Mike Boynton Updates NCAA Appeals Situation

STILLWATER – It’s been well over a year since the NCAA passed down sanctions against the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team in June 2020 stemming from its investigation into former assistant coach Lamont Evans.

Evans, who accepted between $18,000 and $22,000 in bribes to direct players to sign with certain financial advisors, was fired in the fall of 2017 when the FBI investigation into bribery and corruption inside college basketball was first announced.

The NCAA announced a Level I violation against the Pokes, which included three years of probation, a one-year postseason ban and a reduction of three total scholarships over the course of three years among other things.

Oklahoma State announced an appeal, which was turned in prior to the 2020-21 season. However, the NCAA has yet to announce anything on the matter.

"I feel bad, to be honest, that there isn’t [an update],” said Mike Boynton. “It’s unfathomable to me that it’s been, way too long. I wish there was."

If there was a silver lining to the situation, it’s that the situation isn’t necessarily a distraction to the current roster.

"I honestly don’t know at this point what it is anymore,” said coach Boynton. “I think last year’s team did a good job of kinda being able to park it in the rearview mirror. I’m really not sure how much this team thinks about it at all. It would be probably, I don’t want to say criminal, that might be a little too harsh, but it would be pretty difficult to justify a bad ruling at this point, considering all we’ve been through."

However, while it’s not an internal distraction in GIA, the situation is still being used against Oklahoma State out on the recruiting trails, even resulting in losing out on a kid this past spring.

"I think about it because it still comes up in conversations in recruiting. It’s a real thing. We lost a recruit this spring because when I can’t tell a family something because I’m unsure, the people I’m recruiting against are definitely sure that they know something bad is gonna happen. So, that’s the message being delivered: ‘They’re getting crushed.’ I’m like, ‘Well I don’t think we’re getting crushed, and I don’t know if anything’s gonna happen at all.’ The one is kinda dancing around, the other is, ‘They’re gonna throw the book at these guys.’ They don’t know that, but it’s a recruiting deal. That’s what you deal with."

It's certainly unfortunate the athletic department hasn’t heard anything from the NCAA. However, like coach Boynton’s said several times over the past nearly year and a half, the program’s going to move forward business as usual, which is the open practice in Oklahoma City at John Marshall High School this coming Sunday at 4 p.m.