JimBob
06-17-2009, 08:15 AM
OSU's Ford looks to build on successful first season
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 6/17/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 6/17/2009 3:41 AM
OKLAHOMA STATE basketball, spoiled by years of success under Eddie Sutton, was slow to warm to Travis Ford.
The new guy was brought in amid some debate over how Sean Sutton was treated in his brief time as head coach. In addition, the Cowboys had underachieved since Eddie Sutton was pushed out the door after a drunken driving incident.
Ford had nothing to do with the past. He wasn't involved with any of what happened at the end of the Sutton era — either Sutton era.
But, it was his job to restore some order and put the Cowboys back on the national college basketball map.
It could be argued that Ford should have been the Big 12 Conference coach of the year last season.
Certainly, Kansas' Bill Self was deserving, taking the Jayhawks to an unexpected regular season title.
A case could be made for another coach with Tulsa ties, Missouri's Mike Anderson, who took the Tigers to an unexpected Big 12 Tournament title.
But, KU and Mizzou had not gone through any of the upheaval in the previous year that faced Ford when he arrived in Stillwater.
"This time last year I was making a lot of stops, meeting a lot of people," said Ford during Tuesday's Big 12 Conference basketball coaches summer teleconference. "I understood. I'm sure people were wondering
who is this guy. He is someone not from the Sutton family.
"This year it is different. People have gotten to know me a little bit."
Certainly, as a coach, Ford has made a great first impression. He had a team with some talent but that had not even been close to reaching its potential. In addition, there was unrest among fans, who were split over whether Sean Sutton had done enough to continue coaching at OSU.
Sutton was pushed out the door by OSU athletic director Mike Holder. Right or wrong, the Sutton era was over, and Holder gambled that Ford would bring a new era of success.
Most agreed the transition would take several years.
The transition continues, but there's little question the Cowboys are further ahead that even the most optimistic fans could have predicted.
OSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. The Cowboys beat Tennessee in the first round and led top-seeded Pitt late before losing to the Panthers in the second round.
OSU beat Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament to solidify its spot in the NCAAs.
By the end of the season, the Cowboys were back in the national spotlight, and the crowds came back to Gallagher-Iba Arena. By any measurement, it was a successful start for Ford in re-establishing OSU in college basketball.
Now comes the hard part. O-State will hope to build on the great start by being a legitimate contender in the Big 12, a league considered one of the top two or three heading into next season.
"The biggest thing right now is to get our players to want even more," Ford said.
The Cowboys might be the youngest team in the Big 12 next season with seven newcomers. That's usually not a good recipe for success.
However, James Anderson should be an all-conference player and possible All-American. Keiton Page had a surprisingly successful freshman year and should be better. So should Obi Muonelo, who ended the season by playing terrific in OSU's late surge. Marshall Moses, although undersized on the interior, turned into a decent player and gave the Cowboys a small but effective weapon in the paint.
"But, I tell our guys that we lost some great players who were the backbone of our season," Ford said. "Still, we have some exciting players, and our fans are excited."
Finding a point guard to replace Byron Eaton, who played great down the stretch, might be the key to the season. OSU has a handful of possibilities at the point.
But, if Ford can get his players to maximize their abilities, as he did in his first season, OSU should once again find itself on the national stage.
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 6/17/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 6/17/2009 3:41 AM
OKLAHOMA STATE basketball, spoiled by years of success under Eddie Sutton, was slow to warm to Travis Ford.
The new guy was brought in amid some debate over how Sean Sutton was treated in his brief time as head coach. In addition, the Cowboys had underachieved since Eddie Sutton was pushed out the door after a drunken driving incident.
Ford had nothing to do with the past. He wasn't involved with any of what happened at the end of the Sutton era — either Sutton era.
But, it was his job to restore some order and put the Cowboys back on the national college basketball map.
It could be argued that Ford should have been the Big 12 Conference coach of the year last season.
Certainly, Kansas' Bill Self was deserving, taking the Jayhawks to an unexpected regular season title.
A case could be made for another coach with Tulsa ties, Missouri's Mike Anderson, who took the Tigers to an unexpected Big 12 Tournament title.
But, KU and Mizzou had not gone through any of the upheaval in the previous year that faced Ford when he arrived in Stillwater.
"This time last year I was making a lot of stops, meeting a lot of people," said Ford during Tuesday's Big 12 Conference basketball coaches summer teleconference. "I understood. I'm sure people were wondering
who is this guy. He is someone not from the Sutton family.
"This year it is different. People have gotten to know me a little bit."
Certainly, as a coach, Ford has made a great first impression. He had a team with some talent but that had not even been close to reaching its potential. In addition, there was unrest among fans, who were split over whether Sean Sutton had done enough to continue coaching at OSU.
Sutton was pushed out the door by OSU athletic director Mike Holder. Right or wrong, the Sutton era was over, and Holder gambled that Ford would bring a new era of success.
Most agreed the transition would take several years.
The transition continues, but there's little question the Cowboys are further ahead that even the most optimistic fans could have predicted.
OSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. The Cowboys beat Tennessee in the first round and led top-seeded Pitt late before losing to the Panthers in the second round.
OSU beat Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament to solidify its spot in the NCAAs.
By the end of the season, the Cowboys were back in the national spotlight, and the crowds came back to Gallagher-Iba Arena. By any measurement, it was a successful start for Ford in re-establishing OSU in college basketball.
Now comes the hard part. O-State will hope to build on the great start by being a legitimate contender in the Big 12, a league considered one of the top two or three heading into next season.
"The biggest thing right now is to get our players to want even more," Ford said.
The Cowboys might be the youngest team in the Big 12 next season with seven newcomers. That's usually not a good recipe for success.
However, James Anderson should be an all-conference player and possible All-American. Keiton Page had a surprisingly successful freshman year and should be better. So should Obi Muonelo, who ended the season by playing terrific in OSU's late surge. Marshall Moses, although undersized on the interior, turned into a decent player and gave the Cowboys a small but effective weapon in the paint.
"But, I tell our guys that we lost some great players who were the backbone of our season," Ford said. "Still, we have some exciting players, and our fans are excited."
Finding a point guard to replace Byron Eaton, who played great down the stretch, might be the key to the season. OSU has a handful of possibilities at the point.
But, if Ford can get his players to maximize their abilities, as he did in his first season, OSU should once again find itself on the national stage.