Eddie Sutton gave his Oklahoma State team this past Sunday off, didn't even think twice about it, didn't even consider making the Cowboys come back to practice and run and run and run because they lost at Texas Tech the previous day.
He wanted the team to take the day to reflect, spend some time with family and friends. He needed the space. He anticipated the team could use the same.
Monday would mark the beginning to the end of a year since the plane crash that killed 10 members of this basketball family on Jan. 27, 2001 upon their return from a game at Colorado. The victims included two players, Daniel Lawson and Nate Fleming, along with team manager Jared Weiberg and trainer Brian Luinstra. Will Hancock (media relations coordinator); Pat Noyes (director of basketball operations); Kendall Durfey (radio producer/engineer); Bill Teegins (play-by-play announcer); and pilots Denver Mills and Bjorn Fahlstrom would also be lost in the tragedy.
|  | | There isn't a day that goes by that Eddie Sutton doesn't think about the 10 people who lost their lives. |
But the timing of Sunday's off day wasn't the only reason for the mental break. These days, every once in a while, Sutton wants his players and coaches to spend some quality time with their families, which may even mean nothing more than making a phone call home. That doesn't mean he has gone soft as a coach, it just means his intensity is more controlled since the crash. Sutton is focused more on the days that his team is practicing, rather than making Oklahoma State basketball a 24/7 lifestyle.
"I'm not saying that I don't coach as hard," said Sutton. "I've just taken a different approach. I just feel like I could have a heart attack tomorrow or an automobile accident and I want to have made amends and made dang sure that I spent as much time with my family as possible."
That has been Sutton's creed since the crash. He makes sure to call his three sons every day, telling each how much he loves them. And the first phone calls he made last Sunday were to his sons, of which one is assistant coach Sean Sutton, to gather all their children so that he and his wife Patsy could meet in nearby Tulsa for the day.
"We all got together last Sunday, all our daughter-in-laws, our grandchildren and really had a good day," Sutton said. "I called my 92-year old mother, too. If I had been coaching the old way after we got beat by Texas Tech, I would have had our guys here on Sunday and ran them until their ankles smoked.
"But I told them in the locker room that we're a lot better than the way we're playing. I told them to go take Sunday off, see friends and family. Call your parents all the time. Who's to say there won't be another accident some time so you don't know. But you've got to call your parents and let them know what they've done for you."
Sutton said when the team returned to practice Monday, his "batteries" and the team's were recharged and the Cowboys had one of their better practices. Oklahoma State easily beat Nebraska at home two nights later, 70-63.
"My work ethic hasn't changed, but maybe the way I deal with players and people have changed," Sutton said.
His players have noticed.
"When he gave us that day off after Texas Tech that's when we all noticed it even more," Oklahoma State senior guard Maurice Baker said. "I definitely noticed the change after the accident. He softened up on us and gave us some leeway. He still puts his foot down, but there is a change. We wouldn't have had the day off after a loss. We would have been running."
Sutton has been a pillar of strength for the players since the crash. Oklahoma State forward Andre Williams said Sutton's biggest help to him has been the coach's ability to be "positive about everything."
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I'm not saying that I don't coach as hard. I've just taken a different approach. I just feel like I could have a heart attack tomorrow, or an automobile accident, and I want to have made amends and made dang sure that I spent as much time with my family as possible. ” |
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— Eddie Sutton,
Oklahoma State head coach |
"Even though he lost 10 guys that were like his kids, he went through everything just like we did. It is amazing to me how he has kept his composure and I admire him for how he has dealt with everything," Williams said.
Added forward Fredrik Jonzen, "He showed us to move on with our lives and to push us and realize that you have to go on with your life and do the same things you did before. He told us not to dwell on the past and feel sorry for yourself, but to take a positive attitude and move on with your life. That's something he really taught us."
Oklahoma State moved the official dedication and memorial from Saturday's game against Colorado to the Feb. 23 game against Baylor. The victim's families had requested that the ceremonies not be on the anniversary of the crash. A moment of silence will be held during halftime of the Colorado-Oklahoma State game. The bells of the Stillwater churches will ring 10 times Sunday at 6:37 CT to honor the victims. The school will dedicate a memorial on Feb. 23 of a bronze kneeling Cowboy, called "We Will Remember," with each of the victim's faces and featured bios written by the families.
"There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not reminded by those 10 people," Sutton said. "They were all quality human beings. I don't dwell on it. I can't dwell on it. We'll miss them and think of all the good times we had.
