Oklahoma State hires brother of 5-star recruit Cade Cunningham

Oklahoma State may have put itself in the driver's seat for five-star basketball recruit Cade Cunningham.

Cowboys head coach Mike Boynton announced Tuesday that the team hired the Montverde Academy guard's older brother, Cannen.

Cannen Cunningham spent the past year at Tulane as the associate director of video operations on Mike Dunleavy Sr.'s staff.

"I am thrilled to be able to add Cannen to our staff," Boynton said in a statement. "I have gotten to know Cannen really well over the last year or so as I have watched his development as a coach.

"He has a great knack for player development and has a relatability with players that will be a tremendous asset to the continual growth of our program."

Cade Cunningham is the second-ranked prospect in ESPN's class of 2020 and has received interest from multiple high-profile programs including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He averaged 25.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists through 12 games on the Nike EYBL circuit.

Several other colleges have previously acted in a similar manner in attempts to lure top prospects. Denver Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr. was a highly touted high school prospect who committed to Missouri after his father was hired as an assistant coach.

More recently, USC followed suit and hired Eric Mobley in March 2018. His son, Isaiah, was a five-star recruit and committed to the Trojans just a few months later. His brother, Evan, is currently the top-ranked prospect in next year's class.