Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Heads East For The NCAA Tournament
March 11, 2001 | Cowboy Basketball
March 11, 2001
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State will be making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance overall and fourth consecutive postseason showing when the Cowboys take on USC on Thursday, March 15, in the first round of the East Regionals being held in Long Island, N.Y.
OSU, the 11th seed in the East, will take on the sixth seed USC, which finished 21-9 overall and 11-7 in the Pac-10, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Colliseum.
Gametimes will be announced Monday afternoon by the NCAA and CBS television.
Oklahoma State, 20-9 overall and 10-6 in the Big 12, is 16-1 all-time in NCAA first round games including an 8-0 mark under head coach Eddie Sutton.
The Cowboys and USC have met nine times on the hardwood with OSU holding a 5-4 series lead. The teams last met in the 1974 season with Oklahoma State coming away with a 107-88 win in Los Angeles. Thursday's contest will be the first ever tournament meeting between the schools.
The OSU/USC winner will take on the winner of the Boston College/Southern Utah game on Saturday, March 17, with the victor of that game advancing to the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia, Pa.
OSU Men's Basketball
NCAA Preview
Sunday, March 11, 2001
OSU head coach Eddie Sutton
Opening statement
I am just thrilled that we got the bid. We felt confident that we were
going to get one after beating Tech (Texas) and playing Texas like we did.
I'm kind of excited about going to New York, it seems to me we've always
played fairly well when we went east. Southern Cal, I don't know that much
about them other than they are very athletic, and they like to get up and
down the court. They are coming out of a very tough conference, so when you
are playing a six seed and you are an 11 seed, you know you are going to be
the underdog. I'm really just pleased and excited for our team. Even you all
(the media) don't know what they have been through to hang in there and get
in the NCAA Tournament. I think that is really an achievement for them.
On being an underdog
When you get in the NCAA Tournament, and get past the 13th seed, everybody
is quite good. I'd rather be an 11 (seed) than I would an eight or nine. I
don't think there is that much difference when you play a six seed and a
eight or nine, I think everybody is about the same. You certainly have a
better chance in that second game if you are fortunate enough to win the
first one, not having to play that No. 1 seed. I'm not sure we are ready for
Stanford or Duke or Michigan State or Illinois. I'm not saying we are ready
for Boston College, if that is who wins that first game, but I'm just
pleased that we are in the tournament. It is quite an achievement for this
group of men.
On the reaction of the team
We were all at my house and the players were all jumping up and down they
were quite excited. And, I was kind of relieved when we were in the first
regional. It is a terrible feeling when you know you are a bubble team to be
sitting here and it rolls around to the last regional and you've just got
your fingers crossed.
OSU Men's Basketball
NCAA Preview
Sunday, March 11, 2001
OSU player quotes
Maurice Baker
On making the NCAA Tournament
I'm pretty happy to get into the tournament and get a chance to play. We
drew USC and I think it will be a good matchup, they are a good all-around
team. I really don't know too much about USC, but I guess we will find out.
I feel very confident we can go in and win that game and then get a chance
to play either Boston College or Southern Utah.
On OSU's defense
Like coach says, those teams out west haven't seen our defense. We need to
show them how we play defense. We have to be very intense on the defensive
side of the ball and really get after them. The way we play defense gives us
a chance to play with anybody.
Victor Williams
On going to the NCAA Tournament
I'm very excited about going to the tournament. Last year I had to sit
out and watch those guys go the Elite Eight, so that kind of made me more
anxious to get there. I don't know much about those guys (USC), I'm just
excited about being in. In the next couple of days, I'll know a lot about
them (USC) because the coaches will get us ready.
On going out East
I've never really been out east, so it's going to be an exciting time for
me, getting to do a little sight seeing. But we are going up there for one
mission and that's to win.
Fredrik Jonzen
On the tournament
I'm just happy we are in the tournament. You look at the other six seeds,
you've got Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Texas, you know, are pretty tough
teams. I just don't know much about USC, but I bet they have a pretty good
team if they have a six seed. I'm happy with the seed we got, and going back
up to New York, we had a lot luck up there last year.
On being an 11 seed
If you look at some of the other teams that are in there it is kind of hard
to compare, I don't know about all of the records and everything like that.
As I've said before, I'm just happy we made it. I thought we should have
made it. Sometimes it's better to play a six seed in the first round than
play a No. 1 seed in the second round if you get that eight and nine seed.
