247’s crystal ball predictions were already leaning towards OSU, and today they are unanimous.
Made a Crystal Ball pick for five-star guard Cade Cunningham to Oklahoma State back in May. The hiring of Cannen is potentially significant recruiting news. | Link: https://t.co/QJj8ruEOyy
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 25, 2019
The Montverde Academy product’s decision will have huge ramifications to the rest of the recruiting process nationwide. Cunningham is a supreme talent that makes those around him better, so perhaps the biggest impact he could make for OSU is that he could bring other high recruits such as Bryce Thompson and Isaiah Todd along with him.
Other schools in the phenom’s top 10 include Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Memphis, Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, Texas, and Florida.