How did Oklahoma State men’s basketball fare in transfer portal?

The transfer portal has become the rage of college basketball, with virtually every team using the system to some degree. The Bedlam rivals are no exception.

OSU has three transfers from the portal, while OU has four.

When a player transfers from a fellow power-conference program, the comparisons are apples to apples. But when a player transfers in from a lower level, the adjustment can be a little dicey. I like to see what a mid-major player has done against power-conference opponents.

Today, we’ll look at OSU’s transfers. Tuesday, OU’s.

Mike Marsh, Jacksonville

Last season with the Dolphins of the Atlantic Sun Conference, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.2 blocked shots, with 55.2 percent shooting, numbers not far off his 2021-22 season with the Dolphins (8.7/5.4/0.2, 51.9 percent shooting).

In a 71-44 loss at Duke, Marsh made seven of eight shots and scored 15 points, with three rebounds. In games against Liberty and Virginia Commonwealth, Marsh combined to make 12 of 22 shots, for 27 points total, with 11 rebounds and one blocked shot.

The previous season, Marsh had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Georgia, on 6-of-10 shooting. But he struggled against Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Central Florida, making just five of 16 shots.

Also counting a game against Liberty that first season, in eight games against better competition, Marsh averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds, blocked one shot and shot 53.3 percent from the field. So, count Marsh as promising as he enters the Big 12.

More: For Oklahoma State and Big 12, conference realignment ‘feels a lot better on this side’

Jarius Hicklen, North Florida

The 6-foot-3 Dallas native played two season at Oklahoma Baptist, then transferred to North Florida, also of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Hicklen improved his numbers with the Ospreys from the first year to the second – 12.5 points from 12.0, 3.5 rebounds from 2.8 and 3.2 assists from 1.7. But his 3-point shooting fell from .401 to .361.

In his first season at North Florida, Hicklen played seven games against Power Five opponents, plus two games against Liberty. Hicklen had some monster performances – 27 points (6-of-12 3-point shooting) at Florida State and 31 points (8-of-16 from deep) against Liberty. In those nine games, Hicklen averaged 12.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and shot .421 from 3-point range. But he struggled against Texas A&M, UCLA and Kentucky, making just two of 11 3-point shots and averaging 3.7 points.

In his second Osprey season, Hicklin was solid against Washington, Kentucky, Houston and Pitt, averaging 15.7 points and making 15 of 33 deep balls.

So in 15 marquee games in two years at North Florida, Hicklin averaged 12.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and made 42.4 percent of his 3-point shots. Sounds like he can play against big-time competition.

Javon Small, East Carolina

The 6-foot-2 guard from South Bend, Indiana, was limited by injury with the Pirates. He played in just 34 East Carolina games, over two seasons.

Small played sparingly in 16 games as a freshman (averaging 2.0 points and just 9.2 minutes a game), but broke out last season by averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Playing in the American Conference, Small got more than his share of games against quality competition – three games against Cincinnati, three against Memphis, two against Temple, two against Wichita State, one against Southern Methodist, one against Houston and a non-conference game against South Carolina.

But even in his second season, Small didn’t produce as well against the better teams.

Small had a big game against Cincinnati (23 points, four rebounds, five assists) and made eight of 16 shots. But even counting that performance, in six games against quality competition, Small averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, but on 32 percent shooting and 27.8 3-point shooting.

Small must play better than that to be the OSU point guard.

More: Tramel’s ScissorTales: Which new Big 12 coordinators will have greatest impact in 2023?

Mailbag: Florida State & realignment

Rumormongers continue to talk about Florida State (and Clemson) as possible conference realignment targets.

Cameron: “Is Florida State in play for the Big 12? They are not AAU (Association of American Universities), so it’s SEC or Big 12?”

Tramel: The AAU reference is related to the Big Ten’s desire to admit only AAU members, though Michigan State was not an AAU member when it joined in 1950 and Nebraska was tossed out of the AAU after the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011.

But I don’t see Florida State leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference. The grant of rights risk is too strong.

The Seminoles clearly are alarmed at their revenue future, since the ACC is tied into its ESPN contract through 2036. The ACC is bringing in solid revenue now – virtually equal to what the Big 12 will get per-school in its new contract – but the Big 12 will get at least one more new contract before 2036, perhaps even two.

Florida State has raised a ruckus about revenue distribution within the ACC, but leaving the conference is problematic. All ACC members have signed away their media rights to the conference.

Which means if Florida State leaves, its media rights stay with the ACC.

