Oklahoma State Has an Opportunity to do Something to Kansas that Hasn’t Happened in 35 Years

Mike Boynton was asked about whether OSU is now the favorite to win the Big 12 Tournament following their first round win against OU and second round game against Kansas, one of the few teams they swept in the regular season.

“Uh … yeah, I don’t know about (us being the favorite),” Boynton told the Tulsa World. “We won’t be favored to win the game tomorrow, you know that?”

They’re not.

Boynton’s Pokes will go in to their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Kansas as a 4.5-point underdog to the Jayhawks. But No. 1 seeded KU will be without star big Udoka Azubuike in Thursday afternoon’s game.

Mike Boynton said on Wednesday after beating OU that that doesn’t much matter.

“That obviously changes their team,” said Boynton. “But those guys got a lot of really good players. The thing they do the best is shoot the 3-point shot, and he doesn’t make any. Obviously we have a different approach … but you still have to contend with probably a fifth guy in there who may be in there who can shoot 3s.”

When Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton was asked about Udoka Azubuike not playing in the Big 12 Tourny he hit em with a huh?

Then he said it changes KU but "The thing they do best is shoot the 3-point shot and he doesn't make any."#kubball pic.twitter.com/csxuwTR5bR

— KAKE Chris Lilly (@Chris_LillyTV) March 8, 2018

Kansas is No. 10 in the country in effective field goal percentage and No. 18 in 3-point percentage, according to KenPom. So Boynton is right. But they’re also left short-handed inside against a suddenly-intriguing OSU interior that includes Cam McGriff and Mitchell Solomon. Kansas’ only legit big is now Mitch Lightfoot, who has been used on just 15 percent of possessions this year.

Still, Boynton knows taking down Bill Self and KU another time (especially in Kansas City) will be a wicked test. One OSU might have to pass to get into the NCAA Tournament.

“What would make it harder to beat somebody three times versus one?” asked Boynton. “They’re a really good team to beat, ever! So tomorrow’s game will have no bearing on what the other two games were like.

“Between now and I guess about 18 hours from now we’ve got to refresh our bodies and our minds and come out and try to be the hardest-playing team. It’s who we are. It won’t come into our minds third time around versus the first.”

One of my biggest takeaways tonight: The #LetsWork hashtag is fun and become Boynton’s thing — But you saw it on the court tonight. One of the biggest things missing the past 10 years was #okstate’s basketball identity: Toughness, defense and hustle. That won them the game.

— Carson Cunningham (@KOCOCarson) March 8, 2018

If Boynton is somehow able to pull off the impossible for a third time (in Allen Fieldhouse East), he will have done something which has not been done since his counterpart on the other side of the court was hooping for the orange and black.

The last team to beat KU three times in the same season was …

Oklahoma State in 1983.

With a Bedlam win, Oklahoma St. next will face the Jayhawks, whom the Cowboys swept during the regular season. The last time anyone defeated Kansas 3 times in a season? Oklahoma State in 1983, when Kansas coach Bill Self was a junior guard for the Cowboys.

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) March 8, 2018