Which Oklahoma State basketball players will be most impacted by Bryce Thompson injury?
STILLWATER — Mike Boynton knows he has a decision to make Saturday.
And he’ll have the same decision to make again Tuesday night. And then again for nearly every game the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team plays the rest of this season.
With the loss of senior guard Bryce Thompson for an extended period, and possibly the season, Boynton will have to decide who his fifth starter will be — a decision he says will often be based on matchups and team needs in each individual game.
That begins with OSU’s 1 p.m. Saturday tip against Kansas State at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
“There’s so many things that go into making that decision,” Boynton said. “Every game demands something different.
“We’ll look at that in practice and it’ll probably be very matchup-based moving forward."
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Thompson tore the labrum in his right shoulder in the first half of the Cowboys’ loss to Kansas last Tuesday, extracting from the lineup the team’s most experienced player, a 39.4% shooter from 3-point range and a strong perimeter defender.
The Cowboys weren’t off to a great start before Thompson’s injury, but went downhill fast after.
“He’s a very impactful player,” super-senior guard John-Michael Wright said. “He’s one of our lead guards, one of the leaders of this team. It took a big chunk out of our offense, but as Coach tells us all the time, next man up. You gotta step up and play when your name is called.
So whose name will be called next?
Some might speculate that Boynton needs to move 6-foot-8 forward Eric Dailey Jr. back into the starting lineup, but the freshman has been productive and comfortable coming off the bench over the last four games. Boynton also seems to like Dailey in that role.
Here’s a look at the three players most impacted by Thompson’s injury:
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Quion Williams offers defense
Quion Williams, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, had been a regular starter until recently when he and Dailey moved to the bench in favor of Wright and Connor Dow.
Williams’ biggest contribution will be on defense, where he can trusted with some of the toughest assignments on the perimeter. He’s a better rebounder than Thompson, averaging 5.5 boards per game, but not the offensive threat — though Williams is shooting 36.0% from 3-point range, albeit on just 25 attempts.
Williams’ biggest area for improvement is taking care of the ball. He has 45 turnovers, second-most on the team, and a high number for someone who isn’t a primary ball-handler.
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Opportunities increase for Jarius Hicklen
In replacing Thompson’s offense, transfer Jarius Hicklen has the most potential to boost his scoring. He’s the team’s best 3-point shooter at 42.4% (39-of-92) and takes care of the ball with just nine turnovers in 21 games.
To this point, he’s averaging 18.2 minutes per game, and that number is sure to rise. He has started one game this season, and could be in line for more when Boynton decides an additional outside shooting threat is most valuable.
Another source of offense would be Dow, the 6-foot-6 freshman from Broken Arrow who has struggled to find his outside shot. He has made four of his 24 attempts from 3 since the beginning of December, but remains a threat if he can settle in.
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More minutes for Jamyron Keller
While freshman guard Jamyron Keller might not step into the starting role, his minutes are going to see a bump.
The 6-foot-3 Keller has been a solid shooter (33.3% from 3 and 53.5% on total field goals) and gives the team another ballhandler who is getting nearly an assist per game despite averaging less than 12 minutes.
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
OSU vs. Kansas State
TIPOFF: 1 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball players who could fill in for Bryce Thompson
