On Wednesday afternoon, another significant blow was delivered to the stomach of the Oklahoma State basketball team.

An already-thin front court lost another member, as senior starter Jean-Paul Olukemi has been ruled out this season due to a knee injury.

"He is going to have surgery," coach Travis Ford said. "Especially after we saw it on film, and his reaction to what he said his pain was. It was verified yesterday."

This is Olukemi's second-straight season suffering a big injury. He tore his ACL last year before conference play began.

"It's hard on him," Ford said. "Obviously he's been through a lot. He's a terrific young man, does well in school. He was really excited about his senior year, especially with everything he went through. He worked really, really hard."

Oklahoma State will likely seek out a medical redshirt for the senior, assuming he wants to try and return again from such a significant injury.

Three recruits and a transfer sign with the Pokes

The Cowboys announced their signings today, and four total players have decided to play ball for Ford and his team.
Jeffrey Carroll, a wing from Rowlett High School is the 21st-ranked player in the State of Texas according to Texashoops.com, and averages 17.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

"Jeff is a player I just fell in love with this summer," Ford said. "I didn't know a whole lot about him until I saw him on the AAU circuit. He's an extremely physical, big guard who can shoot with great range."
Carroll will likely be the perfect complement to current Cowboy point guard Marcus Smart, although Smart could depart for the NBA this offseason.

The second recruit is a 6'8 forward from North Richland Hills High School, Leyton Hammonds. Hammonds is similar to Le'Bryan Nash, although his scoring and rebounding is a bit more balanced. He had offers from Oklahoma, Stanford, Kansas State, TCU and Clemson.

"For a guy his size, he's really skilled," Ford said. "He can play inside and outside. He has a great understanding of the game."
The final high school player who will head for Stillwater is Detrick Mostella. Mostella is a combo guard from LePorte, Indiana. He's a 4-star recruit on Rivals.com, and is ranked in the top 100 in just about every ranking collection.
"Detrick might be the best scoring guard in the country," Ford said. "He's extremely athletic and has a knack for how to score, from the three-point line, pull up jumpers, and understands angles."

The last recruit will help reenergize a suffering front court, and will be able to contribute immediately. Junior college forward/center Gary Gaskins will join the team when practice begins for 2013-14. He's currently at a junior college in Florida, and will have two remaining years of eligibility when he enrolls. He's averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds there, and was in the Air Force before college.

"Gary is a player we saw play this summer and loved his athleticism and his presence around the rim," Ford said. "He's a guy that might be the fastest guy on our court, but can also put his elbows above the rim. He's a really athletic shot blocker that can score."


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