OSU Basketball: Cowboys Listed as 'Big Job' to 'Keep an Eye on'
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are facing a huge offseason in the college basketball world. The program's season came to an end at the hands of UCF in the Big 12 Tournament, which happened to be the first matchup of the entire tournament.
The season ended in quite a fitting way. The Cowboys played the Knights close in the first half, just for the Knights to go on an extended run to open the second half as Oklahoma State went on a scoring drought.
Now, it's time for Oklahoma State to rebuild its basketball program. The attendance during the season wasn't great, and the interest in the program seems to be slowly slipping. Whether it be parting ways from head coach Mike Boynton or not, changes are needed around the program.
It could be the offseason Oklahoma State is involved in the college basketball head coaching carousel.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello listed Oklahoma State as a potential "big job" to keep an eye on as the program rolls into its offseason.
"Speculation is growing around Vanderbilt and Jerry Stackhouse potentially parting ways, despite Stackhouse's sizable buyout, while other big jobs to keep an eye on this week include Oklahoma State, Arizona State and NC State," Borzello wrote.
This would insinuate a potential Boynton departure, and leave the program's future in the hands of another head coach.
Whatever Oklahoma State decides to do -- as it seems a rebuild is possible either way -- they must act quickly. If they're to move on from Boynton and lean in a new direction for a new era, they should do so early in the offseason so they can secure a new coach as the good coaches begin to hit the open market.
It's to be noted that the Cowboys have an incredibly young squad, and keeping Boynton around might be key to retaining the young talents. Also taking advantage of Name, Image and Likeness along with the transfer portal will be key as the program looks to return back to a consistent, winning program.
Want to join the discussion? Like All Pokes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022