Oklahoma State Cowboys Men's Basketball Legends

Last Updated on March 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Oklahoma State’s legend tier is built on one of college basketball’s oldest power traditions: back-to-back NCAA titles in 1945 and 1946, six Final Fours, a long All-America pipeline, and multiple eras of nationally relevant stars. The strongest Cowboy legends are the players who either anchored championship teams, dominated the school record book, won major national honors, or became inseparable from Oklahoma State basketball history. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

1. Bob Kurland

Years at Oklahoma State: 1943–1946
Position: Center
Notable Achievements:
- Three-time consensus first-team All-American
- Led Oklahoma A&M to the 1945 and 1946 NCAA championships
- Two-time NCAA Tournament Outstanding Player
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Kurland is the clear No. 1 because he was the centerpiece of the sport’s first back-to-back NCAA champion and one of the most dominant early big men in college basketball history. Oklahoma State’s own history notes that he led the Aggies to consecutive national titles and was the tournament’s Outstanding Player both times, which gives him the strongest résumé in program history. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

2. Bryant “Big Country” Reeves

Years at Oklahoma State: 1992–1995
Position: Center
Notable Achievements:
- Three-time All-American
- Two-time Big Eight Player of the Year
- Led Oklahoma State to the 1995 Final Four
- School record for single-season scoring with 797 points
- Sixth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft

Reeves has the best modern-era case because he was the dominant force behind Oklahoma State’s return to national prominence under Eddie Sutton. Oklahoma State’s All-Americans and Hall of Honor pages highlight his three All-America seasons, his scoring records, and the Final Four run that capped his senior year. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

3. Byron Houston

Years at Oklahoma State: 1988–1992
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Three-time All-American
- 1991 Big Eight Player of the Year
- 1992 Big Eight Tournament MVP
- Oklahoma State all-time leader in points and rebounds
- First-round pick in the 1992 NBA Draft

Houston belongs near the top because his statistical résumé is enormous. Oklahoma State’s Hall of Honor says he is the school’s all-time leader in points, scoring average, rebounds, blocks, field goals attempted, free throws made, and free throws attempted, which makes him one of the most overwhelming career producers the program has ever had. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

4. Marcus Smart

Years at Oklahoma State: 2012–2014
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2013 first-team All-American
- Two-time All-American
- Big 12 Player of the Year
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- School record nine steals in a game

Smart has one of the highest short-term peaks any Cowboy has reached. He was an instant program-changing guard, earned first-team All-America honors as a freshman, and followed it with a second All-America season, giving Oklahoma State one of the best two-year stars in school history. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

5. Cade Cunningham

Years at Oklahoma State: 2020–2021
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- First-team AP All-American
- Consensus first-team All-American
- Big 12 Player of the Year
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- Led Oklahoma State to the 2021 Big 12 Tournament title game

Cunningham’s case is built on elite peak value. Oklahoma State states that he became the program’s first player ever to earn first-team AP All-America honors, and his one season in Stillwater was productive enough to rank with the best individual years any Cowboy has produced. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

6. Tony Allen

Years at Oklahoma State: 2002–2004
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2004 All-American
- 2004 Big 12 Co-Player of the Year
- Led Oklahoma State to the 2004 Final Four
- One of the best defenders in school history
- Six-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection

Allen ranks this high because he was the emotional and defensive engine of one of Oklahoma State’s best modern teams. His 2004 season helped drive a Final Four run, and Oklahoma State’s NBA history page underscores how his defensive reputation carried all the way to the highest level. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

7. John Lucas

Years at Oklahoma State: 2002–2004
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2004 second-team All-American
- 2004 Big 12 Co-Player of the Year
- Led Oklahoma State to the 2004 Final Four
- Wooden Award All-American
- One of the best point guards in program history

Lucas has a strong legends case because he was the lead guard on a Final Four team and earned major national recognition in 2004. Oklahoma State’s biography page notes that he was a Wooden Award All-American and a consensus major-award All-American, which gives him one of the best single-season résumés by a Cowboy guard. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

8. James Anderson

Years at Oklahoma State: 2007–2010
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2010 first-team All-American
- Unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year
- Wooden Award All-American
- One of the top scorers in school history
- OSU’s first basketball All-American since 2005

Anderson deserves a top-10 spot because his 2009–10 peak was elite. Oklahoma State explicitly noted that he was the school’s first basketball All-American since Joey Graham, and his senior season put him among the top individual scorers of the modern Cowboy era. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

9. Desmond Mason

Years at Oklahoma State: 1996–2000
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 2000 All-American
- Key scorer on a Big 12 title contender
- Program leader in consecutive starts
- First-round NBA Draft pick
- One of the program’s best athletes and finishers

Mason’s résumé blends production, longevity, and program visibility. Oklahoma State’s All-Americans page confirms his 2000 All-America status, and school history notes that he finished with the program record for consecutive starts, which speaks to both durability and importance. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

10. Joey Graham

Years at Oklahoma State: 2002–2005
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 2005 All-American
- Key scorer on the 2004 Final Four team
- Led Oklahoma State in scoring during the 2005 NCAA Tournament run
- One of the best wings of the Sutton era

Graham rounds out the top 10 because he was an important bridge from the 2004 Final Four team into the next season’s Sweet 16 run. Oklahoma State’s All-Americans page confirms his 2005 national recognition, and its Final Four history notes his scoring role in major NCAA tournament wins. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

11. Jawun Evans

Years at Oklahoma State: 2015–2017
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2017 All-American
- First-team All-Big 12
- One of the best sophomore point-guard seasons in school history
- NBA Draft pick

Evans has a solid legends argument because he became an All-American in a short college career and reestablished Oklahoma State as a guard-driven national story after the Smart era. Oklahoma State noted that he became the program’s first All-American since Smart, which gives his sophomore campaign real historical weight. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

12. Gale McArthur

Years at Oklahoma State: 1947–1949
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- All-American
- Led Oklahoma A&M to the 1949 national runner-up finish
- Star of one of the best post-title teams in school history
- Important figure in the Henry Iba era

McArthur makes the list because Oklahoma State’s tournament-history material still singles him out as the All-American leader of the 1949 national runner-up team. In a program with this much history, that level of postseason importance is enough to secure a place in the legend tier. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

Strong Honorable Mentions

Jesse Renick
John Starks
Melvin Sanders
Richard Dumas
Markel Brown
Le’Bryan Nash
The toughest cuts are players like John Starks, whose later NBA profile added to his Oklahoma State fame, and Jesse Renick, one of the program’s earliest All-Americans in the pre-title era. (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

Oklahoma State Cowboys Men’s Basketball Legends