Cowboy Basketball Alumni Update – Oklahoma State University Athletics

Oklahoma State men’s basketball alumni were active around the globe in 2024-25 competing in no fewer than 19 different countries and bringing home four championships.
 
Third team All-NBA selection Cade Cunningham headlined a group of five Cowboys who earned all-league honors, joined by John-Michael Wright (Czech Republic), Anthony Hickey (Italy Serie A2), Markel Brown (Italy Serie A1) and Kalib Boone (Finland).
 
On the NBA front, Cunningham and Lindy Waters teamed up in Detroit to help the Pistons to their first playoff berth since 2019, while Marcus Smart made off-season headlines by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers for what will be his 12th NBA season. In addition, Jawun Evans and Cameron McGriff saw time in the G-League with McGriff performing well on the Utah Jazz’s 2025 Summer League roster.
 
 
OKLAHOMA STATE ALUMNI IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL (2024-25 SEASON)
The list below includes players who finished their college careers at OSU or played at least four seasons in a Cowboy uniform.
 
Player (Years at OSU) – Current or Most Recent Club (Country-League)
* = Signed with club for 2025-26 Season
 

Marcus Smart

UNITED STATES:
 
Marcus Smart (2012-14) – Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) *
Smart’s 11th NBA season began in Memphis and ended with the Washington Wizards. He’ll begin the next in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform after reportedly agreeing to a two-year deal in mid-July. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is just six steals shy of 1,000 for his career
 
Cade Cunningham (2020-21) – Detroit Pistons (NBA) *
Cunningham made his first all-star game and his first playoff appearance while earning third team All-NBA honors. Along the way he averaged career highs for points (26.1) and assists (9.1).
 
Lindy Waters III (2016-20) – San Antonio Spurs (NBA) *
NBA insiders reported on July 23 that Waters is set to sign with the San Antonio Spurs in 2025-26. The 27-year old was involved in two different trades and a career-high 52 games during his fourth NBA season. The first, ahead of the 2024 draft, sent him from Oklahoma City to Golden State where he logged 38 games and nine starts. He was dealt to Detroit in early February and – playing alongside Cunningham – helped the Pistons to a 10-4 record in his 14 appearances.
 
Cameron McGriff (2016-20) – Salt Lake City Stars (USA-G-League)*
McGriff averaged 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 season with the G-League’s Indiana Mad Ants. He joined the Utah Jazz for the 2025 NBA Summer League after his rights were acquired by their G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, in a June trade. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in four Summer League games.
 
Jawun Evans (2015-17) Maine Celtics (USA-G-League)
Evans’ season began in Warsaw, Poland where he averaged 4.8 assists for eventual league champion Legia. He returned to the United States in January with the Boston Celtics’ G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
 
 

Caleb Asberry

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND
 
Caleb Asberry (2022-23) – Southland Sharks (New Zealand-NBL)
Asberry has been a standout performer the last two seasons in New Zealand. In the summer of 2025 he teamed up with another former Poke, Keylan Boone, to help lead the Southland Sharks to the New Zealand NBL grand finals. For the year he averaged close to 16 points per game along with 4.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.9 steals.
 
 

John-Michael Wright

EUROPE

John-Michael Wright (2022-24) – Olomoucko (Czech Republic-NBL)

A 2,000-point scorer in college, Wright’s game has translated well overseas. He was an honorable mention all-league selection as a rookie and helped his team to a third-place finish. In 52 games he averaged 16.0 points and knocked down 116 threes.

 

Yankuba Sima (2017-18) – Valencia (Spain-Liga Endesa)*

A seventh-year pro, Sima has spent the bulk of his career back in his native Spain and been a semi regular member of its senior national team. In early July he signed a 2025-26 contract with Valencia Basket following a three-year run with Unicaja. Last season he helped his team win its second straight Basketball Champions League title along with the 2025 Spanish Cup.

