Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Battling ‘Big Lurch:’ Boone’s unfinished business at OSU team finished its trudge through the 2021-22 season, an office conversation pushed Boone and his dad, Michael, nearly to tears. Boone told teamBen Hutchens mates and coaches he Staff Reporter planned to return for his senior year but admitted he didn’t know if that was Kalib Boone likes the truth. He sat in the office to discuss transfersitting in the spinning ring. office chairs in his dad’s “Nobody really office. understands how close Boone, Oklahoma (Kalib) was ready to State senior forward, bounce,” Michael said. checks in with his father often. He has always been “After that junior year I wired that way. Whenever really thought, (Kalib) was going to transfer.” he goes back home to Michael asked one Tulsa, he sinks into one of the chairs facing his dad, question Kalib couldn’t answer. He continued to swivels from side to side probe, not letting his son and just…talks. spin out of it. One day, shortly Had he done evafter the OSU basketball
erything in his power the as a driving force behind entire year to be the best the Cowboys’ success his version of himself? senior season. Kalib averKalib answered aged 17.1 points during what he knew to be the a nine-game stretch that truth. No, he hadn’t given ended with OSU receiveverything mentally, in ing votes in the AP Poll. practice or in games to In the last three weeks, justify leaving. Boone’s production “If I never had that slipped to 6.2 points per talk with my dad I probgame and coincided with ably would have just a five-game losing streak. Now, with the said, ‘Yeah, I’m out,’ and Cowboys recoiling from a I would have left with poor finish to the regular Keylan (Boone),” Kalib season and likely needing said. “Talking to my dad helped me lock in on that multiple wins in the Big 12 Tournament to secure a decision to stay.” Mike Boynton, OSU bid in the NCAA Tournament, OSU needs Boone basketball coach, owes to return to form in KanMichael Boone big time sas City, starting Wednesfor that. After nearly transday against Oklahoma. ferring this summer and being told he may have to find a new team his sophomore year, Kalib emerged See Boone’s on page 2
Mia Ledbetter OSU forward Kalib Boone played the best basketball of his college career, averaging 17.1 points during a stretch OSU received votes in the AP Poll. But during OSU’s five-game losing streak Boone averaged only 6.2 points a game.
‘Spanish connection’ shines bright for Cowboys in singles and doubles
Chase Davis
Garcia and Pini came up strong for Oklahoma State as the duo clinched the doubles point on court three. “In doubles play, it’s only like, 30-40 PJ Tikalsky minutes that you just Staff Reporter need full energy,” said Garcia. “It’s not always Francisco Pini about the tennis, and I and Alex Garcia were just couldn’t be hapthe stars of the day as pier playing with Pini, the Cowboys tamed because I know that the Southern Methodmy energy is gonna ist Mustangs 4-3 at be there, his energy is the Greenwood Tengonna be there and if nis Center on Sunday someone is struggling, Afternoon. you’re gonna get [help Garcia, a senior from] the other one.” from León, Spain, and Dubbed “The Pini, a sophomore from Spanish Connection” by Buenos Aires, have coach Dustin Taylor, the a bond stronger than two hope to become a simply sharing a native familiar pairing for the language. rest of the season, and “He’s like my Taylor seems intent on older brother,” Pini doing that. This aftersaid. “He’s two years noon was one of the older than me and most complete doubles like, we have a special performances of the bond. I mean, of course season from the Cowthere’s the language but boys, who had lost five also we have a good of their last six doubles relationship between points before today. each other.” That strong fraternal bond between See Connection on page 3
Speaking French and playing John Legend songs on the piano are just a couple of Bryce Thompson’s abilities off the basketball court.
Q&A: Speaking French, playing piano just some of Bryce Thompson’s talents Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor Bryce Thompson has always been focused on basketball, but he’s branched out farther than that.
How many other college basketball guards speak French fluently? The O’Colly talked with Thompson about his immersion in a foreign language, his musical talents and other hobbies. Q: What made you want to learn French? A: “Actually, that was kind of what my parents had picked. So, my sister also speaks another language, and she didn’t want both of us speaking
the same language in the house. So, I spoke French and she speaks Spanish.” Q: Have you ever had to use French in the U.S.? A: “Yeah, a couple times at a couple of restaurants, couple of French restaurants. My parents will have me translating and ordering the food and just little stuff like that.” Thompson visited France through a foreign exchange program in the
fifth grade as part of his language immersion. Q: What was that experience like? “It was a great experience. I went over there for a month, got to see everything, got to eat the food – it’s really, really good. Great people. It was cool. I stayed in a city called Amiens, it’s probably about 15 or 20 minutes from Paris. So, See Thompson’s on page 4
Mia Ledbetter Francisco Pini said Alex Garcia is like an older brother to him.