Sutton seeks better opponents (TW)

[praetorfenix86]

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

5/12/2006

Vowing to bring at least one nationally prominent nonconference opponent to Gallagher-Iba Arena each season, Sean Sutton has launched an aggressive campaign to upgrade Oklahoma State's home basketball schedules.

This week, OSU submitted home-and-home scheduling proposals to Duke, UCLA, Gonzaga, Memphis, Arizona, Illinois, Southern Cal, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Florida, Georgetown, Villanova, Michigan State, Syracuse, St. John's, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Indiana.

Sutton is attempting to secure attractive nonconference opponents for the next several seasons. Most teams won't want a trip to OSU's Gallagher-Iba Arena, but Sutton said the immediate response from some schools was "pretty positive."

"We are committed strongly to bringing national opponents to Gallagher," said Sutton, OSU's acting head coach. "It may not happen this season, but it will happen. Our fans deserve that."

Within a few days, Cowboy coach Eddie Sutton is expected to announce his retirement. At that point, Sean Sutton officially becomes OSU's head man.

During this decade, the Cowboys have hosted only one nationally renowned nonconference opponent -- Cincinnati in 2001. Arkansas played at O-State four years ago, but the Razorbacks have been relatively mediocre since the late '90s.

OSU has had problems with nonconference scheduling because Gallagher-Iba is a nightmare venue for opponents, and because until recently, visiting teams were forced to fly into Tulsa or Oklahoma City. The size of the Stillwater airport runway has been increased and can accommodate an opponent's chartered jet.

The Eddie Sutton-coached Cowboys have not faced the University of Tulsa since 1996 or Oral Roberts University since 1997. But when Sean Sutton says, "I'm pretty much open to playing anybody," he apparently is being literal. He has agreed to play a four-game series with TU, and he seems receptive to the possibility of scheduling ORU, coached by his younger brother, Scott.

Of an OSU-ORU contest, Sean Sutton said, "I don't think my mom and dad would be very happy about that happening. But if (ORU officials) felt like it would be a good deal for their program, and they wanted to pursue it, I would consider it."

When OSU athletic director Mike Holder expressed an interest in renewing the OSU-TU basketball series, Sutton says he was immediately agreeable.

"It's a game of a lot of interest in this state," Sutton said. "They've got their program going back in the right direction. It's good for both schools."

[praetorfenix86]

I sure do hope we pursue it.

[oruvoice]

I sure do hope we pursue it.

If our people don't AT LEAST pursue it, I would be EXTREMELY upset.

[ORU Eli]

OSU VS ORU.....I think, depending what other games are being played that night, this is something that would be worthy of ESPN2 picking up for broadcast as long as ORU lives up to the hype and ESPN plays up the whole Sutton thing.

[richieoru]

OSU VS ORU.....I think, depending what other games are being played that night, this is something that would be worthy of ESPN2 picking up for broadcast as long as ORU lives up to the hype and ESPN plays up the whole Sutton thing.

Oh the media loves playing up father vs son and family members playing eachother. Everytime FSU would play Clemson it was a battle of the Bowdens and when my Miami Dolphins would play the Bengals they would have Shula Bowl 1 all the way up to 3 I think until Mike Shula got fired. Playing OSU can only help us, I don't see the downside of it.

I remember the last time OSU came to the Mabee Center it took me 30 minutes to go from 81st and harvard to get to the Mabee Center then i had to park in lot E. I believe it was a sellout and if not a sellout pretty darn close. Only problem was 70% of the crowd was wearing black and orange. Heres to hopeing we can get them scheduled.