Oklahoma State reached into Texas to land four-star forward Justin McBride on Wednesday, beating out Arizona State and others to land the Plano (Texas) High School star. The No. 73 prospect in the 2023 class, McBride spoke with Rivals about his decision to choose the Cowboys.
IN HIS WORDS
ON WHY HE CHOSE OKLAHOMA STATE
“I just love it there, man. I know a player there named Chris Harris, and he really showed me everything down there and made it seem great. It’s actually unbelievable. You know how everything is close. I love the coaching and I love how they play transition ball. They let me get at the rim. It’s a good place for players like me and my position to get ready for the next level.”
ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIS HARRIS
“He went to South Garland High School. I went the year after him, but I always worked out with him when he was a senior and all that.”
ON WHICH OKLAHOMA STATE COACH RECRUITED HIM
“Mike Boynton did a lot of it. He’s a great person. He preaches the game and he knows how to make players comfortable and get to the next level.”
ON WHEN HE KNEW HE’D CHOOSE THE COWBOYS
“As soon as I left my visit. The visit was when I knew. The way they broke down my film, and showed me the tape even from when I was at Oak Hill. The way they showed me why I fit there was unbelievable. No other school really did that like they did.”
ON HOW HE FITS WITH THE OSU SYSTEM
"They call me “The Playmaker.”” They see me as that four that can get on the boards, run, make good decisions and do anything they need me to when it comes to making a play.”
WHAT OKLAHOMA STATE IS GETTING
McBride’s trajectory over the past year has been impressive. The four-star forward has leaned out significantly and has looked slimmer, quicker and more skilled than ever before. Concerns about his body have all but vanished, and he’s exhibited more confidence when it comes to a jump-shooting and ball handling standpoint. McBride’s signature moment on the summer circuit came during a Peach Jam consolation game that saw him knock down five 3-pointers on his way to 33 points. The effort was an exclamation point in a year that saw McBride make over his profile as a prospect and improve his ranking significantly. The Texas-based four star now projects as a hyper-versatile forward that has the strength to defend larger opponents in the block and the agility to step out on the perimeter on both ends. McBride runs the floor relatively well and has gotten much quicker in the last calendar year.
