Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State-Southern California Preview
March 14, 2001 | Cowboy Basketball
March 14, 2001
GAME: No. 11 Oklahoma State (21-9) vs. No. 6 Southern California (20-9)
REGIONAL: East, first round.
TIME: Thursday, 10:10 p.m. EST.
SITE: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.
Eddie Sutton and Oklahoma State were happy just to be asked to the NCAA tournament after the season they've endured. Many others surely felt pretty good about it, too.
The 11th-seeded Cowboys, who had to deal with a tragic January plane crash that killed 10 members of their program, face Southern California in an East Regional first-round game.
"I was really thrilled and so happy for our team," Sutton said. "It means so much to them after what they've been through. I think they've been very courageous to get their team to this point."
After the plane crash that killed two players and eight others with their traveling party, the Cowboys dropped three of their next five games before rallying for four straight victories. With only three players back from last season's squad that made it to the Elite Eight, not much was expected from Oklahoma State this season.
"It's certainly not one of the best teams we've ever taken into the NCAA tournament, but it's one that I'm quite proud of because of the things that have happened," Sutton added.
While Oklahoma State has had success in the tournament recently, Southern California has been absent the last few years.
USC, which last made it to the NCAAs in 1997, has won four of its last five games, with the only loss a two-point defeat against then-No. 1 Stanford.
"We have kind of found ourselves in our play now," said coach Henry Bibby. "You saw that in the last four or five games."
Still, the Trojans have only one player who has any tournament experience in fifth-year senior Jarvis Turner.
"They'll just have to play through it," Bibby said. "Oklahoma State will be just as jittery. I'll take that. It's okay to be jittery. Then you settle into playing."
The Trojans are led by center Sam Clancy, who averaged 17.2 points this season.
The winner will face either Boston College or Southern Utah in the second round on Saturday.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Oklahoma State - F Andre Williams (7.0 ppg, 7.5
rpg), F
Melvin Sanders (7.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg), C Fredrik Jonzen (15.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg), G
Maurice Baker (20.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg), G Victor Williams (11.6 rpg, 3.7 apg).
Southern California - F Brian Scalabrine (15.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg), F David
Bluthenthal (13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg), C Clancy (17.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg), G Jeff
Trepagnier (7.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg), G Brandon Granville (13.1 ppg, 5.7 apg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Oklahoma State - At-Large bid, Big 12 Conference. Southern California - At-Large bid, Pac-10 Conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Oklahoma State - 30-16, 17 years. Southern California - 6-12, 10 years.
