John Holcomb: Cowboys Honor '04 Final Four Squad With Win Over Ranked BYU

OSU honored the 2004 Final Four team as part of basketball alumni weekend, and there was a good turnout.

Ivan McFarlin, Daniel Bobik, Jason Miller and Franz Steyn were there. Tony Allen, John Lucas and the Graham twins had other conflicts that kept them from making it to Stillwater.

It’s been 20 years since that Eddie Sutton-led squad made it all the way to San Antonio, and it was somehow fitting that the former players who were on hand watched the current Cowboys face a team from a school that helped shape that 2003-04 season for OSU. 

The Cowboys lost in December of ’03 to BYU in Salt Lake City. The Cougars outrebounded the Cowboys 44-18 that day, and after arriving back home Coach Sutton had a plan- helmets and shoulder pads for his team during practice.

It was rough, but it made them tough. OSU went on to win the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles before eliminating Eastern Washington, Memphis, Pittsburgh and St Joseph’s before being clipped by Georgia Tech in the national semifinals.

This season the Cowboys have gone through their share of struggles, and head coach Mike Boynton’s comments about where the Cowboys stand in relation to several other Big 12 programs when it comes to NIL funds raised plenty of eyebrows. 

Related Story: Mike Boynton Says OSU Is Barely Over The $500k Mark For NIL Spending

Add to that a flu bug sweeping through the locker room and the potential for a subpar performance on Saturday was possible.

But not guaranteed.

Freshman guard Jamyron Keller’s 19th birthday was Saturday, and he celebrated by going a perfect 8 for 8 from the field for a career-high 22 points. 

Related Story: Freshman Jamyron Keller Gets First Start, Helps Oklahoma State Beat No. 19 BYU 93-83

His play on both ends of the floor sparked the Cowboys to their best effort so far this season, a 93-83 win over a BYU team ranked 19th at the time. 

Afterward, Keller and fellow freshman Brandon Garrison, who had 21 points in the win, each spoke about staying together, getting better and growing in Stillwater. 

At least for one afternoon, in front of some of those who enjoyed such success 20 years ago, the Cowboys looked more like a dangerous team capable of more wins in the last 6 regular season contests. 

A trying week had a happy ending.