KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Boynton looked around Oklahoma State’s Sprint Center locker room, his orange tie loosened, his white dress shirt’s top button undone and its sleeves rolled up, his navy jacket ditched long before.
He saw a collection of players who two months ago had every reason to believe their season was already over and others who weren’t even on the team at that time. With seven scholarship players left standing Wednesday after a loss to TCU in the Big 12 Tournament ended the Cowboys’ season at 12-20, Boynton addressed a locker room with no seniors, one where the only departures might be walk-ons for whom there is no longer space.