Notebook: Boynton on Personnel, Beard on Burritos and Self on Recruiting

The third season of the Mike Boynton era is two weeks away.

Boynton and Oklahoma State host Rogers State on Nov. 1 in an exhibition game before the Cowboys officially start their 2019-20 campaign on Nov. 6 in Gallagher-Iba Arena against Oral Roberts.

Before that, though, all of the Big 12’s coaches were in Kansas City on Wednesday for Big 12 Media Day. Here is some of what went down there.

Boynton Breaks Down Seniors’ Journey

Thomas Dziagwa, Lindy Waters and Cameron McGriff have been through a lot as college basketball players.

OSU’s senior trio originally committed to play under Travis Ford. Before they arrived, though, Ford was gone and in came Brad Underwood.

In the summer entering their freshman year, the three lost a teammate when Tyrek Coger died after collapsing after a team workout.

OSU made the NCAA Tournament that year, but Underwood bolted for Illinois the day after the Cowboys were eliminated. Enter Boynton, who had never been a head coach before. After an NIT run and not making the tournament last year, Boynton said his captains now have the chance to go out how they want.

“I think now is their opportunity to show what winning looks like,” Boynton said. “They’re winners off the court, for sure. I think this year is going to give them an opportunity to show they can be leaders for a team that can win on the court.

“I’m really excited I’ve been a part of this journey with them. I’m really excited to see how this story ends. I believe it will be a really good ending for them. I know that all Oklahoma State fans can be proud of the way they’ve represented our program, and their families can be proud of the way they represented their families.”

Boynton Talks Freshmen

Boynton has six true freshmen that the college basketball world will soon be introduced to.

OSU’s coach has fielded plenty of questions about his 2019 class to this point, and it was no different in Kansas City. If you’ve followed along, you know how high the program has been on Hidde Roessink, and the 6-foot-10 Dutchman was the first of the newcomers Boynton mentioned Wednesday.

“A couple of them have popped up their heads, so to speak, in different ways,” Boynton said. “The freshman kid from The Netherlands, Hidde Roessink, who is probably the least known of the entire group, has probably had as great an impact on our practices through 20 so far as anybody.”

Boynton added that Keylan and Kalib Boone will be good players, but the twins still have a little way to go physically.

Boynton also added that he was impressed with freshman point guard Avery Anderson, calling him the most consistent among the freshmen from the United States. In an interview with ESPN’s Matt Schick, Lindy Waters compared Anderson to Los Angeles Clippers’ guard Patrick Beverly.

“I’m excited about the whole group,” Boynton said. “How much they all will play as freshmen, I probably couldn’t tell you today or a month from now. Once we get to Big 12 play, it’s a different story. I’m excited about the whole group. Got a good group of hard-working young men.”

Bruce Weber on Coaching Isaac Likekele

Three people at the Sprint Center on Wednesday won gold medals this summer.

OSU guard Isaac Likekele, Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton and Kansas State coach Bruce Weber won the U19 FIBA World Cup in Greece. Likekele and Haliburton were roomates at the team’s tryouts in Colorado.

“The guys we had from the Big 12 on our team were unbelievable,” Weber said. “Tyrese, Isaac were unbelievable role models. They were great leaders. They really helped us. Kept trying to help me as a coach, ‘Stay patient, we’ll be OK.'”

Chris Beard Gives the Quote of the Day

This has nothing to do with OSU, but it was too good not to put in.

Chris Beard and Texas Tech were the national runner-up last season, and here is Beard on the benefits of that.

“The one thing that’s been really pleasing is I’m a breakfast burrito guy in the mornings. Where I like to go, you have to ask for the salsa. They charge you for it, which is a little bit ridiculous.

“The first year when we weren’t an NCAA tournament team, I would forget to order the salsa, I’d have to wait back in line. The lady would charge me 30 cents, 33 cents with tax. Some mornings I wouldn’t have cash, which is a common thing, take my credit card out, run it for 33 cents for salsa.

“You make the Elite 8, now I don’t have to wait in line, she calls me up. I still have to pay for it.

“We played for the national championship, and now I’m pleased to say I get free salsa. If we would have beat Virginia, maybe I could have gotten a free burrito. At this point I’m paying for the burrito but getting complimentary salsa.”

Bill Self on NCAA Allegations’ Impact on Recruiting

This has a loose OSU tie, as Kansas is still in-play for Booker T. Washington standout Bryce Thompson.

Thompson is a five-star prospect and the 19th-ranked player in the 2020 class. His top seven are OSU, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas and Michigan State. He has been on recent visits to Texas, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Bill Self and Kansas have been in the news this offseason because of NCAA allegations stemming from the FBI’s investigation into college basketball. Self didn’t speak to the specifics of the ongoing battle Wednesday, but he did speak a bit on it’s impact on the recruiting trail.

“Recruiting is hard regardless,” Self said. “When you’re recruiting at an elite level, you have obstacles each and every year that may be a little bit different to try to recruit. It’s something that we certainly explain out and are very transparent with everything going on. There’s not anybody that we recruit that we don’t tell them how it is, at least the way we know it to be.

“I would say it’s definitely had an impact. I will also say this: I think we’re in position to have one of our better early signing periods we’ve had in a long time. Even though it’s hard, it’s never easy, I think we’re going to come out of it OK.”