Prized recruit Cade Cunningham staying true to probation-riddled Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State basketball is on probation, meaning the Cowboys won’t be going to the NCAA tournament in 2021. That hasn’t deterred a star recruit from deciding he wants to play for OSU.

Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-7 point guard from Texas who plays at Montverde Academy (Florida), will honor his commitment to Oklahoma State.

“Loyalty,” Cunningham said in an Instagram video. “It’s more than a word. It’s action. It’s standing by the people you started with. It’s showing up, even when times are hard. It’s believing in the people who always believed in you. It’s a commitment.

“Now, more than ever, I’m loyal and true. I’m committed. Stillwater, let’s work

Cunningham won the Naismith High School Trophy given to the nation’s best player. He was the key piece of a highly ranked class that gave fans hope Oklahoma State would return to its past success.

Earlier this month, an NCAA infractions committee panel handed down numerous penalties related to findings that former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepting up to $22,000 in bribes intended to help steer athletes to certain financial advisers. Oklahoma State is appealing.

One interesting aspect of Cunningham’s recruitment was Oklahoma State’s decision to hire his older brother in 2019.

Cannen Cunningham, 26, played at SMU from 2011-015 and spent last season at Tulane as the associate director of video operations under Mike Dunleavy Sr.