Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Basketball Begins Practice
October 13, 2006 | Cowboy Basketball
Of course, there will be some subtle changes when compared to the Eddie Sutton era. The younger Sutton will certainly prefer an up-tempo style. But, the Cowboys will most definitely continue the hard-nosed man-to-man defense taught by the elder Sutton.
Sean Sutton will be more likely to use zone defenses when needed, something from which his father shied away. He will be less likely to sit a player on the bench after a mistake, rather choosing to let the cagers learn from their miscues.
Sean Sutton will take everything he's learned from his Hall of Fame father and implement his own style to create a formidable basketball team.
Oklahoma State was extremely inexperienced last season, returning just four players from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 the previous year. That inexperience resulted in a disappointing 17-16 season and an early exit from the National Invitation Tournament.
The good news is that a year later, OSU returns seven of its top-10 scorers from last season and adds one of the top players in the country from the high school ranks a year ago.
It will all start at the same position Sean played, the point. Returning starter Byron Eaton has a year of experience under his belt and should live up to his billing. His 67 steals established a school record for freshmen.
Eaton has a stout stature, but don't let it fool you. He is quick and agile, and has a nice shooting touch from the outside. He is very difficult to guard, due to his equal eptness at both passing and scoring.
Returning for his junior season and third as a starter is JamesOn Curry. The North Carolina native was named to the preseason Wooden Award Watch list in 2005, and should also be considered in 2006.
He is quickly moving his name up the charts for long range shooting, but Curry brings more to the table than being a scoring threat. He has leadership abilities that should only shine as he matures as a player.
Terrel Harris, who has been mentioned as one of the top prospects of the future, started eight games a year ago for the Cowboys and is also capable of starting this year in a three-guard lineup. One of the hardest workers on the squad, Harris has a chance to be something special.
Andy Shaw is a walk-on for the Cowboy Basketball program and will provide depth at both guard spots. He was instrumental in Edmond Santa Fe's state championship runs in 2005 and 2006.
Before Marcus Dove went down with a leg injury during the All-College Classic game against Tennessee last year, he was considered one of the top defensive stoppers in the league, if not the country. Coaches have ranked him right up there with former Cowboys Melvin Sanders, Cornell Hatcher and Corey Williams.
A healthy Dove will be a welcome contributor at the wing position. If he can improve his offensive game, he has a future in the professional ranks.
Another possibility on the perimeter is incoming freshman Obi Muonelo, a highly touted recruit from just down I-35 in Edmond. Practically a clone of former Cowboy and current Boston Celtic Tony Allen, Muonelo is a tough, aggressive player who doesn't mind contact.
Muonelo was the state player of the year his junior season and led his squad to the state championship that year. He followed that up with a runner-up finish in Class 6A last season.
Tyler Hatch is a junior college transfer from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. He's a team player and can provide depth on the wing. He will also add experience and maturity to the squad.
Named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by several publications, Mario Boggan should be a force throughout his senior season. He led the Big 12 Conference in both field-goal and free-throw shooting in league games only last year, the first player in the 10-year history of the conference to accomplish that feat.
Foot surgery during the summer of 2005 limited the power forward prospect throughout much of the first month of the season. But, if the leading scorer from a year ago can stay healthy, he should only improve as his final collegiate season unfolds.
Entering his fourth and final season as the veteran of the Cowboys is senior David Monds. The Georgia native came to OSU in 2003 and was an integral part of the Cowboys' Final Four run.
With his work ethic and leadership skills honed, Monds will be a vital cog in how far this year's team can go.
Sophomore Kenny Cooper was less than a week removed from his 18th birthday when he made his first collegiate start against Arkansas State last December. A season later, the man-sized body with the kid's smile has the experience needed to use his huge frame properly.
Cooper has added muscle mass to his massive girth and will continue to improve as his career progresses.
The 2006-07 schedule will be the first for Coach Sean Sutton and will prove to be very interesting. Home games against non-conference foes Northwestern State, Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will be challenging.
Trips to South Padre Island, Madison Square Garden and Nashville to face teams like Auburn, Wisconsin, Missouri State, Syracuse and Tennessee will prove to be more difficult. Additionally, a meeting with Pittsburgh in the All-College Classic will test the team's mettle.
The Cowboys will host Iowa State, Missouri and Kansas State from the North Division at home, and make trips to Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. Home-and-home games will be played against all five South Division foes.
Oklahoma State will have 12, possibly 13 games televised nationally. Every conference game will be aired either regionally or nationally on either CBS or one of ESPN's family of networks.
The season opener against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 10 will mark the earliest start to a season in school history. The 17 home games will establish a new record for home contests in a single season, and the 31 regular-season games will also set a new school record.
Oklahoma State returns seven of its top 10 scorers from a year ago, and 142 starts from last season, more than 86 percent of the total. All seven returners had at least eight starts last season, including Boggan and Curry who started all 33 games. Eaton started 28 of the contests, while Cooper had 17. Monds started 12, Dove started 11 and Harris had eight.
