Written by the late Bill Connors, Tulsa World Sports Editor (Jan. 16, 1993)

Transcription

1 127

2 Written by the late Bill Connors, Tulsa World Sports Editor (Jan. 16, 1993) This is personal. Mr. Henry Iba was the most principled, modest, loyal, gracious, dignified and considerate man I ever met. It was no contest. Knowing him was the greatest privilege I have experienced in 40 years of reporting on the people who shaped the athletic landscape. From Tobacco Road to Bloomington, Ind., from Los Angeles to the U.S. Senate, the old lions and the new lions of basketball said much the same thing while he was alive. Whether Mr. Iba coached them at Oklahoma State or in the Olympics or counseled them at clinics or at his home in retirement, they knew him as John Wooden described him: Basketball s greatest friend and finest gentleman. MR. HENRY IBA Everybody recognized Mr. Iba as a great coach, but what set him aside was the fact he was a great person, a caring person. Even the people he coached against had great warmth for him. Too often in the coaching profession, we don t find that, but I ve not met a coach that knew Mr. Iba that didn t have the utmost respect for him. Eddie Sutton talk much about the past or how he became known as the high priest of defense. Even in his 23 years of retirement, he was preoccupied with I knew there would come a day when God would say we had enjoyed Mr. Iba long enough and He needed him in another place to install a delay game or improve a defense. If Mr. Iba could hear the tributes, he would surely say, Cut that foolishness out. Those are the words he used countless times to erring players and to those who praised him in public. Mr. Iba never talked about his accomplishments. Never. He did not today and his protegés next games, not his national championships, not the past. He did not seek the spotlight but he could not avoid it; he was too successful, too influential, too innovative, too involved in landmark events. Mr. Iba was no saint. He was a salty man s man who liked Scotch in moderation and had a wonderful wit that cracked up audiences of cronies on fishing trips or associates on plane flights or players during pregame talks. He was a tough soul. They did not call him the Iron Duke for nothing. He was the quintessential taskmaster whose passion for discipline had no limit. He could deliver the most searing of tongue lashings He was perhaps the greatest coach of all time, and a truly outstanding human being whom I could count on as a friend. Whether he realized it or not, he has touched every coach s philosophy in the game. Dean Smith Mr. Iba being carried off the floor in Gallagher Hall, which was later renamed Gallagher-Iba Arena to include the Hall of Fame coach. during four-hour practices and burn the ears of a referee with whom he disagreed. His booming voice added to his intimidating presence. But, when a game ended, his game face was put away and the ferocious rival was once again a friend who took legendary opponents like Ray Meyer and Clair Bee to dinner. He was so fair, so supportive, as quick to praise players as he was to reprimand them that he was held with ultimate respect and affection. There was never a hint of scandal about him in his professional or personal life. Except in the most casual of situations, he always wore a coat and tie in public. His conduct in mixed company was exemplary. His unflagging spirit and concern for others made you feel better for merely being in his presence. 128

3 MR. HENRY IBA He always ended every telephone conversation by saying, Thank you for calling. He never seemed to grasp that it was the callers who should have offered thanks. But Mr. Iba did one awful thing: he succeeded in making us think for the longest time that he was not special. Hence, we expect other coaching giants to walk on the same unsullied pedestal and were disappointed when they did not. That was unfair to them. There was only one Henry Payne Iba. He was void of ego; just a really nice, nice man. It s really a great loss to humanity, even, he was such a good person. Dale Brown How did he rank as a coach? Coaching giants who competed against him and observed him were as captivated as those with subjective roots to Iba s coaching tree. A favorite assessment of Iba came in a 1991 letter from Duke s Mike Krzyzewski, who said: Coach Iba, in my estimation, is the greatest coach in the history of the game of basketball. He epitomizes what a coach must do on and off the court, and the manner in which it should be done. Everything he did and continues to do, from the way he handled people to the way he dressed, was an example of how things should be done on this level. In a guest column in 1987, Bob Knight said he considered Iba to be among the four or five coaches who made great innovative contributions to basketball. Mr. Iba did it before there was anyone for him to copy. He was the first to run the motion offense. He was the first to incorporate the help principles of zone defenses with man-to-man defense. He opened up the game for the big man. He was such an overpowering person that I knew the minute I was around him, I wanted to be like him. There was no doubt. Jack Hartman U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, who was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team that Iba coached to a gold medal in Tokyo, said in a letter to the coach:... more inspiring and more important to me than the basketball instruction were the hints on how to live a more worthwhile life, which were sprinkled throughout practice sessions, team meetings and casual remarks. Now I understand why men are always proud when they say, Mr. Iba was my coach. So am I. What endeared Iba to his players was the countless favors he did on their behalf after their eligibility was completed. Whether it was Bob Kurland, superstar of his 1945 and 46 national champions, or the lowliest reserve on one of the losing teams that marred his final years, Iba treated them like sons. Iba transcended the coaching box. When OSU honored him with a distinguished service award, Mickey Holmes, executive director of the Sugar Bowl who formerly worked in the Big Eight Conference office, captured the essence of the day when he said, An institution is honoring its institution. Henry Iba, John Wooden and Adolph Rupp three of the most influential coaches in the sport of basketball. His teams were always so strong fundamentally. There was no fancy stuff, no tricks. He didn t overcoach. He just taught the basic fundamentals. John Wooden ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACHES by victories 1. Bob Knight, Texas Tech (2008) Dean Smith, North Carolina (1997) Adolph Rupp, Kentucky (1972) Jim Phelan, Mt. St. Mary s (2003) Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State (2008) Mike Krzyzewski, Duke (present) Lute Olson, Arizona (present) Lefty Driesell, Georgia State (2003) Lou Henson, New Mexico State (2005) Jim Calhoun, Connecticut (present) Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (present) Henry Iba, Oklahoma State (1970)

4 What made Iba so popular with coaches was his devotion to basketball. In retirement, he worked to improve the game, to encourage coaches with integrity to remain in the profession and to help any coach, regardless of philosophy, who sought a better job or advice or encouragement. More than any of the legends of his generation, Iba was perceived as basketball s godfather; the giant to whom giants bowed. The surest way to increase turnout at a coaching function was to honor Iba. Sponsors of the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City never attracted more than participating coaches for their promotional golf tournaments until they staged it around a dinner for Iba in Suddenly, Dean Smith and Bobby Knight flew in. For many years, he s come and watched practice for three or four days and I always got something out of it because at the end I recall he d come down here and tell me what he thought about each and every player and I don t recall him ever being wrong. At a Final Four press conference in 1967, UCLA s Wooden explained why he delayed endorsing a shot clock, even though he favored such legislation. He waited until studies convinced him, Wooden said, that a shot clock would not hurt Mr. Iba. I would never be a part of anything that hurt Mr. Iba. He is basketball s greatest friend and finest gentleman. Until failing health grounded him, VIP coaches and obscure coaches flocked to Stillwater to talk shop and brought him to their campuses to critique their teams. They did not go merely to pay their respects. I love being around him because he is such a great guy and so much fun, Knight said. But the main reason I talk basketball with him is that I get so much out of it. A coach did not need to be a protege or have VIP credentials to enjoy Iba s counsel. Toledo s Larry Gipson had never met Iba when he left high school coaching in Ohio to become an assistant at Tulsa in the mid-80s. Gipson asked and received Iba s permission to come to Stillwater and talk basketball. He treated me like I was Bobby Knight, Gipson said. MR. HENRY IBA Don Haskins When you compare him to a modern coach today who finds talent that already exists, the difference is Mr. Iba was a true coach, a teacher, a mentor, who taught the fundamentals of the game. Bob Kurland MR. IBA COACHING TREE The following is a sample of Division I head coaches that have ties to Mr. Iba, either as a player or as an assistant coach. This is by no means a comprehensive list. First Generation Sam Aubrey (former OSU coach) Don Haskins (long-time UTEP coach) Jack Hartman (former Kansas State coach) Bud Millikan (former Maryland coach) Eddie Sutton (former coach at Arkansas, Kentucky & OSU) Second Generation Tom Davis (former Boston College, Stanford & Iowa coach) James Dickey (former Texas Tech coach) Rob Evans (former Arizona State coach) Tim Floyd (former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls coach) Paul Graham (former Washington State coach) Leonard Hamilton (currently at Florida State) Gene Iba (former Baylor coach) Moe Iba (coached at TCU and Nebraska) Gene Keady (former Purdue coach) Lon Kruger (currently at UNLV) John Pelfrey (currently at Arkansas) Nolan Richardson (former Tulsa and Arkansas coach) Norm Stewart (former Missouri coach) Third Generation Mike Anderson (currently at Missouri) Clem Haskins (former Minnesota coach) Bill Self (currently at Kansas) Charlie Spoonhour (former UNLV coach) Sean Sutton (former Oklahoma State coach) Gary Williams (currently at Maryland) Fourth Generation Barry Hinson (former Missouri State coach) John Phillips (former Tulsa coach) Fifth Generation Scott Sutton (currently at Oral Roberts) Brooks Thompson (currently at UTSA) The only thing Iba would not do for coaches who sought his help was and he told them up front help them in any competition they might have with OSU. Oh, how he loved the school whose payroll he graced for 36 years. Our school, and our place, he would say of OSU. Anyone who played at OSU, no matter what sport, was in favor with Mr. Iba. The late Sparky Stallcup, who played for Iba at Maryville (Mo.) and became coach at Missouri, was scolded by Iba when he asked why Iba tried to secure a job for a former player who had lost a job because of unbecoming conduct. I didn t play for him, but my coach (Don Haskins) did. He (Haskins) made me start thinking of players as part of a family and he got that from Mr. Iba. I ll never forget coach Haskins telling me I was in the family tree. Mr. Iba had a large number of members of the family tree. Nolan Richardson 130

