JimBob
03-03-2008, 08:43 AM
Sutton's positive attitude revives team
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
3/3/2008
STILLWATER -- There's no secret to Sean Sutton's miraculous revival of Oklahoma State basketball.
There's no shortage of college basketball coaches who will acknowledge, either in public or private, that Sutton is a fabulous basketball coach.
What Sutton needed was some tangible proof, victories in important games, that he could take what he did in practice and transfer it to the bright lights.
Even at his lowest, as the Cowboys suffered through six straight losses, Sutton admitted all he could do was stay upbeat and positive with his players.
"We're close," said Sutton three weeks ago. "We just need guys to make plays at the end of games."
That has happened. The Cowboys have gone from the bottom of the Big 12 to NCAA bubble team in just three weeks.
"We can play with most teams when we play well," said Sutton. "Maybe not the elite teams, yet, but with most teams."
OSU won for the sixth time in its last seven games (five straight) when it stomped surging Nebraska, 77-63, on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowboys, who became NCAA regulars under his father, are once again on the national radar.
Even a horrible start would not be a road block if the Cowboys can finish off this fabulous finish to the regular season.
"All we did was win some close games," said Sutton. "That helps with confidence.
"We needed guys to step up and make some plays. We've had some guys stepping up in a big way."
A play here or there earlier in the season, and OSU would not be on the NCAA Tournament bubble. It would be working on its seed.
Instead, a season that appeared all but over has been brought back to life by Sutton.
Forget the rumors about his future. All of the talk about the demise of Oklahoma State basketball has been exaggerated.
After a strange three years, first as the interim head coach, and then his first two in the lead chair, Sutton appears to have settled comfortably into his job.
Many envisioned a smooth transition when Sutton was first named the head coach-designate and promised the job whenever his father resigned. But there was nothing smooth about what he inherited.
No one wants to talk about it, but Sutton inherited a mess from his father, starting with the way it all came down.
Eddie Sutton's drunken-driving incident put a huge cloud over the transition and put Sean in a difficult spot, to say the least.
Then, expectations got way out of control when OSU soared out of the blocks to a No. 10 ranking barely two months into Sean Sutton's first season.
That team collapsed, just as some had predicted.
Then, this current team unexpectedly lost its interior experience and best player in the offseason.
Suddenly, Sutton's future became the talk of the state not even two years into his career as a head coach.
Through it all, Sutton has been a calming influence on a team that could have easily cratered.
Before the start of this season, the Cowboys had just three players with much experience (Byron Eaton, Marcus Dove and Terrel Harris). Obi Muonelo, a fourth, had played little during a freshman season cut short by injury.
Of OSU's nine players seeing regular court time this season, five are freshmen and one is a sophomore.
JamesOn Curry, expected to be OSU's best player, surprised coaches when he unexpectedly took his talents to the pros last summer. And, OSU's best post player quit the team to move closer to home just before the start of school.
Sutton has faced a long list of unexpected obstacles in his short career.
From his first day on the job as the head coach, less than 24 hours after his father was involved in the incident two years ago, Sutton has faced some big hurdles.
He hasn't complained. He hasn't gone around telling people how much he had to overcome.
He hasn't made excuses or blamed anyone else.
He hasn't done anything but work hard and fix what was wrong.
Now, OSU has a chance to do something no one expected just a few short weeks ago.
Sutton gives his players all of the credit.
"It has been a number of guys," said Sutton. "That's what you've got to do when the game is on the line."
Three weeks ago, Sutton told his players he believed they would win their final sev en games.
"I felt they believed me," he said.
He could have asked for show of hands at Gallagher-Iba Arena and he wouldn't have had many takers.
But he believed. He kept working hard. He knew. He can coach.
Finally, he's getting a chance to show people.
"I thought it would turn," he said.
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
3/3/2008
STILLWATER -- There's no secret to Sean Sutton's miraculous revival of Oklahoma State basketball.
There's no shortage of college basketball coaches who will acknowledge, either in public or private, that Sutton is a fabulous basketball coach.
What Sutton needed was some tangible proof, victories in important games, that he could take what he did in practice and transfer it to the bright lights.
Even at his lowest, as the Cowboys suffered through six straight losses, Sutton admitted all he could do was stay upbeat and positive with his players.
"We're close," said Sutton three weeks ago. "We just need guys to make plays at the end of games."
That has happened. The Cowboys have gone from the bottom of the Big 12 to NCAA bubble team in just three weeks.
"We can play with most teams when we play well," said Sutton. "Maybe not the elite teams, yet, but with most teams."
OSU won for the sixth time in its last seven games (five straight) when it stomped surging Nebraska, 77-63, on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowboys, who became NCAA regulars under his father, are once again on the national radar.
Even a horrible start would not be a road block if the Cowboys can finish off this fabulous finish to the regular season.
"All we did was win some close games," said Sutton. "That helps with confidence.
"We needed guys to step up and make some plays. We've had some guys stepping up in a big way."
A play here or there earlier in the season, and OSU would not be on the NCAA Tournament bubble. It would be working on its seed.
Instead, a season that appeared all but over has been brought back to life by Sutton.
Forget the rumors about his future. All of the talk about the demise of Oklahoma State basketball has been exaggerated.
After a strange three years, first as the interim head coach, and then his first two in the lead chair, Sutton appears to have settled comfortably into his job.
Many envisioned a smooth transition when Sutton was first named the head coach-designate and promised the job whenever his father resigned. But there was nothing smooth about what he inherited.
No one wants to talk about it, but Sutton inherited a mess from his father, starting with the way it all came down.
Eddie Sutton's drunken-driving incident put a huge cloud over the transition and put Sean in a difficult spot, to say the least.
Then, expectations got way out of control when OSU soared out of the blocks to a No. 10 ranking barely two months into Sean Sutton's first season.
That team collapsed, just as some had predicted.
Then, this current team unexpectedly lost its interior experience and best player in the offseason.
Suddenly, Sutton's future became the talk of the state not even two years into his career as a head coach.
Through it all, Sutton has been a calming influence on a team that could have easily cratered.
Before the start of this season, the Cowboys had just three players with much experience (Byron Eaton, Marcus Dove and Terrel Harris). Obi Muonelo, a fourth, had played little during a freshman season cut short by injury.
Of OSU's nine players seeing regular court time this season, five are freshmen and one is a sophomore.
JamesOn Curry, expected to be OSU's best player, surprised coaches when he unexpectedly took his talents to the pros last summer. And, OSU's best post player quit the team to move closer to home just before the start of school.
Sutton has faced a long list of unexpected obstacles in his short career.
From his first day on the job as the head coach, less than 24 hours after his father was involved in the incident two years ago, Sutton has faced some big hurdles.
He hasn't complained. He hasn't gone around telling people how much he had to overcome.
He hasn't made excuses or blamed anyone else.
He hasn't done anything but work hard and fix what was wrong.
Now, OSU has a chance to do something no one expected just a few short weeks ago.
Sutton gives his players all of the credit.
"It has been a number of guys," said Sutton. "That's what you've got to do when the game is on the line."
Three weeks ago, Sutton told his players he believed they would win their final sev en games.
"I felt they believed me," he said.
He could have asked for show of hands at Gallagher-Iba Arena and he wouldn't have had many takers.
But he believed. He kept working hard. He knew. He can coach.
Finally, he's getting a chance to show people.
"I thought it would turn," he said.