Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 92-84 Loss to Western Kentucky

Oklahoma State’s season is over.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ended it on Wednesday by nearly taking the Cowboys wire-to-wire inside Gallagher-Iba, defeating Mike Boynton’s resilient squad 92-84 in somewhat convincing fashion to advance to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1954.

Western Kentucky led for the greater part of 36 minutes in the contest and while OSU got quality production from Kendall Smith, who finished with a team-high 19 points, as well as a combined 25 points from Brandon Averette and Tavarius Shine, the Pokes couldn’t keep the red-hot Hilltoppers from getting into the paint and converting easy buckets time and again.

Western Kentucky hit an astounding 52 percent of its shots from the floor, made 23 of 30 free throws, and utterly destroyed OSU on offense in the paint to cruise to its second consecutive NIT upset.

1. Taveion Hollingsworth was a problem

Ol’ boy can go! And he’s a freshman! Hollingsworth finished with 30 points — yes, you guessed it, tied for a career high — and he did it in an efficient, non Trae Young manner, hitting 9 of 17, grabbing 8 rebounds, and, of course, dishing out one assist.

And rightfully so. Outside of Lamonte Bearden and Dwight Coleby — the latter of which raked on the glass — Hollingsworth was WKU’s dude, and they made it clear they were going to ride him as far into the sunset as they could take him.

He might take them to an NIT championship. (Also, can someone make sure he stays in Stillwater tonight and for the next three seasons?)

2. Western Kentucky had great success in the paint

To say the Hilltoppers had success in the paint would be like saying the Mona Lisa is overhyped kid’s art.

WKU destroyed Oklahoma State inside the lane. Annihilated them. The Hilltoppers scored a whopping 50 of their 92 points inside the paint — a major factor why they shot 52 percent on the night — and got whatever they wanted once they found themselves near the basket.

Whether it was entry passes, driving the lane, or ball movement that kept OSU’s defense on its heels, WKU basically called its shot by telegraphing it was going to the lane, then scored anyway.

This stat was pretty telling.

Western Kentucky shot 58 percent in the first half (19/33). They're up by just two at the break.

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) March 22, 2018

I don’t think it’s a thing you can necessarily gameplan around, either. Outside of putting 45 pounds on Lucas N’Guessan, there was no immediate answer to mitigate WKU’s extreme advantage in the paint, and Yankuba Sima’s defensive liability, shot-blocking ability and all, wasn’t enough to overcome it.

3. Kendall Smith game

Ever since Kendall Smith spear-headed OSU’s upset over Kansas, I’ve pined for him being the X-factor for the Pokes. When he’s good, so too is OSU.

And while he finished with 19 points, he did so on a somewhat inefficient 6 of 18 shooting, made only 3 of 6 from the charity stripe, and finished with the team’s second worst plus/minus of -16 when he was on the court. And his time was somewhat limited on the evening, too, because after committing a few early boneheaded turnovers Boynton rode with Averette over him.

Still yet, Smith’s career will be remembered in a positive light. Easy to dog one performance, but I’d happily take two more years of him (I told Porter I would trade Tylan’s career for two more with him running the show), because I think he’s got star power at a position you desperately need it.

4. Mental lapses

Oklahoma State was seemingly capturing momentum, Gallagher-Iba was breathing fire, and the vibe inside the ol’ building was looking increasingly positive. But then Tavarius Shine headbutted a dude, was sent to the locker room, and things would never get any closer from there.

Here is the head butt by Tavarius Shine against Lamonte Bearden in the WKU-OK State game. pic.twitter.com/9xML6Jz4ZK

— WKU Redzone Radio (@WKURedzone) March 22, 2018

Got to think Shine is kicking himself for it, too. Because his mental lapse cost OSU free throws, possession, and precious momentum that was thwarted with a single head swipe.

5. Give me Mike Boynton every day all day

Mikey B. is the man of the future. That doesn’t mean you should go out and ink him to a 10-year gargantuan deal tomorrow morning, but people inside the OSU program believe they have their guy, and have every intention of making that known publicly soon, whether that comes in the form of a salary increase, extension or, most likely, both.

And rightfully so. OSU was picked to finish last in the Big 12 this season, and Boynton has revived hope in the program less than a year after Underwood seemingly swiped it all and took it to Illinois with him. I ride with him, and after seeing what he can do with a depleted roster, I’m even more convinced he’s going to crush.

At almost this same time last year after Boynton was hired, most people (including myself) thought the hoops program was dead. A year later, there’s a lot to be optimistic about. For that alone, this season was a massive success for Boynton

— PFB_Nate (@PFB_Nate) March 22, 2018

• Western Kentucky getting points in the paint is equal parts infuriating and impressive. It’s like calling your shot before you get the ball and getting a bucket anyway.

• Me in my living room after a Lindy bucket.

There’s a really good chance this kid grows up to takeover @pistolsguys and ultimately roasts me daily on Twitter. Way cooler than I. pic.twitter.com/sCD3MiN0sM

— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) March 22, 2018

• This is semi-infuriating. If you’ve played ball before, you know this is low level hoopin.

Shooter kicks his leg out. Should be a foul pic.twitter.com/87gtUsdbCt

— Orange Power (@OrangePowerCom) March 22, 2018

• WKU’s 1-3-1 trapping defense is so, so potent.

• John Thompson calling a game on ESPN2 a year removed from coaching Georgetown is weird, but he’s actually pretty good.

•This guy!

If we lose it’s this guys fault wtf let him in pic.twitter.com/Fdrfbnlyl5

— Zac harlow (@gatorpike04) March 22, 2018

• Oklahoma State’s 20-win season is the 36th in program history, and its 15 wins at home is tied for a school record.

• Going back to my “all-in on Mikey B.” thought, this from OSU’s postgame notes is incredible (for an NIT game!): There were 11,308 people in attendance for tonight’s game, which was the largest to ever witness an NIT game at OSU and the second largest in any NIT game this year so far.

• Also this: Among current Big 12 member schools, only three head coaches have won at least 20 games in their first season as a head coach since the league was formed. (Frank Martin, Sean Sutton are the other two)

• Feels!

Jeffrey Carroll on Mike Boynton's first year: "I'm speechless." #okstate

— Nathan Ruiz (@NathanSRuiz) March 22, 2018