Mike Boynton Addresses Revamped Roster at Big 12 Basketball Media Day

The 2021-22 Oklahoma State men’s basketball team has a different look than the 2020-21 team did. It’s longer, deeper and more mature as there’s not one freshman scholarship player. The coaching staff brought in a recruiting class full of transfer to go with an experienced and athletic roster, which includes a senior guard in Isaac Likekele, who’s one of the more physical guards in the Big 12.

Mike Boynton, along with Likekele and sophomore guard Rondel Walker, is up in Kansas City for Big 12 Basketball Media Days and had a lot to say about adding depth and length to the team in the offseason.

“I feel like our program has taken baby steps in the right direction each year and revamped our roster in four years to where we feel we can be really competitive on a nightly basis. Part of our issue we felt last year was we didn’t have enough interior depth. We had a lot of perimeter depth, but we also played Cade and Ice inside a lot, posted them. We didn’t have a ton of depth in terms of rim protection. It was an area of concern as we went into the off-season recruiting.

“We added some depth and size that we think will be able to negate some of the issues we had. Moussa Cisse was the American [Athletic Conference] Freshman of the Year, with a seven-six wingspan. Tyreek Smith, who was a big physical body as well. We thought we needed to address perimeter shooting as well, which was an issue for us at times last year and we think we did that in Bryce Thompson and Woody Newton.

“When we looked at the checklist going into the off-season, we feel like we really got the job done in a recruiting sense. We also have a lot of guys returning from last year’s team that had success that we need to continue to be better and step up their games as well.”

On Tuesday, Cisse was named to the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award watchlist, an award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also tabbed preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention.

Boynton also addressed the returning players on the team, which include an athletic front court led by Kalib Boone, who led the Big 12 in blocks this past season, and athletic sophomore Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, as well as a deep back court consisting of athletic guards led by Likekele, Avery Anderson III and Rondel Walker.

“I mean, again, a lot was made of Cade [Cunningham], as it should have been. In our opinion, he was the best player in the country. He was a big part of the success we were able to have. But we also had a lot of other players who contributed in different ways to us. Finishing 11th in the AP Poll last year, having the third-best record in what we thought was the best league in the country, playing in this building on the last Saturday of Big 12 competition.

“I think some of those experiences are things we’ll be able to lean on with the guys that went through it to know what’s possible. So, when you talk about people like [Isaac Likekele], who is a senior, but not only him, Avery Anderson, what we thought was the most improved player in the Big 12, maying in the country, had a lot of success late in the year for us, we’re going to need him to continue to improve.

“Rondel Walker, who is here today, is a kid who showed some flashes. Just wasn’t as consisted throughout the season. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, another guy who was a freshman last year. Then the guys we talked about adding. We feel like our roster is really, really healthy, is going to be one of the more competitive teams that has been at Oklahoma State in a long time. I don’t know if we’ll be better than last year’s team if you just look at the talent because we do not have the No. 1 pick on our team anymore, but we have some other guys that will have another chance to make it at that level of basketball. When you have multiple guys like that, you get your guys to buy into each other, it gives you a chance. That’s all we’re looking for is to go out and give our best every day we can for our fans.”

The Cowboys kick off the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9 in Stillwater against UT Arlington. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.