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Pizza-Filled Dutchman Woos Boynton, Earns Spot on OSU Basketball Team

Boynton took advantage of a local staple while recruiting.

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STILLWATER — On his visit to Oklahoma State, Hidde Roessink got a Stillwater staple.

There aren’t many better ways to sell a kid from The Netherlands on America and Stillwater than Hideaway Pizza. But after getting stuffed at the home of the Big Country, the Big Dutchman had to take his 6-foot-10, pizza-filled frame to GIA for his on-court workout.

“We ate like 8,000 calories of pizza,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “Then we came over here and in like 30 minutes, the schedule said he was supposed to work out. Unfortunately, he had to put on some shorts, and he worked out.

“He shot like 90 percent from 3. I was like, ‘We can’t let that kid leave campus without signing here.’ I was pretty excited about his abilities.”

Roessink adds some post depth for a team that desperately needed it a season ago. Given his workout, he can also help the Cowboys stretch the floor, but scouting the European big man proved a tough task until Boynton was able to see him live.

“A lot (goes into it),” Boynton said. “Some phone calls, some film, which is a little bit of a challenge sometimes because you can’t necessarily tell the competition level, how great it is. Watching his film, I was intrigued by his size, we needed a little bit more size.”

Communication isn’t an issue for Roessink; his English is good. Although he is a freshman, he brings some unique experience with him, having played professional basketball as an amateur with the Dutch Windmills and the Dreamfield Dolphins. He has seen what kind of mindset it takes to play top-level basketball.

“He’s really, really smart,” Boynton said. “I look forward to seeing what he can do in terms of helping us from a versatility standpoint. He can give us a little bit more ways to defend, but also other ways that we can attack on the offensive end.”

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