Daily Bullets (March 11)

No Stress

OSU fans may have been worrying about OSU’s tourney chances – but Mike Boynton isn’t professing to be.

“My next three days are going to be great,” said Boynton, who won’t learn his team’s postseason fate until the bracket is revealed Sunday. “I don’t know what I’m going to do right now, but I’ll probably get a chance to spend some time with my wife and kids and start thinking about how we prepare for next week.

“And I’ll sleep well this week knowing that if anybody watched our team play, it’s hard to deny we’re a pretty damn good team and worthy of being in the tournament and can have success against anybody.” [TulsaWorld]

Mike Boynton can sleep well knowing he did a bang-up coaching job guiding a team to a solid position to receive a bid – I won’t relax until 8 p.m. tonight and the seeding is done.

Calling Card

Greater than bringing a projected-last place team on the fringe of collapse to the fringes of the sport’s premier tournament, Mike Boynton is firmly in the process of establishing a culture befitting Oklahoma State basketball.

The Cowboys, as has become their identity, kept fighting, reducing the Jayhawks’ lead to nine, though no closer. Boynton, his jacket removed during Kansas’ run, clapped vigorously from the sideline. Sophomore Lindy Waters saw the Cowboys’ late fight as a sign of what Boynton is creating in Stillwater.

“It means a lot, even not just the seniors but the next guys coming in that aren’t even here yet,” Waters said. “It says a lot about three or four more years, Coach Mike’s built a dynasty out here. We’re just trying to set the culture.” [NewsOK]

Waters spared no hyperbole with the dynasty comment but from Travis Ford and Brad Underwood teams centered around prolific scoring guards (that I’m sure Boynton would love to have) but this team is much more “strength in numbers” and defense-first.

OSU and NCAA Notes

NCAA’s Katz has the Pokes in, Sooners bubbling…. Will end of CBB’s “one-and-done” rule hurt March Madness?….I agree with this by The Ringer’s Mark Titus on conference tourneys being regional….Predicting upsets using data/machine learning was interesting – good read before setting your bracket…Tram compares Bedlam schools with other bubble teams

Voice of the Pokes with the right question.

Your explanation is a very good one and is certainly accurate. Some coaches have done a good job of creating nonconference schedules that "work the math" properly. To me the committee faces one major dilemma: do you schedule your way into the tournament or play your way into it? https://t.co/DhXazo1V0L

— Dave Hunziker (@Gopokesvoice) March 10, 2018

Wowza.

??@UNCJD0 DID IT AGAIN!!!! #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/o47bGKXVai

— UNC Men's Basketball (@unco_mbb) March 10, 2018

CC: NCAA Tournament Committee

We will just leave this here. pic.twitter.com/XCOS0xehjV

— Boone Pickens State (@BP_State) March 9, 2018

Are you really trying if you don’t rip your pants while coaching?

Providence Coach Ed Cooley is so into the Big East title game that he ripped his pants. pic.twitter.com/EX0oKmWhYL

— Tom Jolly (@TomJolly) March 11, 2018

Five All-Americans sounds like a killing for a non-wrestling OSU sport.

That's a wrap for the #NCAATF Indoor Championships. 5⃣ Pokes picked up first-team All-America honors in the process ? #okstate

Recap ⬇️ https://t.co/3bD2A0QbI2

— OKState XC/T&F (@run4okstate) March 10, 2018

KC/Big 12 basketball is the best.

18,000 in Sprint. Maybe 10,000 across the street at P@L. Tell me B12 isn’t best conf tournament. pic.twitter.com/CmHqfo9hVh

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) March 10, 2018

What You Missed on PFB

• March Madness – who OSU fans should be rooting for this weekend
• Take a look at who has the Pokes dancing
• See how future Cowboy wrestlers did in state tournaments