JimBob
01-21-2008, 08:05 AM
OSU-UT makes for big drama
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
1/21/2008
Pokes had memorable wins in the Longhorns' last two visits.
Here's a big question regarding Oklahoma State's ESPN-televised "Big Monday" game against Texas:
OSU always seems to bring its A-game when Texas invades Gallagher-Iba Arena. Can the Cowboys, in dire need of a positive development, do it again?
OSU has won 49 games the last three seasons. Two of the most memorable triumphs came at Texas' expense.
First, two seasons ago, an unranked OSU squad beat sixth-ranked UT by 21 points at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
It came nine days after coach Eddie Sutton was involved in a drunken driving-related traffic accident and it was Sean Sutton's first win as an interim head coach. Among the impressed was Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, who sent a letter of congratulations.
"It was our best performance of that year in a time when we really needed a win to kind of boost the morale of our players and the people in the program," Sean Sutton said.
Second, last season, OSU's Mario Boggan and Texas' Kevin Durant starred in an epic clash of titans. Durant harvested 37 points and 12 rebounds. Boggan grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 37 points, including a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left that gave the Cowboys a 105-103 triple-overtime victory.
"You can coach a long time and not be part of many games like that," Sean Sutton said. "It was one of the best games I was ever involved with as a player or as an assistant or a head coach. It was the game of the year last year in college basketball."
OSU owned a 16-2 record after the ESPY-nominated game, which should have provided the program with a grand dose of momentum. Instead, the opposite occurred. The Cowboys are 16-18 since.
Now Texas returns to the scene of the instant classic, and OSU is in search of a mojo-restoring victory.
"Over the years, it seems like we have had a lot of great games with Texas," Sean Sutton said. "It has become a big rivalry game and I think both programs have a lot of respect for one another."
Texas had perhaps the best player in college basketball when Durant made his first and only visit to Stillwater last year.
The Longhorns still have one -- or more -- of the best players in college basketball, according to Sean Sutton, who raved about UT sophomore forward Damion James.
"I think they have the best point guard in college basketball in (D.J.) Augustin, but Damion James is a player that I loved in high school," Sean Sutton said.
"Of all the (recruits) that were out there that year, he was by far one of my favorite players. He reminded me of a bigger Desmond Mason. He was just a relentless competitor and he seemed to be all over the place and played hard at both ends of the court. I thought he would be a big-time player and last year so much attention and focus was on Durant. This year I think people are getting to see what a special player he is.
He is a monster athlete and he plays his butt off. I've got a lot of admiration for him. He is the type of guy that I would have loved to coach because he is tough and he is a winner."
No one on OSU's roster seems primed to replicate the gargantuan performance that Boggan had last season, but junior Terrel Harris collected 40 total points in the Cowboys' last two games, including 29 in the first halves of the last two games.
Harris scored 16 against the Horns at Gallagher-Iba Arena last season.
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
1/21/2008
Pokes had memorable wins in the Longhorns' last two visits.
Here's a big question regarding Oklahoma State's ESPN-televised "Big Monday" game against Texas:
OSU always seems to bring its A-game when Texas invades Gallagher-Iba Arena. Can the Cowboys, in dire need of a positive development, do it again?
OSU has won 49 games the last three seasons. Two of the most memorable triumphs came at Texas' expense.
First, two seasons ago, an unranked OSU squad beat sixth-ranked UT by 21 points at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
It came nine days after coach Eddie Sutton was involved in a drunken driving-related traffic accident and it was Sean Sutton's first win as an interim head coach. Among the impressed was Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, who sent a letter of congratulations.
"It was our best performance of that year in a time when we really needed a win to kind of boost the morale of our players and the people in the program," Sean Sutton said.
Second, last season, OSU's Mario Boggan and Texas' Kevin Durant starred in an epic clash of titans. Durant harvested 37 points and 12 rebounds. Boggan grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 37 points, including a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left that gave the Cowboys a 105-103 triple-overtime victory.
"You can coach a long time and not be part of many games like that," Sean Sutton said. "It was one of the best games I was ever involved with as a player or as an assistant or a head coach. It was the game of the year last year in college basketball."
OSU owned a 16-2 record after the ESPY-nominated game, which should have provided the program with a grand dose of momentum. Instead, the opposite occurred. The Cowboys are 16-18 since.
Now Texas returns to the scene of the instant classic, and OSU is in search of a mojo-restoring victory.
"Over the years, it seems like we have had a lot of great games with Texas," Sean Sutton said. "It has become a big rivalry game and I think both programs have a lot of respect for one another."
Texas had perhaps the best player in college basketball when Durant made his first and only visit to Stillwater last year.
The Longhorns still have one -- or more -- of the best players in college basketball, according to Sean Sutton, who raved about UT sophomore forward Damion James.
"I think they have the best point guard in college basketball in (D.J.) Augustin, but Damion James is a player that I loved in high school," Sean Sutton said.
"Of all the (recruits) that were out there that year, he was by far one of my favorite players. He reminded me of a bigger Desmond Mason. He was just a relentless competitor and he seemed to be all over the place and played hard at both ends of the court. I thought he would be a big-time player and last year so much attention and focus was on Durant. This year I think people are getting to see what a special player he is.
He is a monster athlete and he plays his butt off. I've got a lot of admiration for him. He is the type of guy that I would have loved to coach because he is tough and he is a winner."
No one on OSU's roster seems primed to replicate the gargantuan performance that Boggan had last season, but junior Terrel Harris collected 40 total points in the Cowboys' last two games, including 29 in the first halves of the last two games.
Harris scored 16 against the Horns at Gallagher-Iba Arena last season.