Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Basketball Hosts On-Campus Media Day
September 24, 2019 | Cowboy Basketball
Mike Boynton, Cowboy head coach
Opening Statement:
"I'm excited to be here. Obviously, we'll be getting started tomorrow with our first practice. Just like all the other 350 division one coaches, I feel really good about what we've done over the summer and this fall leading up to our first practice. I'm really having a great time getting the freshman acclimated. One of the things I've been most impressed with is the balance of the upperclassmen trying to help the young guys learn, but also the competitiveness that we've had in those situations. It gives me a lot of hope that we've got a chance to take step forward with our program this year."
On the progression of the freshman since arriving on campus:
"You can visibly see the differences in their bodies. I think Avery Anderson is up somewhere close to 20 pounds, Keylan and Kalib Boone have added some good muscle and Chris Harris is down 20 pounds. But it's not just those guys, you can see it in our returners, too. Cam McGriff put up 23 bench press reps with 185 pounds in the weight room the other day. All those guys made it a point to be in the weight room. Cam and Thomas Dziagwa both stayed here through the entire summer; they didn't go home in that May break. I can just see their level of commitment. To see them focus on trying to make this season a great one, that's something I'm really excited about."
On the team being tight-knit, yet competitive:
"I think it's a great component to what we want our program to look like on a day-to-day basis. We have a group of guys who relish in the opportunity to compete against some of the best people possible. We've seen that from day one; there's a little bit more chatter around the gym and in those environments. That's healthy competition. We tell them when we recruit them that we're going to put them in competitive environments. We tell them this isn't going to be easy, but if you buy in and believe in what we're doing, it will certainly be worth it. So, I think that competitiveness can spill over into practice and have us headed in the right direction."
On senior players serving as leaders for the team:
"We're going into this year with a bunch of positive energy and momentum around the program with a bunch of guys who are hungry for success. We've got all five starters from last year back, and the core of it is those three seniors who've been through a ton. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how important Trey Reeves has been to this equation also. His commitment level has been no different than those other three guys. So, they'll leadership is something I lean on every day. I meet with those guys and talk to them about what it's going to take to ultimately have them leave here with a really positive legacy in this program."
On new assistant coaches, Cannen Cunningham and Erik Pastrana:
"They're both young guys; they've got a lot of energy. They're both guys that are very experienced in knowing what good players looks like. Coach Pastrana and I worked together for three years at Stephen F. Austin. He knows me as well as anybody in terms of what the expectations are and how we work; so, that's been a pretty easy transition. Cannen on the other hand, I didn't know in terms of having a working relationship with him, but I had observed him at a coaching capacity. I know he's really smart and he's a guy who understands the game. His experience as a player and the time he's spent around college basketball will be a great benefit to our program."
Thomas Dziagwa, Sr., Guard
On what it's like blending the leaders with an important new group of players:
"I think this group meshes really well together. Even off the court, we eat lunch almost every day, Monday through Saturday with each other. We really enjoy spending time with one another. I think that is just going to carry over when we get onto the court."
On many players being able to play in different roles:
"Absolutely. We have a lot of guys who can have great nights on any given night. We can play a lot of different styles. We can play fast or we can play slow. We have a lot of dynamics with this team. However a team wants to play, we can play that way. We have a lot of interesting players on our team."
On the personalities of the players:
"We are a really competitive group. Even in sprints, guys try to win the sprints. When we do individual workouts, guys try to win one-on-one, two-on-two or five-on-five. Even the smallest things, like after practice we will have shooting drills. This group is really competitive, and it kind of pushes the boundary and makes everyone want to be better."
Cameron McGriff, Sr., Forward
On hearing the younger guys say they want to have the seniors' backs because of the hard work they know you've all put in:
"It makes me feel great just knowing the freshmen here are definitely on our side and they are doing things for us. We try to give our all to the program and to them as well."
On if he sees things in the freshmen that remind him of himself:
"Yeah, most definitely. Just that trait of saying that the freshmen want to give all they have for the seniors, I felt like that was definitely my goal coming in as a freshman. That is one thing that really stuck out to me."
