Cade Cunningham always figured he'd get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament even after he enrolled at a school facing a postseason ban.

Oklahoma State was sanctioned by the NCAA back in June stemming from a federal corruption investigation into college basketball. Those penalties included a one-year restriction from the postseason.

Cunningham, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in his class, committed to Oklahoma State anyway, maintaining his faith that the postseason issue would work out in his favor. Playing for the Cowboys kept him within a four-hour drive of his 2-year-old daughter, Ri...