Why Del City's Brandon Garrison committing to Oklahoma State men's basketball is 'a huge deal'

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton secured a commitment from one of his most sought-after prospects.

Brandon Garrison, a 6-foot-9 rising senior forward from Del City, announced his commitment to the Cowboys on Thursday — a move his high school coach, Lenny Hatchett, celebrated from afar while on a family vacation.

“It’s extremely exciting for him, for his teammates, for his family, for all of us to see that he’ll get to be close to home and go play at a high-level basketball program for a great coach,” Hatchett told The Oklahoman. “I think it’s a great deal for the Del City community to see what I think is the best player in the state to stay at home. It’s a huge deal.”

Boynton and Garrison spent some quality time together this summer when Garrison was selected for the Team USA U18 squad for which Boynton was an assistant coach. The team won the gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico.

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Last season, Garrison helped Del City to a Class 5A runner-up finish and was named to The Oklahoman’s Super 5 team after averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

“The thing that he has that’s really gonna carry to the next level is his defensive presence, how he’s able to guard every position on the floor,” Hatchett said. “He runs the floor extremely well. He’s gonna be able to alter shots, and at the next level, you’ve gotta have guys who can do that, especially at 6-9 with his wingspan.

“Being able to contribute on both ends is something that’s gonna make him very valuable for Oklahoma State.”

Rated as a four-star prospect, Garrison currently is the Cowboys’ only commitment in the 2023 class.

OSU was the second program to offer Garrison prior to his junior season in which he emerged as the state’s top-ranked player in the class, and the No. 61 prospect nationally, according to Rivals.com.

Garrison’s offer list also included OU, Kansas, Arkansas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, SMU and Tulsa.

Playing with Team Griffin on the EYBL circuit this summer, Garrison is working to polish his overall game on both ends of the floor.

“There’s a lot of people that think he needs to score more, which I think will come with maturity, growth and as he continues to work on his skillset,” Hatchett said. “But these colleges recruited him for his ability to run the floor, block shots, the way he plays defensively — and to me, he’s really an underrated passer.

“He can really pass the ball well for a big guy, and I think that’s gonna really help him out at Oklahoma State, depending on whatever style Boynton plays, whether he plays him high or low. Especially at high post, he can move that ball and find open shooters, and that’s gonna make him a threat.”

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Del City's Brandon Garrison commits to Oklahoma State men's basketball