Breakdowns and breakthroughs

was no secret to the people around him he would not stop until he got what he wanted.

From age 3, Engel had the guidance of speech therapists, occupational therapists and a counselor.

“I always knew there was something there,” Adam said.

Since the OSU men’s basketball team is currently in Spain for three exhibition games, now seems like an appropriate time to lean back, kick your feet up and crack open a six-pack. A Cowboy basketball six-pack, of course. Enjoy responsibly.

Mike Boynton learned how to coach Eric Dailey Jr. with USA Basketball

Not many college coaches get to coach their players before they make it to campus.

Mike Boynton, though, has now coached freshman big man Eric Dailey Jr. twice, thanks to USA Basketball the last two summers.

Despite the two having a long relationship, Boynton was able to answer some questions cancer came back in full force in 2020 and did not give her and her family time to process the news before saying goodbye. The central pillar of the family, who shaped the lives of three humans, died at home with her kids around her.

Bryce Thompson and John-Michael Wright’s commitment to OSU

Many key pieces from the 2022–23 Cowboy squad aren’t Cowboys anymore. Bryce Thompson and John-Michael Wright are the two older guys left standing.

It’s more than just sticking around to better themselves; the two want to represent the program and feel they have more to give in their time at OSU.

“I just feel like we as a team left a lot on the table,” Wright said. “I didn’t really want to go out like that... I just wanted to give another crack at it and just see what we can do (with) another year with a new group, new faces and just (a) new attitude to the program.”

See Roster on 2

People are different. Different is good.

That is what Adam Engel heard from his mom, Christine Engel, since he was a kid.

Adam, an OSU graduate, used this phrase as an encouragement when he felt distant from the people around him. Diagnosed with autism and Asperger syndrome in third grade, Adam did not let that stop him from achieving his dream: working with sports.

Growing up in Gillette, Wyoming, Adam always knew what he wanted to do, and it

“But my family has embraced me, no one treated me differently. My mom started a chapter of an autism support group in Wyoming to connect with other moms.”

As Adam grew older, the challenges of his diagnosis started to play a role in the family dynamic. Christine dedicated her time and love to Adam and his two sisters, Emma and Ami. The glue that kept everyone together, Christine was her kids’ best friend and her husband’s, Scott Engel, better half.

After being cancer free for 15 years, Christine’s kidney

“She dedicated her life to the kids, specifically Adam,” Scott said. “His mom had the highest emotional intelligence of anybody I’ve ever met.”

Before her sudden passing, Christine guided Adam through anger episodes, bullying and emotional conflicts. After many stays at mental health facilities, Adam said he was a junior in high school when the doctors found the right combination of medication that allowed him to manage overwhelming feelings. Since then, it has been a daily progress toward understanding and accepting his differences.