5 MR. HENRY IBA Of all the shadows that cast over the game of basketball, his was the biggest. MR. IBA IN THE OLYMPICS Mr. Iba was selected to coach the 1964 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo, where the Americans won gold. He was given an unprecedented second appointment in 1968 when unrest over civil rights and the Vietnam War prompted many college stars to boycott the games. Iba s team prevailed at Mexico City and he was chosen again to coach the 1972 team at Munich, two years after he retired from OSU. Boycotts again made the U.S. vulnerable. But Iba s team seemingly had the gold won, until Russia capitalized on its last of two controversial opportunities after time ran out to hit the winning basket. It was Iba s greatest coaching disappointment. But, thanks to Bob Knight, the 1984 Olympics erased part of the pain. Knight invited Iba to join his Olympic staff as a consultant for the trials at Bloomington, Ind. Knight kept Iba on staff through the Los Angeles Games, and U.S. players carried him off the floor following the championship finale. MR. IBA S HONORS Bob Knight Why, he went to school at our place, Iba said. The affection Iba felt for OSU and his class were illustrated when he was asked to speak to a group of freshmen during orientation week in Iba was at the peak of his career. OSU had been 49 runner-up for the national championship that it won in 45 and 46. Iba did not mention himself or his team or athletics. Instead, he told the freshmen how fortunate they were to attend college, that they should make the most of their opportunities and to remember their parents by writing them at least once a week. Even an 18-year-old freshman recognized this was more than a Hall of Fame coach. Besides being named the U.S. Olympic coach three times, Mr. Iba earned many other prestigious honors. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame. He was twice named the National Coach of the Year, in 1945 and 46, and served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was voted into both the Missouri Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and was named as one of Westminster College s Distinguished Alumni, his alma mater. MR. IBA S COLLEGIATE COACHING RECORD Year School Record Pct. Notes NW Missouri St NW Missouri St NW Missouri St NAAU runner-up NW Missouri St Colorado Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M MVC co-champions Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M MVC co-champions Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M MVC co-champions Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M NCAA champions Oklahoma A&M NCAA champions Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M NCAA runnersup Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M NCAA fourth place Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M MVC champions Oklahoma A&M NCAA fifth place Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma State NCAA fifth place Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State NCAA fifth place Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Career Totals (41 years) Four Final Fours 131

6 EDDIE SUTTON When someone thinks of consistency, there s no better comparison than the coaching career of Eddie Sutton. The gentleman that spent the past 16 years returning his alma mater to the pinnacle of excellence has been a constant on the college basketball scene for nearly four decades. Following his 16th and final season at Oklahoma State and his 36th season overall at the Division I level, Coach Sutton ranks fifth among all-time collegiate coaches with his 798 victories. This past season, he surpassed Lefty Driesell on the all-time winningest coaches list. Sutton became just the 14th coach in Division I history to record 700 wins in a career with Oklahoma State s win over the Texas Longhorns in Austin on Feb. 20, Under his guidance, OSU advanced to postseason play in 15 of 16 years, including 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. He won 20 games or more on 13 occasions in his tenure at Oklahoma State. No active coach ranked ahead of Sutton in both victories and winning percentage when his career ended, and OSU s boss ranked behind only Dean Smith in victories through 35 or fewer years of coaching. Sutton, who previously coached at Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky, was the first coach in NCAA history to lead four different schools to the national tournament and was joined in the exclusive club by Driesell and Jim Harrick following the campaign. In his 16 seasons in Stillwater, Sutton guided the Cowboys to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, win seasons, and seven first- or second-place finishes in conference play. OSU s NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005 marked its eighth-consecutive postseason appearance, the longest streak in school history. In , OSU spent the entire season ranked in the top 10 nationally for the first time since the season. The Cowboys advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, one of only three teams to have accomplished that feat in both 2004 and Oklahoma State advanced to the championship game of the league tournament for the sixth time under Sutton, and won the Big 12 Tournament title for the second consecutive year. In , Coach Sutton took a group of transfers and transformed them into a Final Four contender. The Cowboys advanced to the Final Four for the second time under Sutton, and became one of just 10 programs nationally to have made at least two appearances at the Final Four in the previous 10 years. The Pokes won 31 games, tying for the most in a single season in school history. OSU won both the Big 12 Conference regular-season title and the Big 12 Tournament. Sutton earned Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year honors in a vote by both the league coaches and the media. It was his eighth such honor, including his third at Oklahoma State. During the campaign, the Cowboys reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in Sutton s Cowboy career. OSU went on to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1995 Final Four campaign, making OSU one of just 10 schools to reach the regional semifinals twice in the previous seven tournaments. The season turned out to be one of milestones for Sutton, who reached the 600-victory plateau when OSU defeated Texas A&M in Stillwater on Jan. 24, He became just the seventh coach in Division I history to win 600 games in 28 years or less, joining Denny Crum, Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Jerry Tarkanian and John Wooden. He also earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors in after leading the Cowboys back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons. Having previously been honored by the Big Eight, Southeastern and Southwest Conferences, he is one of only two coaches nationally to have won conference coach-of-the-year awards in four different leagues. Oklahoma State s coach, who rekindled the spirit of Cowboy basketball when he arrived in 1990, accomplished something that only one other coach in the basketball history of OSU has done. By guiding O-State to Seattle and the 1995 Final Four, Sutton joined Mr. Iba, who had taken Oklahoma A&M to each of its previous Final Four appearances. Sutton, who played for Mr. Iba at Oklahoma A&M, was tabbed the 1995 National Coach of the Year by Basketball Times magazine. When Sutton arrived in Stillwater on April 11, 1990, he inherited an Oklahoma State program that had made just one appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 25 years and had only seven winning seasons during that same period. It didn t take long for Sutton to dramatically impact basketball at his alma mater. In his first season, he guided the Cowboys to a 24-8 record, a Big Eight Conference title and a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament appearance, where OSU lost in overtime to Temple. The following season, OSU improved to 28-8, finished second in the Big Eight and made a return trip to the Sweet 16, where the Cowboys lost by three to Michigan s much-hyped Fab Five. A 20-9 record in and a mark in both included second-place finishes in the rugged Big Eight Conference and trips to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. OSU advanced to the championship game of the league tournament in 1994 as well. The season, however, was the high mark for Oklahoma State basketball in forty years. The Cowboys advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1951, and Eddie Sutton had proven once again that he is one of the best in the history of the game. One nationally prominent coach put it succinctly: If you are playing Oklahoma State and everything else is even and it comes down to coaching... you lose. OSU has won at least 17 games in each of Coach Sutton s years at the helm prior to this season no small feat considering that OSU teams had reached that level in just four of the previous 25 years. The numbers he has put together speak volumes for his coaching legacy. Only Knight ranks ahead of Sutton on the career victories list among active coaches. In 36 years of coaching at the Division I level, Sutton won 798 games while losing just 315 for a winning percentage of 71.7 percent. He was a four-time national coach of the year and eight-time league coach of the year. 132

7 He took his teams to the NCAA Tournament 26 times in 36 years, including 25 times in his last 29 years as a head coach. OSU s 2004 NCAA Tournament run marked the third Final Four trip in his career. He had just one losing season in his 36-year career, and 25 times his teams have won at least 20 games in a year. Sutton began his career by taking over a Creighton team that had not produced a winning record in three seasons and led them to five consecutive winning marks as well as a 23-7 record in 1974 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas looked to Sutton for the same kind of revitalization when the Razorbacks named him their head coach before the season. The Hogs had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1958, but under Sutton s guidance, Arkansas posted 17-9 and 19-9 marks his first two seasons before going on to win at least 21 games and advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of the next nine seasons. While at Arkansas, Coach Sutton was a member of the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee from 1980 until His Arkansas team had a 32-4 record and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Sutton left Arkansas in 1985 for Kentucky, where he promptly guided the Wildcats to a 32-4 record in , a No. 3 national ranking and a trip to the final eight of the NCAA Tournament. At Kentucky, Sutton won two Southeastern Conference championships and was the National Coach of the Year after the season. In his first season at Oklahoma State, Sutton guided the Cowboys to 24 victories, tying the Big Eight record for most wins by a league coach in his first season. During his tenure at Arkansas and Kentucky, he was a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Board of Directors from , and was the president the final year. As president of the NABC, he was one of 24 members that voted on the Basketball Hall of Fame Honors Committee for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Sutton s coaching career began at Oklahoma State as he served as the graduate assistant for Mr. Iba during the season. Sutton then took over at Tulsa Central High School from and had a record. He went to Southern Idaho Junior College in 1967 and compiled a three-year record of as the head coach. As a player at Oklahoma State from , Sutton was part of the 1958 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He played guard and averaged 8.3 points per game and led the Cowboys in free throw percentage as a junior (.843). Coach Sutton has been inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1983), the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor (1995), the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (1996), the Oklahoma State University Hall of Honor (1997), the Creighton University Hall of Fame and the College of Southern Idaho Hall of Fame. He graduated from Oklahoma State with a bachelor s degree in 1958 and earned a master s from OSU in Sutton was born March 12, 1936, in Bucklin, Kan., and attended Bucklin High School before attending Oklahoma State. He is married to the former Patsy Wright and the couple has three sons: Steve, Sean and Scott; four grandsons and four granddaughters. EDDIE SUTTON COACH SUTTON S CAREER COACHING RECORD Season School Record Pct Notes Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Tulsa Central HS Totals 7 seasons (170) Southern Idaho JC Southern Idaho JC Southern Idaho JC Totals 3 seasons (98) Creighton Creighton Creighton Creighton Creighton NCAA Tournament Totals 5 seasons (132) Arkansas SWC Coach of the Year Arkansas Arkansas National Coach of the Year Arkansas Final Four Arkansas Sweet Arkansas NCAA Tournament Arkansas SWC Coach of the Year Arkansas SWC Champions Arkansas Top-10 Nationally Arkansas Top-10 Nationally Arkansas NCAA Tournament Totals 11 seasons (335) Kentucky Elite Eight Kentucky NCAA Tournament Kentucky 25-5 *.833 Top-10 Nationally Kentucky Totals 4 seasons (127) * Kentucky was 27-6 on the court; NCAA erased 2-1 record in NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State Sweet Oklahoma State Sweet Oklahoma State Big Eight Coach of the Year Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State Final Four Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Big 12 Coach of the Year Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State Elite Eight Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State Final Four Oklahoma State Sweet Oklahoma State Totals 16 seasons (519) San Francisco th coach to 800 wins Totals 1 season NCAA Totals 37 seasons (1,132) GRAND TOTALS 47 seasons (1,400) 1,

