JimBob
12-21-2007, 01:34 PM
OSU Coach: Cowboys 'kind of fragile'
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
12/21/2007
Sutton discusses program's tradition with team after game.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma State basketball coach Sean Sutton huddled behind closed doors with his team for more than 30 minutes after a 74-59 loss to Oral Roberts in the All-College Classic.
When Sutton emerged from the locker room, he said he was stunned by the Cowboys' performance.
"I don't think I've ever been this embarrassed," he said. "But that's part of the game."
It was more a bloodletting than a game. ORU was the aggressor and led by double digits for the last 26:35.
"We're just not very tough right now and that's my fault," said Sutton, whose team never got closer than 13 points in the second half. "I've got to do a better job in that area."
Sutton said his 5-5 squad is "kind of fragile" and he said ORU (which made Texas sweat two nights earlier) is playing with a lot of confidence. The Cowboys' average margin of defeat in the last four losses is 19.5 points.
"We have had teams here in the past where they didn't get as bad a funk as this team is right now," he said.
The subject of past OSU teams was broached during Sutton's postgame summit with players. Sutton said he talked a lot about the tradition of the program.
OSU was 57-11 (he said eight of the defeats came down to a final possession) during a two-year period ending with the 2004-05 season. The Cowboys had to reboot following the exodus of a big senior class. In three seasons since, the record is 44-34.
Sutton said the Cowboys have to get on the practice court and "work to get it back."
OSU's rebuilding mission was complicated by the offseason departures of James-On Curry and Kenny Cooper. Sutton said he thought this season's squad kind of turned a corner with a lopsided homecourt victory over Washington. He said the Cowboys played well in spurts in a road loss Saturday at Pittsburgh.
But a loss to ORU, in a battle of teams coached by brothers, was a step back.
"Scott, I thought did a great job and I thought I did a terrible job with my team," the OSU coach said.
Asked about coaching against his brother, Sean said, "It was a lot different than anything that I have experi enced coaching. It was awkward. But his team seemed really focused and responded. I was shocked at the way we played. The way we practiced the last three days, I thought we would play much better than we did."
OSU shot 36.4 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers, including seven in a 10-possession span when ORU pulled away during the first half.
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
12/21/2007
Sutton discusses program's tradition with team after game.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma State basketball coach Sean Sutton huddled behind closed doors with his team for more than 30 minutes after a 74-59 loss to Oral Roberts in the All-College Classic.
When Sutton emerged from the locker room, he said he was stunned by the Cowboys' performance.
"I don't think I've ever been this embarrassed," he said. "But that's part of the game."
It was more a bloodletting than a game. ORU was the aggressor and led by double digits for the last 26:35.
"We're just not very tough right now and that's my fault," said Sutton, whose team never got closer than 13 points in the second half. "I've got to do a better job in that area."
Sutton said his 5-5 squad is "kind of fragile" and he said ORU (which made Texas sweat two nights earlier) is playing with a lot of confidence. The Cowboys' average margin of defeat in the last four losses is 19.5 points.
"We have had teams here in the past where they didn't get as bad a funk as this team is right now," he said.
The subject of past OSU teams was broached during Sutton's postgame summit with players. Sutton said he talked a lot about the tradition of the program.
OSU was 57-11 (he said eight of the defeats came down to a final possession) during a two-year period ending with the 2004-05 season. The Cowboys had to reboot following the exodus of a big senior class. In three seasons since, the record is 44-34.
Sutton said the Cowboys have to get on the practice court and "work to get it back."
OSU's rebuilding mission was complicated by the offseason departures of James-On Curry and Kenny Cooper. Sutton said he thought this season's squad kind of turned a corner with a lopsided homecourt victory over Washington. He said the Cowboys played well in spurts in a road loss Saturday at Pittsburgh.
But a loss to ORU, in a battle of teams coached by brothers, was a step back.
"Scott, I thought did a great job and I thought I did a terrible job with my team," the OSU coach said.
Asked about coaching against his brother, Sean said, "It was a lot different than anything that I have experi enced coaching. It was awkward. But his team seemed really focused and responded. I was shocked at the way we played. The way we practiced the last three days, I thought we would play much better than we did."
OSU shot 36.4 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers, including seven in a 10-possession span when ORU pulled away during the first half.