"We used to have great pickup games with our managers and Pat Noyes was in charge of it. He got it started in the early years. I still laugh about those. Sean and Pat were real close. He was really affected for a long time."
The plane crash had an effect within the college basketball community well before Sept. 11. Players and coaches began to reassess team travel and wondered if they should fly smaller aircraft. Kansas players told their staff they didn't want to fly smaller aircraft this season and the team is busing to the Big 12 games less than five hours away.
"That did surprise me," Sutton said. "I still feel more secure on a private aircraft than a bus or an automobile. We charted a few places to Texas Tech and Iowa State and I knew the pilots. I feel secure with them."
Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg, the uncle of victim Jared Weiberg, said there was no league-wide discussion on team travel. But he said the schools were taking a more sensitive approach to the subject. He said his brother, Mick, was serving on a committee at Oklahoma State looking into the athletic department's travel policy.
"Institutions in general are being cautious and careful about what types of airplanes they use for travel," Weiberg said. "But I can't say the conference office has had a direct involvement in this."
Weiberg said a day doesn't go by without thinking about the incident, either. And it's not any easier on the one-year anniversary of the tragic event.
"When something like this happens, you look at what can we gain from this and how can we become better people and be more positive about life," Sutton said. "You need to do things that you haven't done, try things you haven't tried. I work just as hard with my job but I have changed because I'm always thinking about my family. Maybe that comes with my age and maybe it hit me harder than a guy who was 35 or 45.
"I think a lot of Americans have realized this after the September 11 tragedy. Our attitudes, especially those directly affected, have changed."
OSU following Baker's lead
Oklahoma State's on-court struggles began with Maurice Baker's injured groin.
"We haven't been the same team since he got hurt," Sutton said of his senior star guard's injured groin. "He was averaging 20 points and now he's down to 10 or 11. It shows up more on the defensive end because he can't contain one person and everyone sees that and they go right after him."
Baker (15.9 ppg) injured his groin against Texas on Jan. 5 and played only 11 minutes. The Cowboys lost the game at home and split their next four games to fall to 2-3 in the Big 12 before the win over Nebraska evened their league record. Baker had been a regular in the 20-plus point category prior to the injury with four straight, but hasn't had more than 14 points in the last six games. He's 8 for 27 on 3s in the past six games after shooting 12 of 24 on the shot in the prior four games.
"When I would get down in a defensive stance I would hear a tweak," Baker said. "I think it's healing now and I feel like I'm getting better. I've got to start hitting some shots to open things up for the rest of my teammates. Once I do that then the offense will run smoother."
Sutton said the Cowboys relied so much on Baker because he was such a dominant player last season and he expected some players to pick up the slack when Baker was ailing, but that didn't happen. He said the Cowboys would have beaten Texas if Baker were healthy, but that he was extremely disappointed in the effort in the loss at Texas Tech last Saturday.
"But I'm not sure we would have beaten Kansas (last Tuesday) even with a healthy Mo," Sutton said. "They're one of the four or five best teams in college basketball. Kansas and Oklahoma are on different level than the rest of us in the league right now."
Bell back to form?
Troy Bell said he thinks his 3-pointer is back after missing 18 straight in three-plus games, including all his attempts the first half of Thursday's loss to Duke. Boston College coach Al Skinner was banking on Bell's shot coming back, as well.
Bell made 2 of 9 3s for the game and had his mid-range, driving game down going 11 of 22 for 26 points in 40 minutes. Bell, however, did look tired at times defensively. Still, Skinner said the Eagles will have to ride Bell this season and find ways to get him the ball.
The Eagles are in a precarious position to get back to the NCAA Tournament. They still have to go to Miami, Providence, Connecticut, St. John's and Syracuse, as well as a no-gimmee game at Virginia Tech. The only remaining home games are against Miami, Providence, Villanova and Connecticut. The Eagles are at a tenuous 14-4, 3-3 in the Big East.
"We've been playing well on the road, though," Bell said. "Nobody said we couldn't win the rest. To some people it's a long shot, but we've got the talent. We can put it together. We've got no choice."
Early sneak peak at NBA draft
The row of seats behind press row at the Conte Forum was filled with NBA scouts for the Duke-Boston College game. That's par for the course with the Blue Devils and whenever Bell is playing. But he's not a lock for the lottery if he decides to test the process.
If Bell does leave after this season, the junior guard will more than likely pull a Jason Gardner or Keith Bogans and go to Chicago, not sign with an agent and see how he fares against some of the other players in the draft. Workouts are becoming the most important part of the draft process.
But if Bell is interested in being a lottery pick, he might need to get in line.