8 ALL-AMERICANS Kurland s Career Highlights A pioneering big man, Kurland was the first celebrated seven-footer in college basketball history. Held the OSU career scoring record for 46 years. 56 years later, Kurland still holds the school s single-game scoring record (58 points vs. St. Louis in 1946). OSU s only three-time All-American. Two-time NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1945 and 46); one of only five players in Division I history who can claim that accomplishment. Led the team to its two NCAA Championship seasons in 1945 and 46. BOB KURLAND ALL-AMERICAN, Bob Kurland was an All-American in 1944, 1945 and 1946, and was the leading scorer and top defensive man all three years, leading his team to backto-back NCAA championships in 1945 and Kurland was voted the Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament in 1945 and He was named Player of the Year by the Helms Foundation in 1946 and named to Helms all-time All-America team. He was named to Grantland Rice s all-time All-Star selection. He was the highest scorer in nation in 1946 with 643 points. Those were perhaps his more outstanding awards, and he was to continue in the sport with the Phillips Oilers AAU team for a number of years, annually making All-AAU. He played on the USA Olympic championship team in both 1948 at the London Games and 1952 in the Helsinki Games. As the first of the outstanding seven-footers, Kurland may have been most valuable as a defensive player under the master of defensive basketball, Coach Henry Iba, but he could also score. He seldom went for the big score, although he was instructed to do so against OSU s great Missouri Valley conference rival, St. Louis University, on the night of Feb. 22, Kurland tossed in 58 points that night, by far his biggest scoring output. He was a feeder, usually content to score a modest 17 to 25 points. His average score in 1946 was 19.5 points per game. As a freshman in 1943, he developed goal-tending to a degree that none had been able to do up until that time, although Iba disliked the maneuver and seldom allowed Kurland to practice it. It is probable that Kurland had more to do with the rule against goal-tending than any player since he was the chief target of the rule. Played on U.S. Olympic teams in 1948 and One of the greatest showdown basketball battles of all time was played between Oklahoma A&M and DePaul in Madison Square Garden in March of The great George Mikan led DePaul, Kurland led OSU. DePaul won the National Invitational and OSU won the NCAA. The two then were matched in a Game of Champions for the benefit of the American Red Cross. Mikan, attempting to guard Kurland, fouled out taking some of the glamour out of the contest but not for A&M fans the Aggies winning handily after Mikan s loss. The Red Cross was the overall winner $50,000 worth. Kurland s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PF PTS AVG Totals

9 ALL-AMERICANS That year, Oklahoma A&M went 18-7 during the regular season and won the Missouri Valley title for the third-straight year. The Aggies defeated Drake, 28-15, in the first round of the NCAA Districts, and in the second round, lost to Oklahoma, OU would eventually finish third in the inaugural NCAA Tournament. His senior season, Renick surpassed his previous year s performance by scoring 224 points in 29 games, an average of 7.7 points per game. He was again named first-team All-MVC, and earned his second All-America accolade, the first Aggie to become a two-time All-American. The squad lost its first game of the year, a heartbreaker to the Kansas Jayhawks, before rattling off 25-consecutive wins. With a 25-1 record, the Aggies traveled to New York to compete in the NIT, losing to Duquesne in the first round, OAMC then defeated DePaul a day later. Oklahoma A&M faced Kansas in the NCAA District, and lost to KU, 45-43, in overtime. The Jayhawks went on to finish runner-up to Indiana as the national champion. JESSE RENICK ALL-AMERICAN, Jesse Cab Renick, who came to Oklahoma A&M after a junior-college career at Murray, was one of the offensive highlights of Mr. Iba s squad. He led the team in scoring with 179 points in 27 games, an average of 6.6 points per contest. He was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and a firstteam All-American in his first year in an Aggie uniform. Renick s Career Statistics Year GP PTS AVG Totals His junior year, Bennett averaged 10.3 points per contest, and connected on 82-of-120 free throws. He was named first-team All-Missouri Valley and firstteam All-American. He led the Aggies to a 24-8 record, pretty good considering A&M had lost all five starters from the year before. That year, OAMC went 24-8 and won the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City. The Aggies also had a win over Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans, and went 8-4 in conference play. In 1948, Bennett became Oklahoma A&M s third two-time All-American after earning first-team honors. He was also named first-team All-MVC along with J.L. Parks. Bennett scored 217 points in 28 games that year as the Aggies went 27-3 in regular-season play. The Aggies won the Missouri Valley with a 10-0 record and won the All-College Classic, but lost to Kansas State, 43-34, in the first round of the NCAA Districts to end the season Bennett was drafted by Providence in A.L. BENNETT ALL-AMERICAN, A.L. Bennett came to Oklahoma A&M from Holdenville, Okla., and was a member of the 1946 NCAA Championship team. That season, his sophomore year, he averaged 3.8 points in 22 games for the Aggies as a backup to Weldon Kern and Sam Aubrey, both first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference members. Bennett s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PF PTS AVG Totals

10 BOB MATTICK ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-AMERICANS Bob Mattick came to Oklahoma A&M from Chicago, Ill., and was one of the most highly touted big men of his time. Mattick was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference and All-America selection, earning plaudits in 1953 and again in As a sophomore in , Mattick averaged 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. His junior year, Mattick averaged 17.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest. That year, Oklahoma A&M was ranked as high as fifth and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Kansas. The Aggies finished the season with a 23-7 record. In , Mattick s senior season, he averaged 20.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, becoming the first player in school history to average a double-double. Once again, the Aggies earned a national ranking as high as fifth, finished the season with a 24-5 record and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In his three-year career, Mattick recorded 1,378 points and 772, rebounds, averaging 16.6 and 9.3, respectively. He currently ranks as the 11th-most prolific scorer in OSU history, and ranks sixth in school history in career rebounds and third in free throws made. Mattick s scoring average in 1954 was a school record for 26 years. He was drafted by Milwaukee in Mattick s Career Statistics YEAR GP FG-FGA PCT. FT-FTA PCT REB AVG PTS AVG Totals ARLEN CLARK ALL-AMERICAN, Arlen Clark came to Oklahoma State from Colbert, Okla., and as a sophomore, averaged 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was the first Cowboy to ever earn All-Big Eight Conference in OSU s inaugural season in the league in His junior year, Clark averaged 17.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and was third in the nation in free-throw percentage with an.864 mark. He was named first-team All-American. That year, OSU went 21-8, achieved a ranking as high as sixth late in the season, and lost to third-ranked Kansas State in the regional finals. In , his senior season, Clark averaged 20.4 points per contest, the second-best mark in school history at the time. He set an NCAA record for consecutive free-throws made in a single game and for free-throw percentage in a game (24-of-24), that still holds today. Clark finished his three-year career with 1,197 points, an average of 15.3 points per game. He shot 84.9 percent from the free-throw line for his career, a mark that ranks second in school history to Mark Tucker s 86.2 percent. Clark became the fifth player in Oklahoma State history to earn All-America honors twice, and was the last for Cowboy to be named All-American for 33 years, before Byron Houston earned the distinction in Clark s Career Statistics YEAR GP FG-FGA PCT. FT-FTA PCT REB AVG PTS AVG Totals