On what the leaders talk about when thinking about this season:
"Just being aware of possible distractions and adversity and lifting guys up. I think that is the biggest thing we've been through that we can take away from years past. Also, staying level-headed. We can get a big win, knowing that we have another big game ahead of us. We don't want to celebrate until it's all over."
Lindy Waters III, Sr., Guard
On where the team is right now:
"We still have a lot of schemes and defensive aspects to teach, but we go into every practice and preach to give it all you can."
On how confident he and this senior group are heading into the season:
"The most confident I've ever been. I come in with these guys every day and see how hard they work and I do everything I can as a leader to make sure these freshman are doing their job as well as making sure the seniors are holding me accountable. If everyone does their job correctly we will be fine."
On new leading strategies as a senior:
"I am more vocal, and more demanding."
On the Freshman and transfers:
"Their competitiveness and determination to win is what I notice. Everyday they come in, challenge us and make us better. That will help us win."
Isaac Likekele, So., Guard
On building the program with this current team:
"We are building something really strong. We have been molding together this summer, and definitely this fall, and have been going at it hard trying to learn off the mistakes from last year and go as far as we can this year and be successful as a team."
On competitive environment between the team:
"It's a very competitive atmosphere here. Off the court it is all love, but when were on the court we are going to war and that is how it is supposed to be because when we go at each other 100% that is going to make the game a lot easier for us."
On what he likes about the team:
"This team works hard. These young guys have come in and remained focus. Us returning guys have worked hard because we know we don't want the same feeling as last year, and when you put those two things together you have a team full of work horses."
Trey Reeves, Sr., Forward
On the newcomers:
"They are all unique in their own way. They've all come in, shown that they have stuff to bring to the table, definitely excited to have them take the court with us this year."
On Marcus Watson:
"He's an explosive athlete, he's definitely developing his overall game. I think he'll be one that is fun to watch this year."
On breaking his foot:
"With an injury it's always mentally tough. But, there was nothing I could do about it. I just tried to help the team any way I could, going on from that point instead of dwelling on what happened. I wanted to be a vocal leader, help teach a little bit, whatever I could do."
On the returners:
"I think that Yor Anei has a chance to make a big leap to show people what he's been working on this off season. That's not taking anything away from the other guys; Lindy, Issaac, Thomas and Cam. I think everyone has improved and ready to come back stronger than they've been in the previous seasons."
Yor Anei, So., Forward
What he worked on this summer:
"I worked on a little bit of everything. I tried to get in the gym at least twice a day since the summer days are longer than this summer. I really worked on my jump hook."
On his weight last summer vs. this summer:
"It was kind of weird, I was thicker last year. But it was bad weight, I was chubby. From last year to now I lost 15 pounds. I feel great."
On Lindy and Thomas:
"They helped me a lot, especially Cam. Them being with me all throughout last year and the summer has helped me tremendously with my growth. I feel like I'm ready to be one of the leaders."
On the seniors:
"We talk about it every day. We have a list of goals… but I don't think I'm allowed to talk about that. This year is all for them. They've been through a lot just in these four years."
Marcus Watson, Fr., Guard
On the biggest learning curve:
"Learning different defenses coming into it. It's pressure all up in defense. We have to get together, its high pressure 99% of the time. I just wasn't used to that."
What he brings to the team:
"What I've been doing since day one is score. I bring that to the table. I've been working on my defense, I'm really trying to bring that to the table to be a great defender this year as well."
On the chemistry of the team:
"I think the chemistry has been great. Everybody is just coming together trying to figure out each other, I think we did that throughout the summer. We went right through boot camp, which really built our chemistry as a team. We really had to lean on each other, to finish a drill or to finish something out. Our coach really taught us to not leave someone behind and to focus and trust each other. It built our chemistry."
On the veterans:
"I love it. That's probably one of the greatest things a team can have. They are always helping me with things I don't know. They push the team to do their best. Especially, Lindy and Thomas, they really want the team to go far this year. Even the small things, they don't let them slip by. They want everything done right because they know the small things now will be a small thing in March."
