Mike Boynton Addresses Media at Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City
STILLWATER -- The 2019-20 season for Oklahoma State is exactly two weeks away and the excitement that's surrounding the program heading into the season is very high.
Head coach Mike Boynton is entering his third season at the helm, and this team looks to be his best one yet. Sure, there are six freshmen and one grad transfer on the team, but just looking at how this team looks right now compared to how last year's team looked at this time last year, they're loads better.
They look fast, more disciplined, more athletic, more cohesive. Now, all of that is just based on how they look in practice. But, as the old saying goes, you play how you practice.
As we're just two weeks away from the Pokes starting the season on Nov. 6 in Stillwater against ORU, the team was in Kansas City for Big 12 Media Day.
Mike Boynton was one of the first coaches to take the podium this morning to address the media ahead of the season.
How much of last year for you was just establishing your way of coaching, your culture?
Mike Boynton: "I don't know if it was ever necessarily about me or my anything. In my mind, I have a responsibility as the head coach at Oklahoma State to hold the program's standards, to protect the integrity of the people who have basically come before us, who are very proud to know that Oklahoma State has been a great program over the course of its time. Maybe had a tough up-and-down stretch the last decade or so, but a program that they should be proud of.
The first-ever back-to-back national championship program is Oklahoma State University. I'm not lost on that. We can achieve at that level again, but we can't take shortcuts in doing it. We have to continue to keep the standard high, keep people accountable when necessary, and keep bring guys in who understands what it takes to get us back there."
Yor [Anei]. the development he had last year, was eye-opening. Tell us about his development since last year.
Mike Boynton: "Yor [Anei] is a kid who we recruiting obviously out of high school, two years ago now, who we saw some potential in. I think ultimately, part of our job in recruiting is to evaluate the development prospects of a young man. You do that by finding out as much as you can about what type of person they are, the type of work ethic they have, and the desire they have to get better.
He encompasses all those qualities in a positive manner. He's got a great spirit about himself. He really embraced just trying to become a really, really good part of our program. No ego. His teammates love him. He really cares about winning.
I think that ingratiated him not only to his teammates, but our fans. We're excited to see him take another step forward this coming season.
Talk about your three vets you have coming back, what they need to do for your younger guys to get to another level.
Mike Boynton: "I can't say enough about what Cam McGriff, Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa mean to me personally. I'll speak more to about what they mean to our program.
Those guys, if I can walk you through their journey briefly, they were recruiting in 2016 to play at Oklahoma State by Travis Ford, brought into his vision for the program, though that they would come in and make an impact and be part of a program they figure could play in the tournament their entire career.
Before they arrive on campus, Travis Ford is gone, new coach, they show up on campus to a different philosophy, different way of thinking. Fortunately, for them they stuck with the process. They go through that summer. We unfortunately lost one of their teammates that summer, as you can remember. They experienced a lot before they ever played a college basketball game.
One year later, I can speak to this because I lived it as a player, they're probably just getting adjusted to the college basketball at the end of their freshman year. They wake up from the day after the NCAA Tournament game, and the coach that they actually played for their first year is gone.
Before they can get to their second year in college, they're not figuring out who the next coach is, the third coach in their short time as college basketball experienced guys.
I talk about their character. At no point, because now they're going to be coached by a guy who never coached a college game before as a head coach, they never flinched, never stopped believing in each other or our program. They've given everything they could to Oklahoma State.
I think now is their opportunity to show what winning looks like. 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."
You mentioned some of your more seasoned players. You have a lot of new guys with you, as well. Any one of them who has firmed himself, gotten his feet planted, doing some really good things for you now in workouts?
Mike Boynton: "We have six freshmen and one grad transfer. Yeah, a lot of new pieces.
A couple of them have popped up their heads, so to speak, in different ways. 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.
The Boone Twins, I think, will both be really good players. Physically, they still have a little ways to go I expect our grad transfer, Jonathan [Laurent], to have an impact on our program.
Avery Anderson, the true freshman from here in the States, probably has been the most consistent in terms of productivity in practice. He's also been able to give Isaac [Likekele] some challenge as his position, give him a chance to grow in that spot as well.
I'm excited about the whole group. 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."
