PFB Roundtable: A Fantasy Draft of the Best Players from the Mike Boynton Era

It’s time for another episode of PFB’s Summer Roundtable series. Last week, we drafted teams from the continuing Mike Gundy era of OSU football. This week, we looked back to the now complete Mike Boynton era of OSU basketball.

The rules were simple for our benefit. Five rounds in snake fashion with no required positions. Basically, if we wanted to win a five-on-five tournament using guys Boynton coached at OSU, this is who we would draft. (The full rosters will be listed below.)

Here is the draft order, followed by our roundtable discussion.

Marshall: LET’S GO

Dekota: Marshall being the only one not having to think first round seems unfair lol.

Kyle: So based on that draft order, I know Thomas Dziagwa will be off the board before my No. 2 pick.

Round 1

Marshall: I obviously pick Cade Cunningham. Why? Well, you see, he was an All-American and the No. 1 NBA Draft pick.

Dekota: I’d like to insert this draft seems rigged for the site’s owner.

Marshall: I made a whole draft board for this, for what it’s worth.

Kyle: Dizzy is still available. *Fires imaginary arrow at the board.*

Dekota: I really thought I’d snatch Dizzy late. Plan of going all shooters slashed from the start.

Marshall: I refuse to talk strategy because I might still really want Thomas Dziagwa on my basketball team.

Kyle: But seriously. This is where real decisions must be made. I’m going with Javon Small.

Dekota: This whole time I thought Dziagwa was gone … lol.

Marshall: A good pick. He was high on my board. Second point guard behind Cade.

Kyle: I wanted to pick Bryce Thompson because I’m still stained by the hype. He’s v. good, but I think Small was more of a gamechanger.

Dekota: My first pick is Lindy Waters III. He can shoot, but I’m also biased because we have the same heritage and he plays for the Thunder.

Kyle: I like that pick. He has that big moment intangibility (word?) factor.

Marshall: Lindy was actually No. 2 on my entire board. Solid defender, great shooter. Under appreciated because he was one some suspect teams.

Round 2

Dekota: Back-to-back pick is Cameron McGriff. Maybe my favorite player to watch from the Boynton era. Give me 3s and dunks. If we’re gonna lose, it’s at least gonna be fun to watch.

Marshall: Taking Lindy and Cam back to back just feels right.

Kyle: I like it. Mainly because it makes my big pick easier because I had him in the mix.

All that being said, I’m going with scoring in Round 2. Since Bryce is still available, I’ll take a healthy Bryce Thompson, please.

Dekota: Nothing wrong with a 1,000-point scorer.

Kyle: I like Bryce off the ball but both can create.

Marshall: I think Bryce is perhaps the most underappreciated athlete on campus. All he’s done since getting to Stillwater is score, and he somehow still has haters.

Dekota: I was literally typing “most underappreciated player under Boynton.”

Marshall: My second round pick is Jeffrey Carroll.  In his one season with Boynton, he averaged 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. Adds a scoring threat for Cade to dish to.

Dekota: Almost took Carroll over McGriff. He could be taken in three different drafts we do like this so who really gets to claim him.

Kyle: Also high on my list. Dude is also physical which is a nice compliment.

Round 3

Marshall: To start the third round, I’m taking Moussa Cisse. Actually had Kalib Boone one spot higher on my big board but feel like Cisse’s defense would be big for the team I’m building. Also the thought of Cade throwing lobs to a 7-foot physical anomaly is something I would like to watch.

Kyle: #$@#$@# That was my pick.

Marshall: *Moussa Cisse finger wag*

Dekota: I believe every team needs a 7-footer, and Marshall will be the only team with one.

Kyle: I almost took him with my second pick. I’m stuck in no man’s land. But, where you two have more physicality down low, I will have a savvy post game and underrated shot-blocking with Kalib Boone. He got more physical as he went, too.

Marshall: Yeah, a motivated Kalib Boone was a sight to behold. Footwork was impeccable.

Dekota: All this time waiting, and I still get to stand by my strategy. No one will outshoot my team. And if they’re on, no one will beat them. Give me Thomas Dziagwa (for real this time).

Marshall: This is a tragedy. I was going to add Dizzy to my squad, for sure.

Kyle: Imagining Bryce cooking Dizzy every time down the floor.

Marshall: 3 points > 2 points

Dekota: RT^

Kyle: I think you’re forgetting what Bryce looks like when he sees a couple of those midrange shots fall in a row.

And what Dizzy looks like when one of his 3s fall in a week.

Marshall: Dizzy was a 41% (!!!) 3-point shooter on 610 career attempts.

Dekota: 💪

Kyle: I knew this would happen.

Marshall: It’s in my nature.

