Media Day Notes: Starting Lineup Questions, Cunningham’s Valuable Experience

STILLWATER — For those who have given up on Oklahoma State’s football season, basketball is near.

OSU held it’s annual on-campus media day Thursday where coach Mike Boynton and  players took tons of pictures and answered questions about the upcoming season. Here are three points from the day.

Boynton Unsure on Starting Lineup

Less than a month out from the season, Mike Boynton isn’t sure how OSU’s starting lineup will look.

With three returning contributors from last season’s team on this year’s roster, Boynton said he is in unfamiliar territory with uncertainties on the starting five so close to the season. He said that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though.

“I’m not close at all,” Boynton said. “I’d say this is probably the first time in my career that I didn’t have a really good idea of who would start or who I thought would start. I think that’s healthy at this point because it creates a lot of competition internally, and there’s no sense of complacency or comfort with anybody on our team.”‘

Cameron McGriff, Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa are likely favorites to start in OSU’s opening exhibition against Ouachita Baptist on Nov. 4, but from there, Boynton has options. He could start small and play freshman Isaac Likekele, grad transfer Mike Cunningham and Dziagwa at guards with Waters and McGriff at the four and five, or he could go more traditional and start a freshman big with either Likekele or Cunningham running the point. Whichever way it goes, Boynton said no one is out of contention yet.

“I think there’s also an understanding that everybody is going to have an opportunity,” Boynton said. “No one feels like they’re going to get dismissed here in the early part of the season.”

Waters, McGriff, Dziagwa Adjusting to Captaincy

Juniors Cameron McGriff, Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa were named team captains recently, a decision that wasn’t Boynton’s doing.

Boynton said picking captains is a decision he has the team make, something that sounds important to him.

“I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to name their captains,” Boynton said. “Every team that I’ve been on that’s had good success has been led internally by the players. What I mean by that is not that they’re going to call their own timeouts or sub themselves in, but they’re going to manage each other.”

The three veteran leaders all bring something different, Boynton said. Dziagwa is the talker. McGriff is a leader by example, and Waters falls somewhere in the middle. Boynton also said it’s nice the captains’ on-court skill sets vary. Boynton mentioned Dziagwa isn’t going to be able to ready freshmen Kentrevious Jones and Yor Anei for post play in the Big 12, much like McGriff isn’t going to be able to teach Isaac Likekele the intricacies of guard play.

“I don’t know everything, but I don’t need to,” Boynton said. “As long as we’ve got good leadership in the locker room, then I’ll have a chance to help them on the basketball court.”

Cunningham’s Experience Key

OSU’s senior night on March 9 will be brisk.

USC-Upstate graduate transfer Mike Cunningham is the Cowboys’ only senior, meaning unless someone has a breakout, NBA-ready season, Cunningham will likely be the only player walking across the white maple court with a framed jersey.

Cunningham said to the outside it might seem like an odd situation to walk into, but it’s not something that’s on his mind.

“I don’t really even think about (being the only senior),” Cunningham said. “They take it off my shoulders. (Dziagwa, Waters and McGriff) have been around. They’re seniors just from being here.”

Despite having collegiate experience, Cunningham said the most people he has played in front of was about 12,000 at Creighton, a number that could be matched at any Big 12 game.

With six true freshmen on the roster, Boynton said Cunningham’s experience is important to get information through.

“That’s one less guy that you’re speaking Japanese to,” Boynton said.