Opening Statement:
"I'm excited to be here. Obviously, we'll be getting started tomorrow with our first practice. Just like all the other 350 division one coaches, I feel really good about what we've done over the summer and this fall leading up to our first practice. I'm really having a great time getting the freshman acclimated. One of the things I've been most impressed with is the balance of the upperclassmen trying to help the young guys learn, but also the competitiveness that we've had in those situations. It gives me a lot of hope that we've got a chance to take step forward with our program this year."
On the progression of the freshman since arriving on campus:
"You can visibly see the differences in their bodies. I think Avery Anderson is up somewhere close to 20 pounds, Keylan and Kalib Boone have added some good muscle and Chris Harris is down 20 pounds. But it's not just those guys, you can see it in our returners, too. Cam McGriff put up 23 bench press reps with 185 pounds in the weight room the other day. All those guys made it a point to be in the weight room. Cam and Thomas Dziagwa both stayed here through the entire summer; they didn't go home in that May break. I can just see their level of commitment. To see them focus on trying to make this season a great one, that's something I'm really excited about."
On the team being tight-knit, yet competitive:
"I think it's a great component to what we want our program to look like on a day-to-day basis. We have a group of guys who relish in the opportunity to compete against some of the best people possible. We've seen that from day one; there's a little bit more chatter around the gym and in those environments. That's healthy competition. We tell them when we recruit them that we're going to put them in competitive environments. We tell them this isn't going to be easy, but if you buy in and believe in what we're doing, it will certainly be worth it. So, I think that competitiveness can spill over into practice and have us headed in the right direction."
On senior players serving as leaders for the team:
"We're going into this year with a bunch of positive energy and momentum around the program with a bunch of guys who are hungry for success. We've got all five starters from last year back, and the core of it is those three seniors who've been through a ton. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how important Trey Reeves has been to this equation also. His commitment level has been no different than those other three guys. So, they'll leadership is something I lean on every day. I meet with those guys and talk to them about what it's going to take to ultimately have them leave here with a really positive legacy in this program."
On new assistant coaches, Cannen Cunningham and Erik Pastrana:
"They're both young guys; they've got a lot of energy. They're both guys that are very experienced in knowing what good players looks like. Coach Pastrana and I worked together for three years at Stephen F. Austin. He knows me as well as anybody in terms of what the expectations are and how we work; so, that's been a pretty easy transition. Cannen on the other hand, I didn't know in terms of having a working relationship with him, but I had observed him at a coaching capacity. I know he's really smart and he's a guy who understands the game. His experience as a player and the time he's spent around college basketball will be a great benefit to our program."
Thomas Dziagwa, Sr., Guard
On what it's like blending the leaders with an important new group of players:
"I think this group meshes really well together. Even off the court, we eat lunch almost every day, Monday through Saturday with each other. We really enjoy spending time with one another. I think that is just going to carry over when we get onto the court."
On many players being able to play in different roles:
"Absolutely. We have a lot of guys who can have great nights on any given night. We can play a lot of different styles. We can play fast or we can play slow. We have a lot of dynamics with this team. However a team wants to play, we can play that way. We have a lot of interesting players on our team."
On the personalities of the players:
"We are a really competitive group. Even in sprints, guys try to win the sprints. When we do individual workouts, guys try to win one-on-one, two-on-two or five-on-five. Even the smallest things, like after practice we will have shooting drills. This group is really competitive, and it kind of pushes the boundary and makes everyone want to be better."
Cameron McGriff, Sr., Forward
On hearing the younger guys say they want to have the seniors' backs because of the hard work they know you've all put in:
"It makes me feel great just knowing the freshmen here are definitely on our side and they are doing things for us. We try to give our all to the program and to them as well."
On if he sees things in the freshmen that remind him of himself:
"Yeah, most definitely. Just that trait of saying that the freshmen want to give all they have for the seniors, I felt like that was definitely my goal coming in as a freshman. That is one thing that really stuck out to me."