Round 4

Dekota: I’m going matchups based on who I’m up against with my next pick. I’m getting into this basketball one a lot more than I thought I would. Give my Yor Anei to go up against Cisse and slap away shots. If you can’t go 7 foot, go 6-11.

Marshall: Are you sure you don’t wanna take Brandon Garrison over Yor?

Dekota: I debated Garrison and Yor, but I think I’m overall trying to avoid the 2023-24 season.

Marshall: Fair enough. I always liked Yor. Dominant rim protector even as a youngster. Then he (perhaps illegally) cleared the lane for that game winner in KC. Grabbed like three guys and pushed them away.

Kyle: Okay, so I was going to go for more shooting but since the name’s been thrown around I think the potential of Brandon Garrison playing alongside Kalib shores up my front court and gives me some versatility.

Marshall: Brandon needed to be picked somewhere, so I’m glad it happened. He’s going to be a stud with his rim-running abilities. Only a matter of time.

Dekota: Dizzy took all the available shooting anyway.

Kyle: *Eyeballing that one season Isaac Likekele shot 44% from 3.*

Marshall: Speaking of: I’ll wrap up the fourth round by taking Isaac Likekele. Can guard the point through power forward. Can distribute, can rebound, can score at the rim. Plus having Cade and Carroll ought to open the lane up for his offensive game.

Kyle: Well I really wanted 2020-21 Likekele but so be it.

Dekota: I miss hearing every announcer remind us he’s built like a linebacker.

Round 5

Marshall: My final pick was going to be Dizzy because I value him more than most (except Dekota, apparently). But instead, give me Kendall Smith. A one-year rental to start Boynton’s tenure, Smith hit some big shots in his one season. Also shot 41% from 3 that year.

Kyle: I considered Smith up higher but couldn’t take him over who I got. Can do a lot for your offense.

Dekota: Me valuing Dizzy is what happens when most of your OSU hoops info comes from reading Marshall Scott since his O’Colly days.

Marshall: If people know two things about me it’s that I think Rudy > Weeden and Thomas Dziagwa is maybe the greatest basketball player who ever lived.

Kyle: So my final pick will have that it factor as well. He can fit in around Small and Thompson, play without or without the ball, beat everyone else down the court and, occasionally, go nuts. Give me Avery Anderson.

Marshall: Avery was the highest available on my big board. I feel like Mel Kiper. Avery adds a ton of sauce to any team he is on, as well.

Dekota: I’m running out of point guard options. Is Cade still available?

Marshall:

Kyle: You might be able to package him for Dizzy.

Dekota: I might go off the wall because I have no idea how this guy fits on my team, but I’d also feel sad about him staying on the board.

Marshall: Lindy could hypothetically be your point. Had to run it some in his time at OSU.

Dekota: I will go pure nostalgia with Mr. Irrelevant. Any guy who out hustles Trae Young to win Bedlam deserves a spot. Give me Mitchell Solomon. We’ll make the rest work out during practice.

Marshall: Your team has good vibes, I’ll give you that. But my team is hanging 200 on ’em.

Dekota: Dizzy will hang 200 by himself.

Kyle: I feel like your team may not win every game, but it will be the one people want to hang with after the game.

I feel pretty good about my team. It may not be the best in any one facet, but is really good overall. The Cade caveat notwithstanding.

Dekota: I drafted my own team yet feel like a high school coach who’s like “Well, this is what I got, so this is what we’ll be.”

Marshall: I feel like I had an advantage going into today because I’m a basketball sicko, but when I won the lottery it was VinceCarter.gif.

You guys both drafted two bigs, which could give my team a challenge, but I also have a 6-foot-7 point guard who can do it all, so I’m not too worried.

Dekota: Games aren’t won on paper. Solomon dives for a ball before Cade, only to end up in Dizzy’s hands for the game-winner.

Marshall: Dizzy hits a shot to pull Dekota’s squad within 43.

Kyle: Don’t think I would change anything based on not having No. 1. Maybe Moussa over Kalib, but I think he was pretty good at a lot of the things Cisse was really good at.

Give me Avery Anderson knowing that he’s the third option. Clutch.

Dekota: Just for discussion: who should my PG have been with that last pick?

Kyle: John-Michael Wright

Marshall: Ah, yes. here are some honorable mentions that were left off:

Tavarius Shine — good, long defender who was a capable 3-point shooter.
Bryce Williams — high-motor, do-it-all type
Eric Dailey Jr. — versatile forward
Quion Williams — versatile big guard
Tyreek Smith — high-energy big
John-Michael Wright — Shooter with the clutch gene
Jamyron Keller — Young bulldog

Kyle: Or Michael Weathers? Kinda forgot about him.

Marshall: Weathers is very what could have been.

Stay tuned. We’ll be back next week for another Summer Roundtable previewing OSU’s 2024 football schedule.