Boynton Still Recruiting but Pokes May Have a Hand They Hold Onto
STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State basketball head coach Mike Boynton can be forgiven if he was walking around looking for and listening for the humm and tones of a fax machine. Wednesday, Nov. 11 was the first day of the early signing period for college basketball and many other NCAA sports. Boynton has become a recruiter deluxe in his time as an assistant coach and that has only multiplied during his time as the Oklahoma State head coach. Each recruiting season Boynton has topped himself and last year at this time was watching the Letter of Intent come through from the nation's top hoops prospect in Cade Cunningham. Ironically, Cunningham was listed on the preseason Associated Press All-American team on signing day 2020.
Cade Cunningham is a preseason A.P. All-American.
Boynton had to be wondering what to do with himself with prospects signing and Oklahoma State basketball sitting on the sidelines for this signing period. Boynton talked earlier this preseason about how hard it has been not being able to go out on the road recruiting.
"I’m really aggressive recruiting, personally,” Boynton said in a Zoom conference. "Losing out on the opportunity to be out, meet people, and evaluate guys face to face, it’s really challenged me in two ways. One, on whether I was gonna be willing to change my approach, and I haven’t convinced myself that that’s good for me yet. The other part of it is not to get impatient and not panic because there’s a lot of good players, certainly, around the country but everywhere."
Right now, Boynton is not sure what players and how many players he will need. Sure, most people expect Cunningham to be gone next summer in the NBA Draft. He is projected to be the top pick. However, Cunningham hasn't shut the door on playing two years in Stillwater. Many expect Isaac Likekele to be gone after this season, but that is not a given.
Boynton has shown a propensity of making players very happy and their time playing for him and in his program as very enjoyable. Stillwater is by no means an urban destination, but it grows on student-athletes in their time playing as Cowboys. This season is a freebie, in that nobody is using up a year of eligibility, so everybody, even grad transfers like Ferron Flavors and Bryce Williams can stick around for another season. The thought in Gallagher-Iba Arena and inside the Oklahoma State locker room is that a lot of players are thinking that way.
Sure, Boynton wanted the in-state guards in Bijan Cortes of Kingfisher that signed with Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Heritage Hall's Trey Alexander, who is now listing Arkansas, Auburn, and Kansas as his top three. Oklahoma State likely won't quit contacting Alexander. Boynton and his staff are known for their stubborn streak in recruiting.
The top name to remember right now may be Khalil Brantley from Boynton's hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y. Brantley is a 6-0, 185-pound point guard from Boys and Girls High School that is considering the Cowboys along with Creighton, Georgetown, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Pittsburgh.
It just comes down to how many and what position the Cowboys end up needing once the current roster decides how long they want to stay Cowboys. They may want to put their feet up and stay awhile.
Besides, Boynton has a lot of players he knows and in the current recruiting climate of long distance relationships it is easier to make that mistake he warns about.
"You don’t want to get into a situation where you panic and you make a mistake because it’s one thing to miss out on a good player. That really doesn’t hurt you as much as people think. What hurts you much more is taking a player who is not necessarily good enough, especially if it’s a younger guy and now you got him in your program," explained the Cowboys head coach. "Not that every kid has gotta be the best, but you don’t wanna have scholarships used up on guys who can’t translate to what you’re doing."