11 ALL-AMERICANS Reeves Career Highlights BRYANT REEVES ALL-AMERICAN, A two-time All-American, Reeves was named to the third team in both 1994 and Among his accolades his senior season were Big Eight Player of the Year, Big Eight Tournament MVP, and a member of the all-east Regional squad. Reeves also received Conference Player of the Year honors in 1993, his sophomore season. He was a three-time, first-team, All-Big Eight selection, and was a member of the Big Eight all-freshman team in Reeves finished with the second-most points in school history, as well as rebounds. Holds the school record for career field-goal percentage, as well as games played and games started. Was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies Bryant Big Country Reeves was a legend that may never be forgotten in Oklahoma State Basketball lore. He came to Stillwater as a project from tiny Gans, Okla., near the Arkansas border. He left Stillwater for the mountains of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a self-made millionaire. In his first season as a Cowboy, Reeves surprised everyone, starting in 34 of OSU s 36 games. He shot 52.1 percent from the floor and averaged 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He was named to the Big Eight all-freshman squad. His sophomore season, Reeves was shot an amazing 62.1 percent from the floor, a school record at the time, and averaged a double-double with 19.5 points and 10 rebounds per contest. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1958 to lead the Big Eight in those three categories. Reeves was named the Big Eight Player of the Year, was a member of the All-Big Eight first-team, and was named honorable mention All-American. He also earned Sports Illustrated s Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 14 and was SI s Most Improved Player in the nation. A Playboy preseason All-American prior to his junior year, Reeves lived up to all expectations as he averaged 21 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. He shot 58.5 percent from the floor, and recorded a personal-best 70 blocked shots. Following the season, he was named third-team All-Amercan as well as first-team All-Big Eight. Reeves senior season matched his junior year almost identically, with one exception... a Final Four appearance. He scored a school-record 797 points en route to a 21.5 points per game average. He was named the Big Eight Player of the Year for a second time, earned Big Eight Tournament MVP honors, and was named third-team All-American once again. Reeves was a first-round draft choice, the sixth pick overall, by by Vancouver in Reeves Career Statistics YEAR GP FG-FGA PCT. 3FG-FGA PCT FT-FTA PCT REB AVG AST BLK STL PTS AVG TOTALS

12 MERLE ROUSEY ALL-AMERICAN, 1937 ALL-AMERICANS Rousey s Career Statistics Year GP PTS AVG Totals Merle Rousey came to Oklahoma A&M College after one year at Colorado. At CU, he started as a sophomore at guard and was named third-team All- Rocky Mountain Conference. Rousey followed Mr. Iba to Oklahoma A&M, and was a fixture on the floor for the Aggies. He finished the 22-game season with 130 points, a team high. At the close of the season, he was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference. His senior season, Rousey again won the team scoring title with 142 points, an average of 6.1 points per contest. He was named first-team All- MVC for the second-straight year, and was named first-team All-American, Oklahoma A&M s first such accolade. OAMC went 20-3 that year and won the Missouri Valley Conference title. DICK KRUEGER ALL-AMERICAN, 1938 Krueger s Career Statistics Year GP PTS AVG Totals Dick Krueger came to Oklahoma A&M after a successful prep career at Classen High School in Oklahoma City. As a sophomore at Oklahoma A&M, he played in every one of the 22 games at forward, and was the second-highest scorer on the team with 89 points. His junior year, he was again the second-leading scorer on the squad to All-American Merle Rousey, scoring 105 points in 21 games. He played all but two games that year, and was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference. In , his senior year, Krueger was named first-team All-MVC and first-team All-American. He averaged 9.5 points per game that year. OAMC went 25-3, won the Missouri Valley Conference title, and participated in the inaugural NIT in New York. Millikan s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals BUD MILLIKAN ALL-AMERICAN, 1942 Bud Millikan came to Oklahoma A&M from Maryville, Mo., where Mr. Henry Iba began his collegiate coaching career. Millikan scored 31 points in 22 games his sophomore season. That year, the Aggies finished His junior year, Millikan scored 98 points in 25 games and was named honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference. In , Millikan s senior year, he scored 116 points as Oklahoma A&M finished He was named to the Helm s Foundation All-America team. Millikan went on to a successful coaching career at Maryland, following in Coach Iba s footsteps. 138

13 BOB HARRIS ALL-AMERICAN, 1949 ALL-AMERICANS Harris Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals Bob Harris came to A&M from Linden, Tenn., and, although he led A&M scoring in both his junior and senior seasons, he was regarded most highly for his defensive prowess. His junior year, Harris averaged 8.4 points per game in leading A&M to a 27-4 record. In , Harris averaged 11.7 points per game and was named an All-American. He, along with teammate J.L. Parks, led the Aggies to a runnerup finish to Kentucky at the NCAA Tournament. A&M finished 23-5 and second in the final AP Poll. He was a two-time All-MVC selection, and was named the Outstanding Player at the All-College Tournament. He was drafted by Fort Wayne in the first round (third pick overall) in Parks Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals J.L. PARKS ALL-AMERICAN, 1949 J.L. Parks came to Oklahoma A&M from Paoli, Okla., near Pauls Valley, was regarded as one of the finest defensive guards in the country. He played on both of Oklahoma A&M s National Championship teams, and returned to A&M after a one-year stint in the army. His junior year, Parks averaged 6.6 points per game in leading the Aggies to a 27-4 record. A year later, he averaged 6.7 points and joined Bob Harris as the first duo from A&M to both be named All-American in the same year. He was also All- MVC in 1946, 48 and 1949, and was selected for the East-West game in Parks played in 123 games, a school record for 43 years. He was drafted by Indianapolis in McArthur s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals GALE McARTHUR ALL-AMERICAN, 1951 Gale McArthur came to Stillwater from Mangum, Okla., and was a member of two Oklahoma A&M Final Four teams, in 1949 and again in As a sophomore in , he played in all 28 games and scored 83 points for the Pokes. His junior year, McArthur played in all 27 contests, scoring 198 points as the Aggies failed to make the postseason. During the season, McArthur scored 408 points, averaging 11.6 points per contest as A&M made the national consolation finals. He was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and an All-American. The Aggies finished 29-6 that year, losing to Illinois in the third-place game. McArthur was drafted in the fourth round by Minneapolis in

14 DON JOHNSON ALL-AMERICAN, 1952 ALL-AMERICANS Johnson s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals Don Johnson came to Oklahoma A&M from Chickasha, Okla., and made an immediate impact for the Aggies. His freshman season, Johnson scored 146 points in 27 games. A year later, he led the team with 421 points in 35 games, a 12.1 points per game average. That year, A&M advanced to the Final Four and Johnson was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference. His senior season, Johnson averaged 14 points per game, led the team in scoring for a second-straight year, and was named an All-American by the Helms Foundation. He was drafted by Boston in Wright s Career Statistics Year GP FG FT PTS AVG Totals MEL WRIGHT ALL-AMERICAN, 1957 Mel Wright came to Oklahoma A&M from Amarillo, Texas, and as a sophomore in , scored 178 points in 22 games, an average of 8.1 points per game. He was named honorable mention All-MVC that year. His junior season, Wright averaged 11.2 points per contest, as the Aggies had a six-game turnaround from the year before. In , his senior campaign, Wright scored 316 points in 26 games, an average of 12.2 points per contest, and was named All-American. The Aggies with 17-9 in the final year as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Wright was drafted by Cincinnati in Byron Houston came to Oklahoma State from Oklahoma City, and in four-short years, became the Cowboys all-time leading scorer, recording 2,379 points in his tenure at OSU. He also finished his collegiate career as the leader in scoring average, rebounds, blocks, field-goals attempted, free-throws made and free-throws attempted. Houston is one of two Cowboys to earn first-team All-Conference honors three times, and was the 1991 Big Eight Player of the Year. He was the leader on OSU s 1991 Big Eight Championship team, just the second Big Eight title in school history. A year later, he was named the Big Eight Tournament Most Valuable Player. Houston was named an All-American in 1992 following his senior year. He was a first-round draft choice, the 27th pick overall, by the Chicago Bulls in BYRON HOUSTON ALL-AMERICAN,

15 ALL-AMERICANS TONY ALLEN ALL-AMERICAN, 2004 JOHN LUCAS ALL-AMERICAN, 2004 JOEY GRAHAM ALL-AMERICAN, 2005 Tony Allen was a junior-college transfer to Oklahoma State, and quickly became one of the most prolific scorers in school history. In just two seasons, Allen finished with 1,021 career points, ranking 26th on the career scoring list. In his senior season, Allen was the leader and leading scorer for a team that won the Big 12 regular-season championship, the Big 12 Tournament title, and advanced to the Final Four. It was OSU s second appearance in the national semifinals in 10 years, both under Eddie Sutton. Allen was named the Big 12 Conference s co-player of the Year, along with teammate John Lucas. He was named first-team All-District 12, and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. Other honors included being named the Most Valuable Player at the Big 12 Tournament and mention on the East Rutherford Regional all-tournament team. Tony was drafted with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. After a two-year stint at Baylor, John Lucas transferred to Oklahoma State and became quite possibly the best point guard in school history. Not only was Lucas the floor general for a team that won 57 games over a two-year span, bnut he also led the Cowboys to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and a Final Four appearance in Lucas was instrumental in OSU s school-record 31 win season, as well as a Big 12 regular-season championship and back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles. It was his shot against Saint Joseph s near the end of the contest which sent Oklahoma State to he 2004 Final Four. Not only was Lucas a prolific scorer and uncanny distributor of the basketball, but he was a big-time leader. He shared the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors with his teammate, Tony Allen. Lucas was twice named to he Wooden Award ballot and was a member of the 10-man All-America team in He was also a second-team All-American according to the U.S. Basketball Writer s Association, and was a member of the Associated Press third-team All-America squad. SI.com listed Lucas as an honorable mention selection in Joey Graham was a large part of what could be considered the most successful senior class in Oklahoma State history. He was named a third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches following his senior season, just the fifth Cowboy to earn that distinction from the NABC. He was also named a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press. He earned NABC first-team All-District 12 and first-team All-Big 12 accolades. Joey was listed on the ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, and ws named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 list. In two short years with the Cowboys, Graham and Co. won 57 games and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice. OSU won the Big 12 regular season championship in 2004 and won back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles in 2004 and He was named the Most Valuable Player at the Big 12 Tournament in Graham established a new Big 12 conference record for consecutive free throws made with 39, which was one shy of the school record. He was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors, the No. 17 pick overall. 141

