2021 Draft Preview: Did Cade Cunningham Prove Why He Is The Top Recruit Of His Class In Debut For Oklahoma State?

Cade Cunningham has long been touted to be the best prospect for the NBA draft next year from the class of 2021. Coming off a season where his high school team went undefeated, Cunningham has naturally piqued everyone’s interest. However, many top recruits often fail to transition their games to different levels. But is Cade going down that path?

From what we saw in his NCAA debut, the answer is an emphatic no. Cunningham led Oklahoma State University to a 75-86 win over the University of Texas Arlington. While OSU aren’t one of the top-ranked teams this season, Cunningham will bring a lot of attention to the program. He had a 21-point and 10-rebound outing in his debut.

But did Cunningham prove to everyone why he is touted for success?

Cade Cunningham increasing his draft stock

It is very hard to increase your stock heading into a draft after one game. So obviously Cade hasn’t increased his draft stock, but it does help him hold stead at the spot he is. Cade is actually a prospect with very few holes in his game. He is a decent defender who can improve to possibly being elite. He can playmaker, score, rebound, steal the ball, etc. His versatility is hard to find with raw prospects.

However, there is one area Cunningham will definitely have to work on. That area is shooting. While he isn’t necessarily a bad shooter, his production from the mid-range and beyond can always be more streamlined. Considering how important an outside game is in the modern NBA, Cunningham should be putting in a lot of hours working on his jumper.

His OSU team don’t look like big contenders in the NCAA tournament this season. That is them just being victims to the well-rounded squads that they are already going against. However, Cunningham could produce magic as the point guard and get this team to an unlikely contenders spot.

Cade is showing what everyone expected to see out of his debut. That is always better than having an underwhelming start. Hopefully, he puts these string performances together and continues to show why he is the best prospect in this class.