‘Batman and Superman’: Why Cade Cunningham might not be Oklahoma State’s most important player

As Isaac Likekele looked around the gym, he knew he belonged, no matter what the rankings said.

In June 2019, 34 of the nation’s best young players descended on Colorado Springs, Colorado, with hopes of representing their country on USA Basketball’s U19 team.

In a room full of former 5-stars and soon-to-be NBA players, a little-known guard from Oklahoma State might have been an afterthought.

But Mike Boynton, Likekele’s coach at Oklahoma State, thinks it was the perfect situation.

“I told the guys when they asked him to come: I said 'Listen, you just got to put a bunch of guys in a really competitive environment and give them the best chance.' I like his chances,” Boynton said. “Because the more competitive the environment is, the better (Likekele) is. And it's been proven over the course of his career.”

And he was right. Likekele beat future NBA players Isaac Okoro and R.J. Hampton, as well as future college stars Sharife Cooper and Josh Christopher to make the 12-man squad.

The United States went 7-0 to win the 2019 U19 World Cup with Likekele scoring nine points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds in the championship game.

Likekele found a role that suited him and his team — a lesson that would eventually lead to him being a part of one of the country's most dynamic backcourts at Oklahoma State (18-7, 11-7 Big 12), currently projected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology.

The leading scorer of that championship game with 21 points? A 17-year-old Cade Cunningham. This gave Likekele his first glimpse at what they could accomplish as teammates.

It also confirmed what he already believed.

“I feel like I can play with anybody,” Likekele said.

Isaac Likekele during a game against Kansas in February. (Photo: Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

When Cunningham, the No. 1 player in the 2020 recruiting class according to 247 Sports, committed to play at Oklahoma State, Likekele had a choice to make.

He could insist on keeping his role as the team’s primary ball-handler, a role he occupied the two years prior, or he could let go of the reins and let his new teammate drive the Cowboys to a new height — the NCAA Tournament.

It wouldn’t have been shocking if a 20-year-old who had started at point guard all 60 games of his career was territorial when his team brought in a player who not only played the same position but had some of the loftiest expectations for a college freshman in recent memory.

But his time with USA Basketball changed the way Likekele thought about success, and his role in it.

“When he gets invited to USA Basketball, then makes the team and then helps win a gold medal, I think it changed his mindset to not only can I be a good player on a team that's not very good in college, but I can compete with the best guys in the world at my age,” Boynton said. “That kind of gave him some validation as to his own ability to be a leader and a guy who impacts winning at a high level."

Including in his new role in the Cowboys’ backcourt with Cunningham.

"They've been very, very complimentary of one another, and a lot of it had to do with (Likekele’s) maturity, because the attention was on Cade from the moment he stepped on campus and largely before he ever got here," Boynton said.

As Cunningham’s Oklahoma State tenure began, the Cowboys were playing well. They were 6-0, beating teams by 9.3 points per game and had road wins at Marquette and Wichita State. But that success didn’t continue into Big 12 play — and Boynton needed to make a change.

The Cowboys started 0-2 with losses to TCU and Texas by a combined four points. Losing games in the Big 12 isn't the issue; it is one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball with all but one team (No. 2 Baylor) having at least six conference losses. But it was the way in which the Cowboys lost games that worried Boynton. Likekele was shooting a career-low 6.3 shots per game.

In many ways, Likekele is the perfect backcourt partner for Cunningham. They are both well-rounded players. A backcourt with that size (Likekele is 6-5 and Cunningham is 6-8) and skill combination give Oklahoma State what Boynton calls "an opportunity to be different."

Likekele has been aware of how good Cunningham is and what his future will most likely hold since their time with USA Basketball and it always has been a goal of Likekele's to see his teammate succeed.

“ ‘I want you to go No. 1, I want you to be the player that you are. You need the ball more to do that? Here, take it,’ ” Likekele said. “That’s my brother, so if he makes it and he’s successful, to me, I’m just as happy as if I made it or I’m successful.”

The problem came when Likekele's desire to see Cunningham flourish became a detriment to his own game.

Isaac Likekele (left) and Cade Cunningham during a game against Texas Tech. (Photo: Brody Schmidt, AP)

'Batman and Superman'

While he has never been a high-volume shooter, Boynton knew getting arguably his second-best player more involved and back to playing “his game” was a priority. The first step was making sure Likekele knew he wasn't a sidekick, but instead a crucial part of what they were doing.

“I wanted them to think of it not as a Batman and Robin deal," Boyton said. "Because obviously, everybody thinks of Cade as a Batman. I said, no, it's more Batman and Superman, like, I need you guys to both be the guy. Because there's room and opportunities enough for both of you, and if we get both of you to be more aggressive, then we'll have a chance to have more success.”

The change was visible immediately as Likekele averaged 16 points over the next four games, his shot attempts ballooned to 11.3 per game and the Cowboys defeated then-No. 14 Texas Tech and then-No. 7 Kansas in a 10-day stretch. 

Oklahoma State is 11-5 since its 0-2 start to conference play, and looks primed to make a run in March Madness. After the Big 12 rescheduled the Cowboys final five game games because of COVID-19 protocols, the Cowboys faced five straight ranked teams to end the season — going 4-1, capped by an 85-80 win over West Virginia in Morgantown without Likekele or Cunningham, both out with injuries. 

“One of the things when you put a guy like Cade on the floor is teams naturally want to load the box,” Boynton said. “Well, that's gonna leave guys open and guys like Isaac have taken advantage.”

Likekele has rarely been the most talented player on the floor. But one thing he has always had in ample supply is the desire to outwork everyone — a never-give-up attitude that has seen him play much of this season through nagging foot and hand injuries.

It’s a trait that he gained from watching his father, Serge, who immigrated from Congo and worked multiple jobs and his mother, Sarah, who immigrated from Tanzania and made daily hour-and-a-half roundtrip drives to get him to practices.

“I couldn't watch my parents work so hard and not be a hard worker myself,” Likekele said. “Everything my parents did, whether it was their job or anything else, they always tried to be the best at it. So, it's like how can I not try to be the best at what I'm doing?”

So, while Cunningham will get the attention from opposing teams and fans during March Madness, it could be the return of Likekele, who has missed the last four games with hand and foot injuries, that provides the backbone the Cowboys need to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma State, ranked 14th in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, has not reached the Sweet 16 since 2005. 

“Cade’s our best player, there's no question about that … there's a lot of guys who've done a lot of things from a numbers standpoint. Isaac Likekele is the most valuable person in this program and it's not even close,” Boynton said.

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