A few NBA execs were polled to check their wish list and a few consensus names were on the list if these players all declared for the draft in the spring: junior college players Qyntel Woods (Northeast Mississippi JC) and Kei Madison (Okaloosa-Walton, Fla.); high school seniors Amare Stoudemire (Orlando, Florida), Carmelo Anthony (Oak Hill Academy, Virginia) and DeAngelo Collins (Los Angeles); underclassmen Jason Williams (Duke), Frank Williams (Illinois), Mike Dunleavy (Duke), Curtis Borchardt (Stanford), Kareem Rush (Missouri), Drew Gooden (Kansas), David West (Xavier), Caron Butler (Connecticut), Chris Wilcox (Maryland), Jared Jeffries (Indiana), Dajuan Wagner (Memphis), Rod Grizzard (Alabama) and seniors Melvin Ely (Fresno State) and Chris Marcus (Western Kentucky). That doesn't even include Stanford junior Casey Jacobsen and Mississippi State sophomore Mario Austin or Kentucky senior Tayshaun Prince.
Woods and Madison are two of the surprise names, but according to one scout who watched them play recently, he thinks they're a lock for the top 15.
"Woods is like Tim Thomas because he can shoot, handle and pass -- and he's 6-8," said one scout. "Kei finishes everything and can shoot in the low post and elevate to be a weakside shot blocker."
Woods is committed to Memphis, although he might never make it there, while Madison had been linked to Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi State and then Indiana again. But is likely headed to the draft.
Weekly Chatter
Ohio State's coaching staff is downplaying the undefeated Buckeyes start because of the month ahead for the Buckeyes. Following the win over Michigan on Thursday, the Buckeyes have a brutal stretch of games. They're at Minnesota (Jan. 26), then host Illinois (Jan. 29) and Northwestern (Feb. 2), before a four-game road trip to Wisconsin (Feb. 6), Michigan State (Feb. 10), Iowa (Feb. 16) and Indiana (Feb. 20).
"That's why the Michigan game is so important," Ohio State assistant coach Paul Biancardi said.
Zach Williams has turned out to be tougher than the staff thought, and has been one of the team's better rebounders lately on team searching for inside help because of its perimeter-based offense.
Utah is on a roll and a lot has to do with their 3-point shooting. The Utes shifted their offense when senior center Chris Burgess went out with a torn planter fascia injury (he might try and seek a sixth year of eligibility) in the win over Texas (Dec. 29). The Utes have made the most 3s of any team in the Mountain West (141) and attempted the second most (315) to Air Force.
"We are shooting more 3s but we have more 3-point shooters and we're trying to cultivate them more," Utah coach Rick Majerus said of Nick Jacobson, Britton Johnsen, Phil Cullen, Trace Caton and Travis Spivey. "We're really playing our ass off defensively. We've got just enough guys who can hit the outside shot. Burgess was our leading scorer, our best rebounder and our best shot blocker and our smartest player. But we're running more motion now without him."
Utah has won 11 straight, six in a row without Burgess.
Former Providence forward Garnett Thompson is trying to get admitted to Fordham. Meanwhile, Fordham forward Jeff McMillan hasn't left, but is still being discussed as a future member of the Big East at Villanova, Providence or Pittsburgh.
Stanford junior center Curtis Borchardt said the intensity in practice changed dramatically when football playing forward Teyo Johnson arrived last month. "His energy and competitiveness really boosted our team," Borchardt said. "I enjoy playing with him because he's one of the best passers I know. He's a high-post threat and he opens up things for me. You can't double team me with him on the floor."
San Francisco picked up two transfers last week in former New Mexico forward Alvin Broussard, who was one of the Lobos better offensive rebounders in practice, and Nevada forward James Bayless. They will be eligible after the 2002 fall semester. Bayless put up some decent numbers, including 24 points against UNLV. Broussard never quite got the minutes he needed with the Lobos, although he played in 34 games as a freshman, including two starts.
To quote ESPN.com west region columnist Ed Graney, here's a thought for the day: UCLA, Indiana, North Carolina are three of the highest-profile programs, and yet have three coaches who are constantly dealing in a tornado trying to still be left standing at the end of the day. And all three had to get the job in awkward situations -- Steve Lavin after Jim Harrick was fired at UCLA; Mike Davis after Bob Knight was fired at Indiana; and Matt Doherty after Roy Williams turned the job down from Kansas. Not quite sure the three programs have ever been so closely linked, or at least there were three coaches who could find familiar comfort whenever they feel any heat.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball is updated Thursdays/Fridays throughout the year.
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