Boynton promises to add championship banner
Captains McGriff, Waters earn All-Big 12 honorable mention
STILLWATER — As he did after the final home game of his first season as Oklahoma State's basketball coach, Mike Boynton grabbed a microphone Saturday to address the fans gathered in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Only an hour or so earlier, OSU's 52nd national championship banner, for last year's men's golf title, was unveiled in the GIA rafters during halftime of the Cowboys' 85-77 victory over West Virginia. Shortly after the final buzzer, Boynton promised those of the 7,279 in attendance who stuck around that another banner would eventually join it. “I just want to take a second to tell you guys that the reason we're going to get this done is because of you and your faith in our program,” Boynton told the crowd. “This wasn't the season from a wins and losses standpoint that we hoped to have, but with your spirit and your attitude, we will hang another banner in this building at some point. “Thank you. I love you guys.” OSU's current players were already back in the locker room when Boynton addressed the crowd. Informed during the postgame press conference of Boynton's promise to add a banner to the rafters, junior Lindy Waters had a simple addition. “Next year,” he said. Told of Waters' declaration, Boynton seemed pleased. “I won't put a timeframe on it, but I wouldn't expect Lindy to say anything different,” Boynton said. “This is it for him, so I'm glad that that's the mindset he's gonna have going into the summer. And now that I know that, I have a chance to push him and remind him that that's the goal he set, and it's always better when the guys themselves set that bar because then you can hold them accountable a little bit better to keeping their word and working when some days maybe you don't think that they have it.” This season, though, is not yet over for the Cowboys. They will be the ninth seed in this week's Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, taking on No. 8 TCU at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the chance to face topseed Kansas State in the quarterfinals. Oklahoma State's only two returning starters earned AllBig 12 honors Sunday. Waters and Cam McGriff, two of OSU's three captains, received All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition. It marked the first conference awards for McGriff and Waters, both juniors. McGriff led the Cowboys in scoring (12.4 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 rebounds per game) and also took 24 of OSU's 40 charges. Waters, whose versatility allowed him to play all over the floor for the Cowboys, ranked third in the Big 12 with a 45.3 3-point percentage and second in the conference in free-throw percentage at 90.8.