On what the leaders talk about when thinking about this season:
"Just being aware of possible distractions and adversity and lifting guys up. I think that is the biggest thing we've been through that we can take away from years past. Also, staying level-headed. We can get a big win, knowing that we have another big game ahead of us. We don't want to celebrate until it's all over."
Lindy Waters III, Sr., Guard
On where the team is right now:
"We still have a lot of schemes and defensive aspects to teach, but we go into every practice and preach to give it all you can."
On how confident he and this senior group are heading into the season:
"The most confident I've ever been. I come in with these guys every day and see how hard they work and I do everything I can as a leader to make sure these freshman are doing their job as well as making sure the seniors are holding me accountable. If everyone does their job correctly we will be fine."
On new leading strategies as a senior:
"I am more vocal, and more demanding."
On the Freshman and transfers:
"Their competitiveness and determination to win is what I notice. Everyday they come in, challenge us and make us better. That will help us win."
Isaac Likekele, So., Guard
On building the program with this current team:
"We are building something really strong. We have been molding together this summer, and definitely this fall, and have been going at it hard trying to learn off the mistakes from last year and go as far as we can this year and be successful as a team."
On competitive environment between the team:
"It's a very competitive atmosphere here. Off the court it is all love, but when were on the court we are going to war and that is how it is supposed to be because when we go at each other 100% that is going to make the game a lot easier for us."
On what he likes about the team:
"This team works hard. These young guys have come in and remained focus. Us returning guys have worked hard because we know we don't want the same feeling as last year, and when you put those two things together you have a team full of work horses."
Trey Reeves, Sr., Forward
On the newcomers:
"They are all unique in their own way. They've all come in, shown that they have stuff to bring to the table, definitely excited to have them take the court with us this year."
On Marcus Watson:
"He's an explosive athlete, he's definitely developing his overall game. I think he'll be one that is fun to watch this year."
On breaking his foot:
"With an injury it's always mentally tough. But, there was nothing I could do about it. I just tried to help the team any way I could, going on from that point instead of dwelling on what happened. I wanted to be a vocal leader, help teach a little bit, whatever I could do."
On the returners:
"I think that Yor Anei has a chance to make a big leap to show people what he's been working on this off season. That's not taking anything away from the other guys; Lindy, Issaac, Thomas and Cam. I think everyone has improved and ready to come back stronger than they've been in the previous seasons."
Yor Anei, So., Forward
What he worked on this summer:
"I worked on a little bit of everything. I tried to get in the gym at least twice a day since the summer days are longer than this summer. I really worked on my jump hook."
On his weight last summer vs. this summer:
"It was kind of weird, I was thicker last year. But it was bad weight, I was chubby. From last year to now I lost 15 pounds. I feel great."
On Lindy and Thomas:
"They helped me a lot, especially Cam. Them being with me all throughout last year and the summer has helped me tremendously with my growth. I feel like I'm ready to be one of the leaders."
On the seniors:
"We talk about it every day. We have a list of goals… but I don't think I'm allowed to talk about that. This year is all for them. They've been through a lot just in these four years."
Marcus Watson, Fr., Guard
On the biggest learning curve:
"Learning different defenses coming into it. It's pressure all up in defense. We have to get together, its high pressure 99% of the time. I just wasn't used to that."
What he brings to the team:
"What I've been doing since day one is score. I bring that to the table. I've been working on my defense, I'm really trying to bring that to the table to be a great defender this year as well."
On the chemistry of the team:
"I think the chemistry has been great. Everybody is just coming together trying to figure out each other, I think we did that throughout the summer. We went right through boot camp, which really built our chemistry as a team. We really had to lean on each other, to finish a drill or to finish something out. Our coach really taught us to not leave someone behind and to focus and trust each other. It built our chemistry."
On the veterans:
"I love it. That's probably one of the greatest things a team can have. They are always helping me with things I don't know. They push the team to do their best. Especially, Lindy and Thomas, they really want the team to go far this year. Even the small things, they don't let them slip by. They want everything done right because they know the small things now will be a small thing in March."
Players Mentioned
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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/ Cowboy Basketball
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