16 NCAA Consensus All-Americans (1929 present) Jesse Cab Renick (1940), 2nd team Bob Kurland ( ), 1st team Gale McArthur (1951), 2nd team Bob Mattick (1954), 2nd team Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team Associated Press All-Americans (1948 present) A.L. Bennett (1948), 3rd team Bob Harris (1949), 2nd team Gale McArthur (1951), 2nd team Bob Mattick (1954), 3rd team Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team Bryant Reeves ( ), 3rd team Tony Allen (2004), honorable mention John Lucas (2004), 3rd team National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Americans (1947 present) Gale McArthur (1951), 2nd team Bob Mattick (1954), 2nd team Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team Bryant Reeves (1995), 3rd team Joey Graham (2005), 3rd team ALL-AMERICANS U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-Americans (1957 present) Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team John Lucas (2004), 2nd team The Sporting News All-Americans (1943 present) Bob Kurland (1944), 2nd team Bob Kurland ( ), 1st team Bob Harris (1949), 2nd team Gale McArthur (1951), 1st team Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team Helms Athletic Foundation All-Americans ( ) Merle Rousey (1937), 1st team Jesse Cab Renick ( ), 1st team Bud Millikan (1942), 1st team Bob Kurland ( ), 1st team A.L. Bennett (1947), 3rd team Bob Harris (1949), 1st team J.L. Parks (1949), 2nd team Gale McArthur (1951), 1st team Don Johnson (1952), 1st team Bob Mattick ( ), 1st team Mel Wright (1957), 3rd team Wooden Award All-Americans (1977 present) John Lucas (2004) Helms Athletic Foundation Player of the Year ( ) Bob Kurland (1946) Converse Yearbook All-Americans ( ) Jesse Cab Renick (1940), 2nd team Bob Kurland (1944), 2nd team Bob Kurland ( ), 1st team Bob Harris (1949), 3rd team Gale McArthur (1951), 2nd team Bob Mattick (1954), 4th team Newspaper Enterprises Association All-Americans ( ) Jesse Cab Renick (1940), 1st team John Lucas led the Cowboys to a Final Four appearance in 2004 with a clutch shot against Saint Joseph s in the regional final. United Press International All-Americans ( ) Bob Harris (1949), 2nd team Gale McArthur (1951), 2nd team Bob Mattick (1954), 3rd team Byron Houston (1992), 2nd team Bryant Reeves ( ), 2nd team 142

17 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR Oklahoma A&M Aggies 1945 NCAA Champions Overall Record: 27-4 Oklahoma A&M s fi rst appearance in the NCAA Tournament proved to be a successful one as the Aggies claimed the national title, defeating Utah and Arkansas en route to the championship victory against New York. It was the fi rst year in the fl edgling seven-year history of the event that Oklahoma A&M made the eight-team fi eld. A&M owned a 7-3 record through mid-january, but after back-to-back losses to NATTS Skyjackets and Arkansas, Henry Iba s team fi nished the year on a 20-1 run, losing only to DePaul in early February. The Aggies entered the NCAA Tournament with a 24-4 record on the season. A&M crushed Utah, 62-37, and Arkansas, 68-41, in the NCAA Regional at Kansas City to advance to the title game against New York. There the Aggies claimed a victory for its fi rst of two consecutive national titles. Bob Kurland threw in 22 points, while Cecil Hankins added 15 in the championship game. New York s lineup included hall of famer Dolph Schayes, but A&M proved to be too much in gaining the victory. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y. March 27, 1945 Oklahoma A&M 49, New York 45 Oklahoma A&M FG FT PF Pts Cecil Hankins Weldon Kern Bob Kurland Doyle Parrack J.L. Parks Blake Williams John Wylie Totals New York FG FT PF Pts Al Grenert Marty Goldstein Don Forman Dolph Schayes Sid Tanenbaum Herb Walsh Frank Mangiapane Alvin Most Totals Halftime: OAMC 26, NYU 21. Officials: Glenn Adams, Abb Curtis. Attendance: 18,035. Front Row (L to R): D. W. Jones, Weldon Kern, J.L. Parks, Doyle Parrack, John Wylie. Back Row (L to R): Bill Johnson, Joe Halbert, Tug Wilson (NCAA President), Bob Kurland, Coach Henry Iba, Blake Williams, Cecil Hankins, Asst. Coach Bobby Millikan. ROAD TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Western Regionals (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated Utah, (semifinals) defeated Arkansas, (finals) National Championship (New York, N.Y.) defeated New York,

18 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR Oklahoma A&M Aggies 1946 NCAA Champions Overall Record: 31-2 The 1946 Oklahoma A&M basketball team was one for the record books. The Aggies produced the best record in school history, going A&M became the fi rst school to win back-to-back NCAA basketball titles. What might have been even more amazing was the fact that all fi ve A&M starters composed the fi rst team of the All-Missouri Valley Conference. The Aggies lost their second game of the year when DePaul upended A&M, 46-42, in Stillwater. The Aggies ran off 15-straight victories, including a win at DePaul, before falling to Bowling Green. A&M then closed out the season with 15 straight wins and the national title for the second-straight year. Center Bob Kurland was tabbed the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y. March 27, 1945 Oklahoma A&M 43, North Carolina 40 Oklahoma A&M FG FT PF Pts Sam Aubrey A.L. Bennett Weldon Kern Joe Bradley Bob Kurland Joe Halbert Blake Williams Eugene Bell J.L. Parks Totals Mrs. James St. Clair presents Coach Henry Iba the James St. Clair trophy after Oklahoma A&M defeated North Carolina for the NCAA Championship in Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the picture are, left to right: Joe Halbert, Joe Bradley, Sam Aubrey (barely visible), Blake Williams, Eugene Bell, Bob Kurland, Paul Geymann (behind cup), Bob Crowe, A.L. Bennett, J.L. Parks and Weldon Kern. ROAD TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Western Regionals (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated Baylor, (semifinals) defeated California, (finals) National Championship (New York, N.Y.) defeated North Carolina, North Carolina FG FT PF Pts John Dillon Don Anderson Bob Paxton Horace McKinney Jim White Taylor Thorne Jim Jordan Totals Halftime: OAMC 23, UNC 17. Officials: Jocko Collins, Pat Kennedy. Attendance: 18,

19 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR Oklahoma A&M Aggies 1949 NCAA Runnerup Overall Record: 23-5 Henry Iba s team opened the season winning seven of its fi rst eight games, with only two of those contests played at Stillwater. After a home loss to DePaul, A&M proceeded to win eight straight games before closing the regular season with a 20-4 record. A&M then defeated Nebraska in NCAA District play before beating Wyoming to set up a Final Four matchup with Oregon State. The Aggies defeated the Beavers and advanced to the NCAA title game against Kentucky. However Lou Groza and company proved too much for A&M and the Aggies fi nished the year as the national runnerup. ROAD TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Hec Edmundson Pavilion Seattle, Wash. March 26, 1949 Kentucky 46, Oklahoma A&M 36 Oklahoma A&M FG FT PF Pts Vernon Yates Jack Shelton Bob Harris Joe Bradley J.L. Parks Tom Jaquet Gale McArthur Norm Pilgrim Keith Smith Totals Western Regionals (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated Wyoming, (semifinals) defeated Oregon State, (finals) National Championship (New York, N.Y.) lost to Kentucky, Kentucky FG FT PF Pts Wallace Jones Jim Line Alex Groza Ralph Beard Cliff Barker Dale Barnstable Walt Hirsch Totals Halftime: UK 25, OAMC 20. Officials: Hal Lee, Tim McCullough. Attendance: 10,600. Oklahoma A&M Aggies 1951 NCAA Final Four Overall Record: 29-6 Two years removed from making the NCAA Championship game, the Aggies were at it again, this time entering the tournament with a 26-5 record. In the new 16-team format, Henry Iba and his Oklahoma A&M squad defeated Montana State, 50-46, in the fi rst round before beating Washington, 61-57, in the regional semifi nals. A loss to Kansas State in the regional fi nals sent the Aggies to Minneapolis, Minn., to face Illinois in the national third-place game. The Illini defeated A&M, 61-46, as the Aggies fi nished the season with a 29-6 record. ROAD TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Western Regionals (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated Montana State, (first round) defeated Washington, (semifinals) lost to Kansas State, (finals) National Championship (Minneapolis, Minn.) lost to Illinois, (3rd-place game) 145

