Focus is bigger than basketball for Oklahoma State's Mike Boynton in Remember the Ten game

STILLWATER — Most of the current Oklahoma State men’s basketball players weren’t yet born on Jan. 27, 2001, when the plane carrying 10 members of the program crashed in a field in Colorado.

And many of the current players are in their first year as Cowboys, so they’ve never had the chance to experience a Remember the Ten game.

That’s why coach Mike Boynton made sure to spend some time this week — just like he does every year before the Remember the Ten game — educating his players on the added meaning of Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup against West Virginia inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“It’s always, in my mind, the most important day on the calendar,” said Boynton, now in his eighth season at OSU, seventh as head coach. “I really don’t care what anybody thinks about that. We played in the Big 12 Conference Tournament championship game. That year, the Remember the Ten game was the most important game we played, because it honors a commitment to real human life.

“Winning the game is important, but when I think about seeing those families here all the time, and their continued support of the program — in a way, they could be pretty bitter about this place … but those people continue to show up and support this program.”

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Eight players on the roster are in their first year as Cowboys. And while some, like Brandon Garrison of Del City or Connor Dow of Broken Arrow, grew up in Oklahoma and likely have some awareness of the plane crash, others have only begun to learn about it.

“Just hearing about it and learning about it, you come back to the realization that it’s just a game that we’re playing,” said Jarius Hicklen, a super-senior transfer from North Florida. “It’s something much bigger out there for us. It’s just a humbling experience.”

Veteran Cowboys have an even deeper understanding of the Remember the Ten game and the added emotion tied to it.

“It means a lot to me, because I’ve been here and I understand what happened to those families and everything,” said senior Bryce Thompson, a Tulsa native. “Whenever that game comes, there’s a little bit more energy from us as a team, as a staff, everything, because we know we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves.

“It was a tragic event and we know we’re blessed to get to do this.”

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With the kneeling cowboy statue as the centerpiece of the memorial on the south side of Gallagher-Iba Arena, the event is constantly present for the players, but Boynton works to make sure the meaning isn’t minimized.

“Quite easily, this thing can become a thing in the building that sits over there,” Boynton said. “They walk past it every day, because they go in that academic center. To have a moment to reflect on what happened, how it happened, why it happened, why we’re fortunate that we travel a little bit differently now than they did, in part, because of them.

“We take more precautions, so to be thankful and appreciative of that aspect is really important.”

This Cowboy season has had its share of bumps in the road, with the team currently mired in a six-game losing streak and chasing its first Big 12 victory Saturday.

Boynton and the players know the importance to the season that a win would provide. But the coach won’t let this game simply be about winning and losing.

“We’ll make sure we play with a little more of an edge,” Boynton said, “understanding it’s bigger than just a game against West Virginia on Saturday.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

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OSU vs. West Virginia

TIPOFF: 1 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball's Remember the Ten is 'most important day'