JimBob
02-23-2008, 08:44 AM
Eaton picks up play
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
2/23/2008
Junior guard garners praise after lackluster first two seasons.
STILLWATER -- All of a sudden, the once-maligned Byron Eaton Show is drawing rave reviews.
"I think Byron Eaton controlled the whole tempo tonight. He was the best guard on the floor." -- Baylor coach Scott Drew, after Eaton led Oklahoma State to a 10-point victory over his team.
"Byron Eaton was in total control of the game." -- Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon, after his team lost at home to the Cowboys.
Eaton is almost 100 games into his collegiate career -- game No. 94 arrives Saturday, when Kansas invades Gallagher-Iba Arena -- and the hope of OSU coaches is that the junior point guard has finally arrived.
Eaton has been dogged by weight problems and loss problems (turnovers) during a career in which his team won 52 games and lost 41. But he feels like he is playing the best ball of his career. In the last two games, his stat line featured 42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and only four turnovers.
It would be hasty to render a verdict that Eaton has turned the corner. "But he is headed in the right direction," coach Sean Sutton said.
At stake is Eaton's legacy and the fate of a program.
Eaton came to Stillwater with can't-miss credentials. Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons ranked the kid from Lincoln High School in Dallas as the best point guard prospect in the country. Sutton believed Eaton had a chance to be the best point guard in OSU history.
"He was unbelievable in high school," Sutton said. "You don't get voted McDonald's All-American without playing well -- a lot -- in front of the right people."
Others saw what Sutton saw. Kansas coach Bill Self, at a Big 12 media function before Eaton's freshman season, said he cast his league freshman of the year vote for Eaton. It should be noted that Self, who had three freshmen McDonald's All-Americans on his roster at the time, wasn't permitted to vote for one of his players.
Former OSU point guard Doug Gottlieb, the Cowboys' career assist leader, saw tapes of Eaton's high school and AAU games and, like Sutton, predicted Eaton had a chance to be the best OSU point guard ever.
"The sky was the limit talent-wise," Gottlieb said.
Now Gottlieb said he feels for the kid.
"He has kind of caught the brunt of the blame, he and Sean," Gottlieb said. "But I also think rightfully so. I don't think he dedicated himself off the court to get in shape. On the court, he is such a nice kid that I don't think it really ate him up when he wasn't really as good as he should have been."
Eaton said it is reasonable that point guards and coaches get too much credit or blame for wins and losses since the same is true in football for quarterbacks and coaches. He is a former high school quarterback.
Eaton was asked to assign himself a letter grade for his college basketball career thus far. "I would say right at a C. The reason I can't get an A is because the first two years I didn't have my weight right and then (not) a B because I wasn't able to play at the potential that the coaches wanted me to play at. I give myself a C because now I'm starting to come around and play like the coaches want me to play."
A big reason Eaton came to OSU was because the Cowboys always seemed to be in NCAA Tournaments. Of the 24 players who participated in the 2005 McDonald's All-America game, all but three have reached the NCAA Tournament or the NBA. The exceptions? Eaton, North Carolina State's Brandon Costner and Auburn's Korvotney Barber.
Eaton believes he has to take a team to the NCAA Tournament to justify his McDonald's All-America status. He has not given up on leading the Cowboys to the NCAA this season. Conquering KU would make that goal more credible.
Forget the McDonald's All-America thing, said Gottlieb, interjecting that a player has to go to an NCAA Tournament to justify an OSU career.
"I agree with that, especially if you are going to be a point guard in this program," Sutton said. "As many good point guards as have come through here, ultimately, right or wrong, you are judged as a point guard by how many wins you get and the success your team has. That's what I have tried to get Byron to embrace throughout his career."
Sutton said some of OSU's best players, including Final Four point guard John Lucas, didn't hit a stride until the twilight of their junior seasons. The coach said it's not too late for Eaton to become one of the best Cowboy floor generals.
"I still think he can be really good," Sutton said, indicating that the Cowboys will win a lot of games if Eaton plays up to his potential.
If Kansas and Texas lose star guards to the NBA and if Eaton continues to play at a high level, Eaton could be the Big 12's best guard next year, according to Gottlieb.
"And this team, I think, would react accordingly," Gottlieb said, adding that the Cowboys could add players and "completely turn the corner next year."
Eaton was asked how he wants to be remembered by fans when his career is over.
Said Eaton, "I want them all to say I played hard, no matter what. If I was 300 pounds, I would play hard. And no matter what, I never gave up and I was always a fighter. I've still got one more year left and we still have a lot of time left this year that we can make a run. I just want everybody to say he didn't give up. That would be the biggest thing for me. He was a warrior and he didn't give up and he fought his butt off every night."