20 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR Oklahoma State Cowboys 1995 NCAA Final Four Overall Record: OSU entered the 1995 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the East Region. The Cowboys easily disposed of Drexel, 73-49, and Alabama, 66-52, in the fi rst two rounds at Baltimore, Md. Bryant Reeves recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds in the opening game, and added 26 points and seven rebounds in the second-round contest. OSU then faced the third-ranked team in the nation and the top seed in the East in ACC Champion Wake Forest. Reeves battled with WFU standout Tim Duncan as Reeves scored 15 points and added nine rebounds. Randy Rutherford led OSU with 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Cowboys won a narrow victory. Front Row (L to R): Maurice Robinson, Jerome Lambert, Ben Baum, Bryant Reeves, John Nelson, Kevin Miles, Scott Pierce. Middle Row (L to R): Jason Skaer, Eddie Sutton, Sean Sutton, Randall Dickey, Paul Graham, Leroy Youster, Terry Collins. Back Row (L to R): Randy Staats, Tommy Warner, Chad Alexander, Chianti Roberts, Mike Hendren, Randy Rutherford, Andre Owens. Andre Owens OSU then defeated Massachusetts in the regional fi nal at East Rutherford, N.J. behind 23 points and 10 rebounds from Reeves, as well as 12 points and eight rebounds from Scott Pierce. OSU limited UMass to just 27.6 percent shooting in the game. At Seattle, OSU drew top-ranked UCLA in the fi rst semifi nal game. The teams entered the lockerroom tied at 37. OSU started the second half with a Terry Collins three-pointer to put the Cowboys up UCLA then raced out to a advantage before OSU regained the lead at with 9:33 left in the game. The two teams stayed close until the fi nal 2:30 of the game. Randy Rutherford drained a three-pointer to pull OSU within at the 2:44 mark, but those points would be OSU s fi nal of the game. UCLA ran off the game s fi nal 12 points and advanced to the championship contest. Reeves completed his college career with 25 points and nine rebounds against the Bruins in his fi nal game at Oklahoma State. ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR 1st & 2nd Rounds (Baltimore, Md.) defeated Drexel, (first round) defeated Alabama, (second round) East Regional (East Rutherford, N.J.) defeated Wake Forest, (semifinals) defeated Massachusetts, (finals) Final Four (Seattle, Wash.) lost to UCLA,

21 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR NCAA SEMIFINAL GAME Kingdome Seattle, Wash. April 1, 1995 UCLA 74, Oklahoma State 61 Oklahoma State FG 3FG FT Reb Pts Scott Pierce Terry Collins Bryant Reeves Randy Rutherford Andre Owens Chianti Roberts Jason Skaer Chad Alexander Ben Baum John Nelson Kevin Miles Totals UCLA FG 3FG FT Reb Pts Charles O Bannon Ed O Bannon George Zidek Tyus Edney Toby Bailey Cameron Dollar J.R. Henderson Kevin Dempsey Ike Nwankwo omm A Givens Kris Johnson Bob Myers Totals Halftime: OSU 37, UCLA 37. Officials: Dick Paparo, Tom Lopes, Andre Pattillo. Attendance: 38,540. Terry Collins Seattle Kingdome, home of the 1995 Final Four 147

22 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR Oklahoma State Cowboys 2004 NCAA Final Four Overall Record: 31-4 After winning the regular season and Big 12 Tournament titles, the Cowboys earned a No. 2 seed in the East Rutherford Regional. In fi rst-round action from Kansas City, Oklahoma State struggled in the fi rst half against the Eastern Washington Eagles, with the game tied, 36-36, at intermission. OSU routed the Eagles in the second half, led my Ivan McFarlin s 20 points and 10 rebounds, and advanced to the second round with a victory. The Cowboys didn t take John Calipari s Memphis Tigers quite as lightly. An early 12-1 run gave Oklahoma State a 21-8 lead eight minutes into the game. By halftime, the score was OSU. McFarlin picked up his second doubledouble in as many games with 13 points and 10 rebounds, as all fi ve starters scored in double fi gures. Joey Graham led all Cowboys with 21 points on 8-of -11 shooting, and OSU defeated Memphis, 70-53, to advance to the Sweet 16. Oklahoma State traveled to East Rutherford, N.J., for the regional semifi nals and fi nals. It was the same arena OSU played in when it advanced to it s last Final Four in In the Sweet 16, the cowboys met ninth-ranked Pittsburgh and a formidable lineup that included Chevy Troutman, Chris Taft and Julius Page. Oklahoma State trailed by two at halftime, 28-26, but tony Allen keyed a late 17-5 spurt and fi nished with 23 points as OSU defeated the Panthers, In the regional fi nals, the Cowboys met up with the mational player of the year Jameer Nelson and the Saint Joseph s Hawks. It was a much ballyhooed contest, and was exciting enough to earn a nomination as the game of the year on the ESPYs. St. Joe s led by six at halftime, and the No. 1 seed appeared to be headed for its fi rst Final Four appearance. However, John Lucas three pointer with 6.9 seconds remaining, and Nelson s near miss at the buzzer, assured the Cowboys of their trip to San Antonio. ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR 1st & 2nd Rounds (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated Eastern Washington, defeated Memphis, East Rutherford Regional (East Rutherford, N.J.) defeated Pittsburgh, defeated Saint Joseph s, Final Four (San Antonio, Texas) lost to Georgia Tech, Front Row (L to R): Tony Allen, Jason Miller, Matt Herring, James Dickey, Glynn Cyprien, Eddie Sutton, Sean Sutton, Kyle Keller, Wren Baker, Murphy Grant, Janavor Weatherspoon, Ivan McFarlin. Back Row (L to R): Maurice Findley, Guy Ikpah, Stephen Graham, Daniel Bobik, Onye Ibekwe, Frans Steyn, Tremaine Fuqua, Marcus Dove, David Monds, Joey Graham, Terrence Crawford, Brandon Elliott, John Lucas. 148

23 OSU AT THE FINAL FOUR In the national semifi nals, OSU faced an upstart Georgia Tech squad that had won the Preseason NIT, beaten North Carolina twice, and defeated Duke during the season. The Yellowjackets had B.J. Elder, Jarrett Jack and Will Bynum on their squad, but it was the inside play of Luke Schenscher that ended the Cowboys dream season. The Aussie center recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds, and a Bynum layup with 1.5 seconds left gave Tech the victory. All in all, it was an improbable run by Oklahoma State, a run which will lead to bigger and better things for the Cowboy Basketball program. NCAA SEMIFINAL GAME Alamodome San Antonio, Texas April 3, 2004 Georgia Tech 67, Oklahoma State 65 Oklahoma State (31-4) FG 3FG FT Reb Pts Joey Graham Ivan McFarlin John Lucas Daniel Bobik Tony Allen Stephen Graham Janavor Weatherspoon Jason Miller Terrence Crawford Totals Georgia Tech (28-9) FG 3FG FT Reb Pts B.J. Elder Anthony McHendry Luke Schenscher Jarrett Jack Marvin Lewis Isma il Muhammad Will Bynum Clarence Moore Theodis Tarver Totals Joey Graham Halftime: Georgia Tech 37, OSU 30 Officials: Tim Higgins, Jim Burr, Donnee Gray Attendance: 44,417 Daniel Bobik 149

24 1945 National Champions (27-4) Western Region W Utah Kansas City, Mo. W Arkansas Kansas City, Mo. W New York New York, N.Y. NCAA HISTORY 1992 Regional Semifinals (28-8) No. 2 seed, Southeast Region W #15 Georgia Southern Atlanta, Ga. W #10 Tulane Atlanta, Ga. L #6 Michigan Lexington, Ky National Champions (31-2) Western Region W Baylor Kansas City, Mo. W California Kansas City, Mo. W North Carolina New York, N.Y National Runnerup (23-5) Western Region W Wyoming Kansas City, Mo. W Oregon State Kansas City, Mo. L Kentucky Seattle, Wash National Fourth Place (29-6) Western Region W Montana State Kansas City, Mo. W Washington Kansas City, Mo. L Kansas State Kansas City, Mo. L Illinois Minneapolis, Minn Regional Finals (23-7) West Region W TCU Manhattan, Kan. L Kansas Manhattan, Kan Regional Finals (24-5) West Region W Rice Stillwater, Okla. L Bradley Stillwater, Okla Regional Finals (21-8) Midwest Region W Loyola Marymount Stillwater, Okla. W Arkansas Lawrence, Kan. L Kansas State Lawrence, Kan Regional Finals (20-7) Midwest Region W Houston Manhattan, Kan. L Wichita State Manhattan, Kan First Round (24-7) No. 5 seed, West Region L #12 Princeton Corvallis, Ore Regional Semifinals (24-8) No. 3 seed, East Region W #14 New Mexico College Park, Md. W #6 N.C. State College Park, Md. L ot #10 Temple East Rutherford, N.J Second Round (20-9) No. 5 seed, Midwest Region W #12 Marquette Indianapolis, Ind. L #4 Louisville Indianapolis, Ind Second Round (24-10) No. 4 seed, Midwest Region W #13 New Mexico State Oklahoma City, Okla. L #12 Tulsa Oklahoma City, Okla National Semifinals (27-10) No. 4 seed, East Region W #13 Drexel Baltimore, Md. W #5 Alabama Baltimore, Md. W #1 Wake Forest East Rutherford, N.J. W #2 Massachusetts East Rutherford, N.J. L #1 UCLA Seattle, Wash Second Round (22-7) No. 8 seed, South Region W #9 George Washington Lexington, Ky. L #1 Duke Lexington, Ky Second Round (23-11) No. 9 seed, South Region W #8 Syracuse Indianapolis, Ind. L #1 Auburn Indianapolis, Ind Regional Finals (27-7) No. 3 seed, East Region W #14 Hofstra Buffalo, N.Y. W #11 Pepperdine Buffalo, N.Y. W #10 Seton Hall Syracuse, N.Y. L #5 Florida Syracuse, N.Y First Round (20-10) No. 11 seed, East Region L #6 USC Long Island, N.Y First Round (23-9) No. 7 seed, South Region L #10 Kent State Greenville, S.C Second Round (22-10) No. 6 seed, East Region W #11 Penn Boston, Mass. L #3 Syracuse Boston, Mass National Semifinals (31-4) No. 2 seed, East Rutherford Regional W #15 Eastern Washington Kansas City, Mo. W #7 Memphis Kansas City, Mo. W #3 Pittsburgh East Rutherford, N.J. W #1 Saint Joseph s East Rutherford, N.J. L #3 Georgia Tech San Antonio, Texas 2005 Regional Semifinal (26-7) No. 2 seed, Chicago Regional W #15 Southeastern Louisiana Oklahoma City, Okla. W #7 Southern Illinois Oklahoma City, Okla. L #3 Arizona Chicago, Ill. 150

