Cowboy Basketball Notebook: Pokes Prepare for Big 12 Play

Oklahoma State has wrapped up non-conference play and is set to face Texas Tech this weekend to start Big 12 play.

STILLWATER -- There's no doubt that the non-conference slate for Oklahoma State basketball has gotten tougher since Mike Boynton took over the program.

There's not much a first year head coach can do when it takes over a program just after a season ends, but Boynton and Co. really stepped it up last season. Unfortunately for them, some of the teams took a bit of a dip after they were scheduled.

That wasn't the case for this year as the Cowboys have one of the toughest schedules they've had in recent years, and when they're healthy, have done very well.

The Cowboys enter Big 12 play this weekend against Texas Tech with a 9-3 record, with the three losses coming when point guard Isaac Likekele was out with an illness.

With the tough non-conference schedule that saw wins against Houston, Ole Miss and Syracuse, the Cowboys are more prepared for Big 12 than we all thought before the season started.

"We've had three really good days of practice," said head coach Mike Boynton. "We were off the day after we played [SE Louisiana], that would've been Monday, and we're on day three of really good prep. We're at least trying to simulate, you guys saw the music and intensity in practice, get them an idea of what it may be like. It's also the reason we scheduled the way we did. So that this time of year when they go into these environments, they're not seeing this type of atmosphere for the first time."

The media got to sit in on the final 30-40 minutes of practice this morning and it was much different than the practices that we got to sit in on before.

First of all, it was very loud as soon as you walked into the Memorial Lobby of GIA. They were in the practice gym and had music blaring and a very loud audio file of crowd noise blasting through the speakers.

It was the first time that they've done that this season, but coach Boynton told us that they had thought about doing it before.

You could tell as soon as you walked into the practice gym that the practice had a different feel to it. The guys were more intense and focused as they were having to try and communicate over the loud noises, plus the coaching staff seemed to be more in-tuned and in-sync with the players.

But it certainly gave the younger players an idea of what they'll be in for on Saturday against Texas Tech, and an idea of how they're going to react to a loud and hostile environment for the first time this season.

“Some of them didn’t handle [the noise] very well,” said coach Boynton. “That’s okay, that’s why you do it today and hopefully have an opportunity tomorrow to come back tomorrow and watch the film to figure out why, how and what to do to make sure it’s better. We try to do everything we can to give our guys an opportunity to see what it’s really like. Obviously, there wasn’t any people in there, but the noise at least gives them somewhat of a simulation of what to expect when they go on the road for what we think will be a really competitive game against the reigning conference champion and defending national runner-up."

Lindy Waters said that the closest to a hostile environment for the Pokes this season would be Houston, and the Pokes rose to the occasion and got the job done.

They'll be with Isaac Likekele for the second game in row as he's back from being sick and there's no doubt that he brings an edge and energy to the whole team.

Will Saturdays game against Tech be easy? Absolutely not. This Tex, with the prep the team's been through this week, plus having Likekele back, I would expect the Cowboys to have a little extra pep in their step come Saturday.