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
2/23/2008
Junior guard garners praise after lackluster first two seasons.
STILLWATER -- All of a sudden, the once-maligned Byron Eaton Show is drawing rave reviews.
"I think Byron Eaton controlled the whole tempo tonight. He was the best guard on the floor." -- Baylor coach Scott Drew, after Eaton led Oklahoma State to a 10-point victory over his team.
"Byron Eaton was in total control of the game." -- Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon, after his team lost at home to the Cowboys.
Eaton is almost 100 games into his collegiate career -- game No. 94 arrives Saturday, when Kansas invades Gallagher-Iba Arena -- and the hope of OSU coaches is that the junior point guard has finally arrived.
Eaton has been dogged by weight problems and loss problems (turnovers) during a career in which his team won 52 games and lost 41. But he feels like he is playing the best ball of his career. In the last two games, his stat line featured 42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and only four turnovers.
It would be hasty to render a verdict that Eaton has turned the corner. "But he is headed in the right direction," coach Sean Sutton said.
At stake is Eaton's legacy and the fate of a program.
Eaton came to Stillwater with can't-miss credentials. Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons ranked the kid from Lincoln High School in Dallas as the best point guard prospect in the country. Sutton believed Eaton had a chance to be the best point guard in OSU history.
"He was unbelievable in high school," Sutton said. "You don't get voted McDonald's All-American without playing well -- a lot -- in front of the right people."
Others saw what Sutton saw. Kansas coach Bill Self, at a Big 12 media function before Eaton's freshman season, said he cast his league freshman of the year vote for Eaton. It should be noted that Self, who had three freshmen McDonald's All-Americans on his roster at the time, wasn't permitted to vote for one of his players.
Former OSU point guard Doug Gottlieb, the Cowboys' career assist leader, saw tapes of Eaton's high school and AAU games and, like Sutton, predicted Eaton had a chance to be the best OSU point guard ever.
"The sky was the limit talent-wise," Gottlieb said.
Now Gottlieb said he feels for the kid.
"He has kind of caught the brunt of the blame, he and Sean," Gottlieb said. "But I also think rightfully so. I don't think he dedicated himself off the court to get in shape. On the court, he is such a nice kid that I don't think it really ate him up when he wasn't really as good as he should have been."
Eaton said it is reasonable that point guards and coaches get too much credit or blame for wins and losses since the same is true in football for quarterbacks and coaches. He is a former high school quarterback.
Eaton was asked to assign himself a letter grade for his college basketball career thus far. "I would say right at a C. The reason I can't get an A is because the first two years I didn't have my weight right and then (not) a B because I wasn't able to play at the potential that the coaches wanted me to play at. I give myself a C because now I'm starting to come around and play like the coaches want me to play."
A big reason Eaton came to OSU was because the Cowboys always seemed to be in NCAA Tournaments. Of the 24 players who participated in the 2005 McDonald's All-America game, all but three have reached the NCAA Tournament or the NBA. The exceptions? Eaton, North Carolina State's Brandon Costner and Auburn's Korvotney Barber.
Eaton believes he has to take a team to the NCAA Tournament to justify his McDonald's All-America status. He has not given up on leading the Cowboys to the NCAA this season. Conquering KU would make that goal more credible.
Forget the McDonald's All-America thing, said Gottlieb, interjecting that a player has to go to an NCAA Tournament to justify an OSU career.
"I agree with that, especially if you are going to be a point guard in this program," Sutton said. "As many good point guards as have come through here, ultimately, right or wrong, you are judged as a point guard by how many wins you get and the success your team has. That's what I have tried to get Byron to embrace throughout his career."
Sutton said some of OSU's best players, including Final Four point guard John Lucas, didn't hit a stride until the twilight of their junior seasons. The coach said it's not too late for Eaton to become one of the best Cowboy floor generals.
"I still think he can be really good," Sutton said, indicating that the Cowboys will win a lot of games if Eaton plays up to his potential.
If Kansas and Texas lose star guards to the NBA and if Eaton continues to play at a high level, Eaton could be the Big 12's best guard next year, according to Gottlieb.
"And this team, I think, would react accordingly," Gottlieb said, adding that the Cowboys could add players and "completely turn the corner next year."
Eaton was asked how he wants to be remembered by fans when his career is over.
Said Eaton, "I want them all to say I played hard, no matter what. If I was 300 pounds, I would play hard. And no matter what, I never gave up and I was always a fighter. I've still got one more year left and we still have a lot of time left this year that we can make a run. I just want everybody to say he didn't give up. That would be the biggest thing for me. He was a warrior and he didn't give up and he fought his butt off every night."