Oklahoma State University Cowboys Men's Basketball Team Profile

Once a college basketball powerhouse under the leadership of the legendary Henry Iba in the 1940's, the Cowboys were the first in NCAA history to win back-to-back National Championships. The Oklahoma State Cowboys saw a renewal since Iba's protege, Eddie Sutton, took over in 1990. In Sutton's time in Stillwater, the Cowboys went to 2 Final Fours and made 13 NCAA tournament appearances in 15 years.

The 1995 Final Four appearance featured future NBA big man Bryant "Big Country" Reeves while the 2004 Final Four team featured future NBA draft picks, Tony Allen and Joey Graham.

Following Eddie Sutton's DUI arrest, his son and former Cowboys player, Sean Sutton, was named Head Coach in 2006. But Sean's tenure lasted only a couple of disappointing seasons before Oklahoma State hired former Massachusetts head coach Travis Ford in 2008.

2006-2007 began with plenty of promise. At one point, Oklahoma State was 15-1 and ranked as high as 9th in the country. Then the bottom fell out. A disastrous run through the Big 12 left the Cowboys out of NCAA tournament contention and playing in the NIT. 2007-2008 didn't even begin well, the team losing early and too often before finishing 17-15 and exiting the NIT early for the 3rd straight season. The struggles resulted in the offseason firing of Sean Sutton.

The Cowboys play at one of the most notoriously rambunctious arenas in the nation, Eddie Sutton Court in historic Gallagher-Iba Arena. After undergoing a renovation in 2003, the seating capacity was more than doubled to over 13,000, but the atmosphere has remained. Built in 1938, the arena still contains the original white maple floor and now includes 14 luxury suites and up-close fan seating.

Tickets for OSU men's basketball games can be purchased online or by calling the Oklahoma State ticket office at 877-All-4-OSU. Prices are typically between $25 and $50, and the school also offers half-season tickets for $300.

Head Coach: Travis Ford - since 2008
Former Head Coach at Massachusetts and Eastern Kentucky
Assistant Coach: Chris Ferguson - since 2007
Former Associate Head Coach at East Carolina
Assistant Coach: Steve Middleton - since 2008
Assistant Coach: Butch Piere - since 2008
Associate Head Coach at LSU for six seasons

23 Anderson, James G 6-6 So.
4 Brown, Anthony F 6-6 Sr.
31 Booher, Blaine G 6-4 Sr.
53 Cox, Nolan F 6-6 Sr.
00 Eaton, Byron G 5-11 Sr.
32 Garrett, Brad G 6-5 Jr.
1 Harris, Terrel G 6-5 Jr.
45 Hughes, Greg F 6-8 Sr.
44 Kirkland, Malcoln F 6-8 So.
33 Moses, Marshall G/F 6-6 So.
2 Muonelo, Obi G 6-5 Jr.
12 Page, Keiton G 5-10 Fr.
15 Sidorakis, Nick G 6-4 So.
21 Thomas, Ibrahima F/C 6-11 So.
25 Thomas, Garrett G 6-2 So.
55 Warner, Scott C 6-11 So.

It was only just a few seasons ago that Oklahoma State fans looked to a new generation of Cowboys hoops stars. Names such as Gerald Green, Byron Eaton, Kenny Cooper, Roderick Flemings, Torre Johnson and Jamaal Brown were to make up the core of a young powerhouse-in-the-making. But it was not to be. Flemings, Johnson, Brown and Cooper are all gone, for various reasons. And Gerald Green never stepped foot on campus, opting instead for the NBA draft. So Oklahoma State had to start over again, the one name left on that list, Byron Eaton, now one of the few veteran presences on the 2008-2009 Cowboys.

The last couple of years have seen plenty of adversity. Of course, Eddie Sutton was arrested for DUI in a well-publicized event, his son Sean taking over. A number of players had various brushes with the law, and the team underachieved. The Cowboys could do no better than quick stops in the NIT, and Sean eventually lost his job.

How do the Cowboys rebuild, a coach not named Sutton at the helm for the first time in what seems like an eternity? Well, the first step was naming Sutton's replacement. In comes Travis Ford, a former Kentucky player who excelled as a Head Coach using an extremely high-tempo, high-scoring attack at Massachusetts.

The team is loaded with veteran leadership. Byron Eaton really emerged last season. Senior Terrill Harris, after being suspended indefinitely at one point, worked his way back onto the team. And Obi Muonelo is now a junior. All three are capable of putting up the offensive numbers, as is the talented James Anderson, who should be much more comfortable with Big 12 defenses in his 2nd year.

On the flip side, Ibrahima Thomas is an athletic big man but not of a strong presence on the boards, and the team has little depth inside. The up-tempo offense will minimize that deficiency in some regards, but it'll be difficult to shut down big guys such as OU's Griffin.

In addition, the team has been somewhat mistake-prone of late. That deficiency will be enhanced by Ford's offensive style, so the veteran players must step up and cut down on errors. Turnovers and fouls are probably inevitable in the offense, but minimizing them will be key for OSU's success.

In the end, it will likely be a transition season for OSU, despite talented upper-classmen. There will be hiccups as they adapt to a new offense, but the Cowboys should be able to give most teams all they can handle, particularly in raucous Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Texas is widely considered as the best team in the Big 12. Kansas, who lost a number of players to the NBA after their NCAA Championship, will be rebuilding but likely still a quality team. And OU figures to be in the conference race at the end with future NBA lottery pick Blake Griffin.

Overall, the Big 12 is down, according to many analysts, but the Cowboys will have their hands full. It's not out of the realm of possibility to see an NCAA tournament appearance for this team. Considering they've been NIT bound for several years running, though, the big dance invitation shouldn't be counted upon.