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Where Jawun Evans Ranks Among All-Time OSU Point Guards

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Jawun Evans is gone to the NBA so that makes two key personnel losses for the Oklahoma State men’s basketball program with Brad Underwood’s departure being the other one following one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory.

Evans’ declaration came four days after the Cowboys’ 92-91 loss to Michigan in the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. After that game, he said he would, “more than likely,” be back to OSU for his junior season. He’s not, though.

His departure begs the question: Just how good was Jawun Evans at Oklahoma State? Here is how he stacks up among the other great Cowboy point guards and how I would rank the five best PGs in school history.

5. Maurice Baker (2000-02)

Baker put up the second-best scoring season in OSU guard history (and No. 1 among exclusively point guards) in the 2000-01 season when he averaged 19.8 per game.

That same season, he had 4.2 assists and 6.7 rebounds on average every time out. It was his first season with the Cowboys as a transfer from Dixie State. In year No. 2 though, he only averaged 12.9 per game, and his other stats fell off as well as he dealt with various injuries. But that first season was a beauty.

4. John Lucas (2003-05)

Lucas ended up at OSU after the scandal at Baylor (no not that one). He averaged 17.7 points per game in the 2004-05 season, and he did this in the 2003-04 season.

Lucas went undrafted, but that shot plus that stage plus that moment plus that call by Dave Hunziker plus a pair of unbelievable seasons in Stillwater will forever land him on this list.

3. Doug Gottlieb (1998-2000)

I’m afraid my credential will be revoked because I put Gottlieb No. 3 and not No. 2. Doug competed every year in the PassMaster Classic. He averaged 8.8, 8.6 and 6.9 assists per game in his three seasons in Stillwater. Those are the top three marks among OSU guards in the program’s history.

Give me a break.

Come on. Few human beings could make the pass he did there.

Gottlieb’s shooting wasn’t great, which is why he is No. 3. His highest point average for a season came when he was a senior and put up 5.9 points per game, which is 84th among all-time OSU guards.

2. Jawun Evans (2015-17)

Yes, better than who could have been his coach for his junior season Gottlieb.

Gottlieb had unbelievable passes, but he couldn’t shoot. Evans ticks every box. You know that during this past season, there were moments when No. 1 did something so spectacular that you had no choice but to lean back in your brown leather recliner and say to yourself, “My God.”

Like this.

In two years with the Cowboys, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game while playing for a team that competes in the Big 12. Evans played only 22 games as a freshman because of a couple of injuries, and he still won Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

This season, he put up 19.2 points per game, which was seventh best of any OSU player in history.

That’s good, right?

1.Marcus Smart (2012-14)

His athletic ability was always going to come at 6-foot-4, but his vision and defensive potency against smaller guards made Smart stand out.

Smart averaged 16.7 points per game, 4.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds in two seasons at OSU. He averaged three steals a game as a freshman and won Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

What makes him better than Jawun is about four inches.

Smart could do everything Evans can but at a touch higher efficiency at the rim because he could rival the posts. Man, for me though, it’s like splitting hairs. Two different types of guards but the same take-a-game-over ability.

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