 

Markel Brown (2010-14) – Trieste (Italy-Serie A)

The 33-year Brown continues to perform at a high level, earning third team all-league honors in one of European basketball’s top domestic leagues. In 30 games he averaged 15.2 points and knocked down 73 threes on 40% accuracy while helping Pallacanestro Trieste reach the Serie A playoffs for the first time since 2019. Brown made a similar impact in 2023-24 with Napoli, helping the club win its first ever Italian Cup.

 

Kalib Boone (2019-23) – Helsinki Seagulls (Finland-Koriligga)

Boone went heavy on the hardware in his first professional season, helping Helsinki sweep the Finnish League’s regular season and postseason titles. The Tulsa native was named first team all-league and also made the all-import and all-defensive teams, averaging15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over 42 games.

 

Jeffrey Carroll (2014-18) – Phoenix Hagen (Germany-ProA) *

Following an injury shortened 2024-25 season, Carroll will make his return to Germany in 2025-26 after signing with Phoenix Hagen. He was a leading scorer and an honorable mention All-BBL performer in 2024 with Heidelberg following a year Finland (where he was a first team all-league pick for 2023 Finnish League champion Helsinki) and three more in Italy.

 

Kendall Smith (2017-18) – Panionios (Greece-Elite League) *

Smith filled up his passport in 2024-25 after moving from Greece to China to France in a span of less than eight months. His 2023-24 season included stops in Russia and Turkey.

 

Avery Anderson III (2019-23) – Randers Cimbria (Denmark-BasketLigaen)

The 2023 OSU graduate put up nearly 20 points per game as a rookie in Denmark along with 4.7 assists and 2.6 steals on a team that won the 2025 Danish Cup and advanced to the league semifinals.

 

Isaac Likekele (2018-22) – Kouvot (Finland-Korisliiga)

Likekele suffered a season-ending injury just eight games into the 2024-25 campaign with Kouvot Kouvola of the Finnish League. As a rookie he was the 2024 Norwegian League player of the year with averages of 19.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 3.3 steals for league champion Fyllingen. This summer he begins a new chapter in coaching as a graduate assistant at Northwestern.

 

Mike Marsh (2023-24) – KFUM Jamtland (Sweden-SBL) *

The 6-foot-10 Marsh put up 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds as a rookie and helped Pully reach the Swiss Basketball League semifinals. He also expanded his shooting range, knocking down 13 of his 28 attempts from beyond the arc (.464). Marsh is headed to Sweden in 2025-26 after signing last month with KFUM Jamtland.

 

Anthony Hickey (2014-15) – Udine (Italy-Serie A2)

Hickey was named Guard of the Year in Italy’s Serie A2 and took home first team all-league honors for a second straight year after leading Udine to its first regular season title since 2016. He averaged 14.4 points and 5.3 assists in 2024-25, one year after putting up 16.8 and 5.7 for league rival Cantu. The 11th-year pro has played in eight different countries since leaving OSU. He won a championship in the Kazakhstan League in 2022 and has also made stops in Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Israel, Poland and Romania.

 

Jarius Hicklen (2023-24) – Vellaznimi (Kosovo-Superliga)

Hicklen got his first taste of pro ball during the fall with a stint in the Kosovo Basketball SuperLeague.

 

 

James Anderson

ASIA
 
James Anderson (2007-10) – Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia)
Anderson logged three October games with Al-Ula over which he collected 39 points on 11-of-24 three-point shooting. The 36-year old averaged double-figures on 44% three-point shooting in the Turkish League during the 2023-24 season.
 
Tavarius Shine (2014-18) – Al Kahraba (Iraq-SuperLeague)
Shine logged 12 games during a two-month stint in Iraq where he averaged 18.7 points and 2.3 steals over 12 games.
 
Chris Olivier (2015-16) — Tokyo Z (Japan-B3)
Olivier wrapped up his ninth professional season (and eighth in Japan) with strong numbers. He averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds over 20 games with Tokushima and Tokyo Z in Japan’s third tier division.
 
Le’Bryan Nash (2011-15) – Satria Muda (Indonesia-IBL)
Nash has played the last two seasons in Indonesia. He averaged 16.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in 2024-25 for Satria Muda and was a second team all-league performer in 2023-24 after putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds for Simba Bogar.