Oklahoma State University Athletics
Question and Answer with Eddie Sutton
June 21, 1999 | Cowboy Basketball
October 1, 1998
Your team made great strides from 1997 to 1998. Were you surprised by that kind of improvement?
You always are optimistic that your team can maximize its ability, and I thought that team last year probably did. We just had good chemistry. The players all understood their roles; they all understood that the game of basketball is a team game; and they were willing to fulfill those roles. I was really pleased with the way the season progressed and the way they improved.
Do you expect the same kind of improvement this season?
I think the ballclub this year has a lot of ability; I think the biggest question mark will be replacing Brett Robisch. Brett Robisch was a terrific college player in the last half of the season; I don't think people realize the kind of player he was for us. I think that'll be a real question mark, whether some of those young players can step forward and get the job done.
There are always question marks that you can't answer - can your team stay healthy? I think that's one thing we were able to do last year, to be able to get through the season without any major injuries. I think people will pick this team high, and I think when you look at our perimeter players and the players we have returning, we could be pretty good, but I think they also have to realize that there are some question marks in that pivot area.
Will the NCAA Tournament experience from last season help this year's squad?
Any time your team has a year like we did, and you have the number of players returning that we do have with Big 12 experience and also the additional experience of being in the NCAA, that makes you able to play with a lot more confidence, knowing you've been down that road before.
Do you expect Adrian Peterson to be picked as one of the league's top players in the preseason?
I think he should be. I think Adrian is an outstanding basketball player, and he's gotten better every season. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't have a banner season in his final year. If we're going to have a successful season, he'll have to play a key role.
Joe Adkins and Desmond Mason were two of the most improved players in the league last year. Comment on their development. I felt like those two guys improved more from the previous year to the end of last year than anybody we had on the ballclub. I thought they really made remarkable progress. I think they've both worked very hard in the summer, and I'll be disappointed if they don't continue to improve this season.
And I think Doug Gottlieb also played a really big role. He got better in a lot of ways, and he also has had a good summer of basketball. So when we look at perimeter players, with Peterson, Adkins, Gottlieb and Mason, those all are four very good basketball players.
Do you expect Alex Webber to be fully recovered from his back injury two years ago?
Alex is a guy that I think really plays a big key in what kind of season we might have. Alex has an abundance of talent. He had a very good freshman year until he got injury, and then I just don't think he ever achieved the level that we thought he would as as a sophomore. He is healed up now, and hopefully he can be in that starting lineup. I told him this summer, 'In my opinion, you're a guy that should look at the starting position as yours to lose. He's got the ability, and when you look at the players challenging him, he should have the opportunity to beat them out. Alex has to step forward and have a big year for us.
Brian Montonati played his way into a key role last year.
I thought Brian made big improvements from where he started. Of course, his best game was against the University of Oklahoma at Gallagher-Iba. I would think he would challenge for a lot of quality playing time this year. When you look at the players that are going to have to play on the front line, there aren't many with a lot of experience. He's one that has proven that he can play at this level.
Scott Robisch has missed the majority of the past two seasons with injuries. What role does he play?
If he can stay healthy, he's going to play a lot for us. He just needs to get a little stronger. He's not the same kind of player as Brett. He feels much more comfortable facing the basket. He's more a wing-type player, a swing-type player. Scott can shoot the ball, and any time you have a player that can shoot it, he's one you need to take a long look at. You can teach in other areas - how to play defense, how to rebound, how to other things - but shooting's an art, and he certainly has that ability to score. If he can stay healthy, get a little stronger and improve his defense, he's got a chance to play a lot.
Will Michael Johnson work his way into the rotation?
I think Mike's gonna still have several players ahead of him, but that doesn't mean he can't pass some of them up. But he's got to get some experience before he's going to play a real big role.
What kind of addition will Glendon Alexander be?
I think Glendon Alexander will challenge for a lot of playing time. He's already proven he can play at this level, having come from the University of Arkansas. He's a scorer - any time you say a guy's the all-time top scorer in Texas high school history, you know that he can play. I would think he'll challenge our veterans for a lot of playing time.
What kind of player is John Gilmore?
John's a big, strong, power-type player. I think, knowing the makeup of our squad, that he has a good chance to play a lot. He's a very good rebounder and defender. He's had the experience of playing major-college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a freshman. He's the kind of player that can come in and give us a lot of playing time.
You've also added Fredrik Jonzen of Sweden.
I think Fredrik will play. He has the advantage of having played very tough competition, much tougher than a high school senior would play in our country.
What are Roy Candley's prospects?
I've seen him on film, and Sean and Paul have seen him practicing, but he's got great hands, he's a good scorer, a good passer. He just needs to lose a few pounds in order to be in better playing condition. He's got a chance to help us, because the people in our Wellness Center and Dan Austin and the people in our weight center think they can help him a lot.
Will your defensive philosophy be similar to last year's team's, forcing a lot of turnovers?
That's the way our good teams were always able to play, forcing the other team into mistakes and turning them into easy baskets. I think this ballclub, with the quickness we have on the perimeter, will be that kind of team.
