Daily Bullets (March 25)

Ch-Ch- Ch-Changes

As the OSU basketball season ended, reflection on the change in trajectory of the OSU basketball program is imminent.

(Mike Boytnon) spent a year feeding himself the expectations of others, all the while establishing a new reality. Cowboy basketball is not dead. It is only beginning to come to life. Gallagher-Iba Arena is not on fire. It is breathing it. By surpassing expectations, the Cowboys have only raised the bar for future seasons. Boynton holds it higher than anyone else.

“Some people think our fans are unrealistic; I don’t,” he said. “I want to play on the last Monday of the basketball season. I want to coach in the final game of the college basketball season, and this team will be the reason that, one day, we will.” [NewsOK]

Two things that are great about Boynton’s leadership: he’s pointed a program that appeared headed for a sharp downturn in a positive direction and with that change in trajectory and from there, he’s shooting for the stars (a national championship)  but landing on the moon (competing for the conference title every two to three years) will be a major upgrade from the status quo.

No, thank you, Mike.

1 Year. Quite simply… Thanks!!! pic.twitter.com/0vvgcc1gyS

— Mike Boynton (@thacoachmike) March 24, 2018

Lean On Me

Whoever wins the quarterback job in Stillwater this fall will hardly be thrown to the wolves.

Justice Hill ranks seventh among running backs returning to college football next season with 2,609 rushing yards. The junior has been both durable and consistent in his time in Stillwater. He has at least 90 yards rushing in 17 of OSU’s last 23 games and scored a touchdown in 11 of 13 games this season.

What’s the ceiling for Hill this season? He’ll almost surely be a preseason All-Big 12 pick and should get some preseason All-American consideration. For OSU to continue to place in the top three of the league — a place Oklahoma State has finished in each of the last three years — it will need Hill to play up to those standards. [TulsaWorld]

Hill, JD King, LD Brown and Chuba Hubbard will be leaned on harder than Heisman-winning, first-round projected, scholarship quarterback at Oklahoma Baker Mayfield’s argument that he’s overlooked and has a chip on his shoulder.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Cowboy Baseball with a nice conference-opening win over Texas Friday night, Longhorns took game two….George Schroeder on an overachieving KU team in the Elite Eight but are they a national title contender?….Boone recaps the Sweet Sixteen….Tramel looks at the about turn of K-State fans towards Bruce Weber….Walk-ons nailing unimportant shots but being celebrated is the human side of college basketball

Former Cowgirl Softball player named first female high school baseball coach in Oregon.

.@NVHS_Knights coach @Kanchors19 is making history as Oregon's first known female head HS baseball coach.

"Success for me is creating young men that can look up to anyone." https://t.co/qV2SNDugRM

— NewsWatch 12 Sports (@KDRVSports) March 23, 2018

Hamilton looks great for his age… a little fussy though.

Trying to determine if Coach Hamilton was smarter when he wore glasses #MarchMadness #GoPokes #okstate pic.twitter.com/ZjKMNGN6Hd

— Doug Shivers (@casdas29) March 25, 2018

Really liked this graphic down the stretch of close games – a must add.

To the person at Turner who made sure the free throw percentage graphic was titled “Whom To Foul,” a nation of grammar nerds salutes you

— Eamonn Brennan (@eamonnbrennan) March 25, 2018

Not that basketball leagues are a reason for survival, but man the Big 12 has this basketball thing down.

Big 12 with three teams in the Elite Eight. Only other time was 2002.

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) March 24, 2018

What You Missed on PFB

• Mike Boynton sends letter to fans on his one-year anniversary in Stillwater