25 POSTSEASON HISTORY Oklahoma State vs. All Opponents in the NCAA Tournament 1-0 Alabama Arizona Arkansas 1945, Auburn Baylor Bradley California Drexel Duke Eastern Washington Florida George Washington Georgia Southern Georgia Tech Hofstra Houston Illinois Kansas Kansas State 1951, Kent State Kentucky Louisville Loyola Marymount Marquette Massachusetts Memphis Michigan Montana State New Mexico New Mexico State New York North Carolina North Carolina State Oregon State Penn Pepperdine Pittsburgh Princeton Rice Saint Joseph s Seton Hall Southeastern Louisiana Southern Illinois Syracuse 1999, Temple TCU Tulane Tulsa UCLA USC Utah Wake Forest Washington Wichita State Wyoming 1949 Oklahoma State by NCAA Tournament Site 2-0 Atlanta, Ga Baltimore, Md Boston, Mass Buffalo, N.Y Chicago, Ill College Park, Md Corvallis, Ore East Rutherford, N.J. 1991, 1995, Greenville, S.C Indianapolis, Ind. 1993, Kansas City, Mo. 1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, Lawrence, Kan Lexington, Ky. 1992, Long Island, N.Y Manhattan, Kan. 1953, Minneapolis, Minn New York, N.Y. 1945, Oklahoma City, Okla. 1994, San Antonio, Texas Seattle, Wash. 1949, Stillwater, Okla. 1954, Syracuse, N.Y Oklahoma State in NCAA Tournament Oklahoma State in NIT Total Postseason 1938 (25-3) Third Place L Temple W New York 1940 (26-3) Fourth Place L Duquesne W DePaul 1944 (27-6) W Canisius L DePaul L Kentucky 1956 (18-9) Ninth Place L Duquesne 1989 (17-13) Second Round W Boise State L at St. John s NIT HISTORY (22 appearances) 6-10 (9 appearances) (31 appearances) 1990 (17-14) Second Round W Tulsa L at New Mexico 1997 (17-15) Second Round W Tulane L at Michigan 2006 (17-16) First Round L at Miami (Fla.) 2007 (22-13) First Round L Marist 2008 (17-16) First Round L at Southern Illinois 151

26 Southwest Conference ( ) Year Player, Class 1923 Clifford Dean, Jr. (1st) 1924 George Connor, Fr. (1st) Ernest Seiler, Jr. (2nd) 1925 Gordon Perry, Fr. (1st) Clyde Hall, So. (1st) George Connor, So. (2nd) E.M. Lookabaugh, Jr. (3rd) Missouri Valley Conference ( ) Year Player, Class 1927 Gordon Perry, Jr. (2nd) 1928 Ab Wright, Jr. (1st) 1931 Jakie Harrison, Sr. (1st) 1933 Buddy Wade, Jr. (1st) Leon Bruner, Jr. (HM) R.B. Hensley, Sr. (HM) Norris Simms, Jr. (HM) 1934 Buddy Wade, Sr. (2nd) Howard Shirk, Sr. (HM) 1936 Merle Rousey, Jr. (1st) Taylor Little, Jr. (1st) George Freeman, Sr. (HM) 1937 R.C. Cox, Sr. (1st) Bill Barringer, Jr. (1st) Merle Rousey, Sr. (1st) Dick Krueger, Jr. (2nd) 1938 Dick Krueger, Sr. (1st) Merle Scheffler, Jr. (1st) Bill Barringer, Sr. (2nd) Harvey Slade, So. (HM) Carroll Smelser, Sr. (HM) 1939 Jess Renick, Jr. (1st) Merle Scheffler, Sr. (2nd) Harvey Slade, Jr. (2nd) Howard Doyle, So. (HM) Gene Smelser, So. (HM) 1940 Howard Doyle, Jr. (1st) Jess Renick, Sr. (1st) Harvey Slade, Sr. (1st) Gene Smelser, Jr. (2nd) Lon Eggleston, So. (HM) 1941 Gene Smelser, Sr. (1st) Vern Schwertfeger, Sr. (2nd) Leroy Floyd, Sr. (HM) Bud Millikan, Jr. (HM) 1942 Lon Eggleston, Sr. (1st) Vernon Yates, Fr. (1st) 1943 Vernon Yates, So. (1st) 1944 no team selected 1945 no team selected 1946 Sam Aubrey, Sr. (1st) Weldon Kern, Sr. (1st) Bob Kurland, Sr. (1st) J.L. Parks, So. (1st) Blake Williams, So. (1st) 1947 A.L. Bennett, Jr. (1st) Joe Bradley, So. (HM) 1948 A.L. Bennett, Sr. (1st) J.L. Parks, Jr. (1st) ALL-CONFERENCE Joe Bradley, Jr. (2nd) Bob Harris, Jr. (2nd) Vernon Yates, Jr. (2nd) 1949 Bob Harris, Sr. (1st) J.L. Parks, Sr. (2nd) Vernon Yates, Sr. (2nd) Joe Bradley, Sr. (3rd) Jack Shelton, Jr. (3rd) 1950 Jack Shelton, Sr. (2nd) Gale McArthur, Jr. (HM) Norman Pilgrim, Jr. (HM) Keith Smith, Jr. (HM) 1951 Don Johnson, Jr. (1st) Gale McArthur, Sr. (1st) Norman Pilgrim, Sr. (1st) Pete Darcey, Jr. (HM) Keith Smith, Sr. (HM) 1952 Don Johnson, Sr. (1st) Pete Darcey, Sr. (HM) Bob Mattick, So. (HM) Harold Rogers, Jr. (HM) Kendall Sheets, Jr. (HM) 1953 Bob Mattick, Jr. (1st) Harold Rogers, Sr. (2nd) Kendall Sheets, Sr. (HM) Gerald Stockton, Sr. (HM) 1954 Bob Mattick, Sr. (1st) 1955 Clayton Carter, Jr. (2nd) V.R. Barnhouse, Jr. (HM) Tom Maloney, Sr. (HM) Carl Shafer, Sr. (HM) Melvin Wright, So. (HM) 1956 Clayton Carter, Sr. (1st) National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton (Basketball Times) NCAA Tournament Outstanding Player Bob Kurland Bob Kurland Conference Tournament MVP Leroy Combs Byron Houston Bryant Reeves Tony Allen Joey Graham Conference All-Tournament Team Matt Clark Byron Houston Bryant Reeves Brooks Thompson Randy Rutherford Glendon Alexander Adrian Peterson Joey Graham John Lucas John Lucas NABC East-West All-Star Game James King Henry Iba (coach) Corey Williams Eddie Sutton (coach) Brett Robisch Cowboys in the Olympics 1948 (gold) Jess Renick Bob Kurland 1952 (gold) Bob Kurland 1964 (gold) Henry Iba (coach) 1968 (gold) Henry Iba (coach) James King 1972 (silver) Henry Iba (coach) 1984 (gold) Henry Iba (honorary coach) 152

