Cowboys Erase Memories of 2017 by Handling Michigan in Mythical Madness

Oklahoma State was a long shot to get into the real March Madness, but was still alive winning the first round of the Big 12 Tourney. Our Mythical March Madness put them in and Voila the same opponent from their last trip was waiting - Michigan.

Publisher's Note: This is our go at Mythical March Madness and as we explained on Selection Sunday, Oklahoma State got in. By all factual/real accounts they were an NIT team, but they were still alive thanks to a first round Big 12 Tournament win over Iowa State. Also, the Cowboys were 15-3 (7-0 before he got sick and 8-3 after he started playing the way we had seen) with point guard Isaac Likekele at full force. It's our tournament and we put them in. The tournament and results are determined using all-time odds for each seed in the tournament for each round of advancement. The roll of dice with rolls of six or below representing the higher-seeded team and rolls of seven or greater representing the lower-seeded team determine results. If the game is written up as close then the roll of the dice went to the eighth, ninth, or tenth roll. If it is written up as a blowout then it was decided early. 

Head coach Mike Boynton, and seniors Cam McGriff, Lindy Waters III, Thomas Dziagwa, and Trey Reeves were all around for the trip to Indianapolis in March of 2017. Boynton was an assistant and McGriff and Waters actually played in the 92-91 Michigan win. The game is remembered as much for the Cowboys Jawun Evans buzzer beater three-pointer that flipped the winners in Las Vegas with Michigan leading 92-88 before the trey. It is also remembered for Illinois' athletic director Josh Whitman having his plane follow the Oklahoma State charter back to Stillwater where he hired away then head coach Brad Underwood setting the stage for MIke Boynton to be promoted and take over. 

Now, in our first round of Mythical March Madness in Eugene, Ore. at the famed McArthur Court, the Cowboys were playing Michigan again. This was just one of eight games on the day with all regional games being played at one sight. The day started with No. 1 seed Gonzaga winning and in Philadelphia at The Palestra No. 1 seed Dayton also winning. 

This time it looked like a rout from the start as Juwan Howard's Michigan team came out on fire with seven-foot senior Jon Teske dominating inside and sharp shooters Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks raining three-pointers down on the Cowboys. 

Michigan led at the first media time out 9-4 after Livers and Brooks combined for all nine points from three-point range. Teske scored a pair of baskets inside and there were two more threes to make it 19-7 at the second media time out. Then by the third the fire was raging as Michigan led 31 to 13. 

Games are 40 minutes and this one had 24 left to go and the Cowboys used all of it. Boynton and the Cowboys staff told Likekele to get the ball inside and in particular to freshman Kalib Boone and McGriff, who both used their athleticism to put Teske on the defensive and get him in foul trouble. McGriff started first and had six points in four possessions and then Likekele fed the ball inside to Boone and he used a duck under move to score and finished on the floor with the 7-1, 265-pound Teske on top of him and guilty of his third foul of the first half. 

By halftime, the Cowboys had closed the score to 37-33 with Michigan hanging on to a four-point advantage. 

The Cowboys started the second half hot from beyond the arch as Dziagwa came in and hit a pair of threes and McGriff also left alone on the baseline hit one like he was shooting a free throw. Oklahoma State took the lead at 44-42 and never turned back. 

Michigan looked out of rhythm and despite a strong game Livers with 18 points and fellow guard Zavier Simpson with 16 points, the Wolverines could not keep up. Oklahoma State led by McGriff with 23, Boone with 16, and Waters with 12 points beat Michigan 70-64 as they limited the maize and blue to just 27 second half points. 

Oklahoma State is now 19-13 on the season and Michigan ends their season at 19-13.