Lawyers long have debated how binding is the grant of rights, but we know what the legal community and universities think – it’s binding enough that it’s too big of a risk to challenge.

If Florida State were to leave the ACC, then were to lose the protracted court case that would follow, the judgment would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Sorry, Jeff Bezos does not own Florida State.

More: Tramel’s ScissorTales: No surprise that UCF, BYU will lead Big 12 football in mileage

The List: NBA over/under numbers

Betonline has released the over/under win totals for NBA teams going into the 2023-24 season, and the Thunder projection is both optimistic and pessimistic. Here are how the 30 teams are ranked:

1. Celtics 54½: Low number for the top team, but more parity means fewer big winners.

2. Nuggets 53½: Will Denver be bored during the regular season?

3. Bucks 52½: Milwaukee will play to stay healthy.

3. Suns 52½: Phoenix doesn’t have a lot of depth, but oh, that star power.

5. Cavaliers 50½: What? Cleveland is the No. 5 team in the NBA?

6. 76ers 49½: Wonder how this number moves if Philadelphia trades James Harden?

7. Warriors 48½: Golden State was 44-38 last season.

7. Heat 48½: Miami went just 44-38 before making the NBA Finals.

9. Lakers 47½: LA is the fourth-highest West team on this list.

10. Grizzlies 46½: Memphis went 51-31 a year ago, but Ja Morant’s suspension will limit the Grizzlies’ ceiling.

10. Clippers 46½: Los Angeles’ best players don’t play all the time. Hard to win big that way.

12. Mavericks 44½: Some optimism for Dallas, which slumped to 38-44 last season.

12. Timberwolves 44½: Four West teams logjammed at 44½.

12. Pelicans 44½: Will Zion Williamson play more than a handful of games? Without that knowledge, this number is meaningless.

12. Knickerbockers 44½: I thought the optimism might be stronger for New York.

12. Kings 44½: Sacramento placed third in the West last season.,

17. Thunder: 44. Eleven West teams have higher projections. Could OKC really go 44-38 and miss the play-in tournament?

18. Hawks 41½: Atlanta finished 41-41 last season.

19. Netropolitans 37½: Brooklyn opened at 51½ a year ago; of course, that was with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

19. Pacers 37½: Indiana is tied for eighth among Eastern Conference teams on the list. Oh, to be in the East.

21. Bulls 36½: Is Billy Donovan headed back to the play-in tournament?

21. Raptors 36½: Toronto needs a teardown.

21. Magic 36½: Not much of a jump for Orlando, which finished 34-48.

24. Jazz 35½: Hmm. A projected fallback for Utah, which finished 37-45.

25. Rockets 31½: The Thunder has Houston’s first-round pick in the 2024 draft, but it’s top-four protected. OKC would be fine with the Rockets landing somewhere around 31 wins.

26. Hornets 31: Somehow, Charlotte opened at 36½ a year ago. Lesson learned.

27. Spurs 28½: San Antonio opened at 24½ a year ago. That’s interesting. Only a four-game jump with Victor Wembanyama.

28. Pistons 27: The Pistons finished 17-65 last season, going all out for Wembanyama.

29. Wizards 24½: Finally, Washington appears to be tanking.

30. Trail Blazers off board: Interesting. Portland is off the board, courtesy of Damian Lillard’s trade request, but Miami – Lillard’s preferred landing spot – is not.

More: Tramel: Thunder fans, don’t compare Chet Holmgren to Victor Wembanyama

Aaron Rodgers was right about Sean Payton

New York Jetropolitans quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t much care for new Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton taking dead aim at Rodgers’ offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett.

Payton ripped Hackett, the Broncos’ 2022 head coach, and we know why. First, it was the truth. And second, Payton is trying to build some cover for beleaguered quarterback Russell Wilson.

But still. Payton’s words were beyond the pale.

Don’t you hate it when Rodgers is right? He’s turned awfully kooky – his darkness retreat into a bunker was quite bizarre – but that doesn’t mean he’s off base on everything.

“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL+ last week. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”

Tell us how you really feel, Rodgers.

Payton last week told USA Today that Hackett’s season in Denver was “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL” and there were “20 dirty hands” around Wilson’s woebegone season.

Hey, Payton wasn’t wrong. Hackett absolutely seemed overmatched as a head coach. Early in the season, the Broncos brought in a consultant to babysit Hackett.

Still, Payton broke the code. Rodgers was right.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at [email protected]. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How did Oklahoma State men’s basketball fare in transfer portal?