27 Year Player, Class 1959 Arlen Clark, Sr. (1st) Dick Soergel, Jr. (HM) 1962 Cecil Epperly, Sr. (2nd) 1963 Larry Hawk, So. (2nd) James King, So. (2nd) Ivan Wiley, Jr. (HM) Gene Johnson, So. (HM) Jim Cooper, Jr. (HM) 1964 Larry Hawk, Jr. (1st) James King, Jr. (2nd) 1965 James King, Sr. (1st) Gary Hassmann, Sr. (HM) Gene Johnson, Sr. (HM) 1967 Jack Herron, Jr. (HM) 1970 Bob Buck, Sr. (HM) Rick Cooper, Sr. (HM) 1972 Jerry Clack, Sr. (HM) 1973 Kevin Fitzgerald, Jr. (2nd) 1980 Ed Odom, Sr. (1st) Don Youman, Sr. (2nd) 1981 Matt Clark, So. (1st) 1983 Matt Clark, Sr. (1st) Leroy Combs, Sr. (1st) 1984 Joe Atkinson, So. (2nd) Ray Crenshaw, Sr. (2nd) 1985 Joe Atkinson, Jr. (HM) ALL-CONFERENCE Big Eight Conference ( ) Beginning in 1988, there were two separate all-conference teams, the Associated Press and the United Press International. The UPI squad was discontinued after the 1991 season, and the conference began keeping a coaches all-conference team in Conference Player of the Year Byron Houston (Jr.) Big Eight Bryant Reeves (So.) Big Eight Bryant Reeves (Sr.) Big Eight Tony Allen (Sr.) Big John Lucas (Jr.) AP Year Player, Class AP Big Richard Dumas, Fr. 2nd 2nd John Starks, Sr. HM HM 1989 Richard Dumas, So. 2nd 1st Byron Houston, Fr. HM HM Royce Jeffries, Jr. HM Thomas Jordan, So. HM 1990 Byron Houston, So. 1st 1st Darwyn Alexander, So. HM HM Royce Jeffries, Sr. HM 1991 Byron Houston, Jr. 1st 1st Darwyn Alexander, Jr. HM HM Johnny Pittman, Sr. HM HM Sean Sutton, Jr. HM HM 1992 Byron Houston, Sr. 1st * Sean Sutton, Sr. HM * Corey Williams, Sr. HM * 1993 Bryant Reeves, So. 1st 1st Randy Rutherford, So. HM HM Brooks Thompson, Jr. HM HM 1994 Bryant Reeves, Jr. 1st 1st Brooks Thompson, Sr. 2nd 1st Randy Rutherford, Jr. HM HM 1995 Bryant Reeves, Sr. 1st 1st Randy Rutherford, Sr. 1st 1st Andre Owens, Jr. HM HM 1996 Jerome Lambert, Sr. HM HM Andre Owens, Sr. HM Adrian Peterson, Fr. HM HM Big 12 Conference (1997-present) Year Player, Class AP Big Chianti Roberts, Sr. 3rd Adrian Peterson, So. HM HM 1998 Adrian Peterson, Jr. 2nd 2nd Brett Robisch, Sr. 2nd 2nd Desmond Mason, So. 3rd 3rd Doug Gottlieb, So. HM 1999 Adrian Peterson, Sr. 1st 1st Desmond Mason, Jr. 2nd 2nd Joe Adkins, Jr. HM Doug Gottlieb, Jr. HM 2000 Desmond Mason, Sr. 1st 1st Brian Montonati, Sr. 3rd 3rd Joe Adkins, Sr. HM Doug Gottlieb, Sr. HM 2001 Maurice Baker, Jr. 1st 1st Fredrik Jönzén, Jr. 3rd 2nd 2002 Fredrik Jönzén, Sr. 3rd Maurice Baker, Sr. 3rd HM Ivan McFarlin, So. HM HM Victor Williams, Jr. HM HM 2003 Victor Williams, Sr. 2nd 2nd Melvin Sanders, Sr. HM HM Tony Allen, Jr. HM HM Ivan McFarlin, Jr. HM 2004 Tony Allen, Sr. 1st 1st John Lucas, Jr. 1st 1st Joey Graham, Jr. HM 3rd Ivan McFarlin, Jr. HM HM 2005 Joey Graham, Sr. 1st 1st John Lucas, Sr. 1st 1st Ivan McFarlin, Sr. HM HM 2006 Mario Boggan, Jr. HM HM JamesOn Curry, So. HM HM 2007 Mario Boggan, Sr. 1st 1st JamesOn Curry, Jr. 3rd 3rd 2008 Byron Eaton, Jr. 2nd 3rd James Anderson, Fr. HM Marcus Dove, Sr. HM Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Dove (Jr.) Marcus Dove (Sr.) Conference Newcomer of the Year Don Youman (Jr.) UPI Doug Gottlieb (So.) AP Maurice Baker (Jr.) Big Tony Allen (Jr.) Big Joey Graham (Jr.) Big Conference Coach of the Year Henry Iba (Missouri Valley) Henry Iba (Missouri Valley) Henry Iba (Missouri Valley) Paul Hansen (Big Eight) Eddie Sutton (Big Eight) Eddie Sutton (Big 12)

28 Four-Time All-Conference Vernon Yates Byron Houston Adrian Peterson Ivan McFarlin , (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd) (HM, 1st, 1st, 1st) (HM, HM, 2nd, 1st) (HM, HM, HM, HM) Three-Time All-Conference Harvey Slade Gene Smelser J.L. Parks Joe Bradley Bob Mattick Bryant Reeves Randy Rutherford Desmond Mason Doug Gottlieb (HM, 2nd, 1st) (HM, 2nd, 1st) 1946, (1st, 1st, 2nd) (HM, 2nd, 3rd) (HM, 1st, 1st) (1st, 1st, 1st) (HM, HM, 1st) (3rd, 2nd, 1st) (HM, HM, HM) Three-Time First-team All-Conference Byron Houston Bryant Reeves Two-Time First-Team All-Conference Merle Rousey Jess Renick Vernon Yates J.L. Parks 1946, 48 A.L. Bennett Don Johnson Bob Mattick Larry Hawk Matt Clark 1981, 83 John Lucas Academic All-Americans 1964 Gary Hassman 1969 Joe Smith ALL-CONFERENCE NCAA Post-Graduate Awards 1964 Gary Hassman 1969 Joe Smith Academic All-Big Eight 1965 Gary Hassman Jim King 1976 Clark Maughan 1977 Fred Stevenson 1978 Mark Tucker 1983 Lorenza Andrews 1991 Mattias Sahlstrom 1995 Jason Skaer Academic All-Big Desmond Mason (HM) 1999 Fredrik Jönzén (1st) 2000 Fredrik Jönzén (1st) Rodney Sooter (1st) 2001 Nate Fleming (1st) Fredrik Jönzén (1st) Jason Keep (HM) 2002 Fredrik Jönzén (1st) Melvin Sanders (HM) 2003 Frans Steyn (1st) Jason Miller (HM) 2004 Stephen Graham (1st) Terrence Crawford (2nd) Joey Graham (2nd) 2005 Terrence Crawford (1st) David Monds (1st) Stephen Graham (2nd) Frans Steyn (2nd) 2006 Luke Byler (1st) Big 12 Specialty Teams (selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the league) 1997 Chianti Roberts (all-improved) Brett Robisch (all-newcomer) 1998 Doug Gottlieb (all-newcomer) Desmond Mason (all-improved) Adrian Peterson (all-underrated) Brett Robisch (all-improved) 1999 Glendon Alexander (all-bench) 2000 Joe Adkins (all-underrated) Glendon Alexander (all-bench) Fredrik Jönzén (all-improved) Fredrik Jönzén (all-underrated) Desmond Mason (all-defense) Brian Montonati (all-improved) 2001 Maurice Baker (all-newcomer) Andre Williams (all-defense) Andre Williams (all-bench) Victor Williams (all-newcomer) 2002 Ivan McFarlin (all-newcomer) Victor Williams (all-underrated) 2003 Tony Allen (all-newcomer) Cheyne Gadson (all-reserve) Melvin Sanders (all-defense) 2004 Tony Allen (all-defense) Joey Graham (all-newcomer) John Lucas (all-improved) Ivan McFarlin (all-defense) 2005 JamesOn Curry (all-freshman) Stephen Graham (all-reserve) Ivan McFarlin (all-defense) 2006 Mario Boggan (all-newcomer) Marcus Dove (all-defense) Torre Johnson (all-newcomer) Torre Johnson (all-reserve) David Monds (all-improved) 2007 Marcus Dove (all-defense) 2008 James Anderson (all-freshman) Marcus Dove (all-defense) Obi Muonelo (all-reserve) Big 12 Player of the Week Awards Jan. 4, Adrian Peterson (Sr.) Jan. 11, Desmond Mason (Jr.) Feb. 22, Adrian Peterson (Sr.) Dec. 21, Desmond Mason (Sr.) Dec. 5, Maurice Baker (Jr.) Jan. 2, Maurice Baker (Sr.) Jan. 20, Victor Williams (Sr.) Dec. 22, Ivan McFarlin (Jr.) Jan. 19, John Lucas (Jr.) Feb. 9, John Lucas (Jr.) Dec. 6, John Lucas (Sr.) Dec. 19, JamesOn Curry (So.) Dec. 27, David Monds (Jr.) Dec. 4, JamesOn Curry (Jr.) Dec. 11, Mario Boggan (Sr.) Dec. 26, Mario Boggan (Sr.) Jan. 22, Mario Boggan (Sr.) Feb. 12, Mario Boggan (Sr.) Feb. 18, Byron Eaton (Jr.) Big 12 Rookie of the Week Awards Dec. 12, Maurice Baker (Jr.) Jan. 15, Maurice Baker (Jr.) Jan. 22, Maurice Baker (Jr.) Jan. 28, Ivan McFarlin (Fr.) Feb. 25, Ivan McFarlin (Fr.) Jan. 13, Tony Allen (Jr.) Jan. 27, Tony Allen (Jr.) Jan. 26, Joey Graham (Jr.) Feb. 23, Joey Graham (Jr.) Nov. 21, Mario Boggan (Jr.) Dec. 5, Torre Johnson (Jr.) Dec. 19, Byron Eaton (Fr.) Jan. 3, Mario Boggan (Jr.) Jan. 16, Torre Johnson (Jr.) Jan. 23, Torre Johnson (Jr.) Nov. 12, James Anderson (Fr.) Dec. 3, James Anderson (Fr.) 154

29 COWBOYS IN THE NBA Cowboys in the NBA Draft Overall Year Player Team Round Selection 1948 A.L. Bennett Providence 1949 Bob Harris Fort Wayne 1st 3rd J.L. Parks Indianapolis 8th 71st 1950 Jack Shelton Boston 5th 49th 1951 Gale McArthur Minneapolis 4th 40th 1952 Don Johnson Boston 5th 47th 1953 Kendall Sheets Rochester 7th 59th 1954 Bob Mattick Milwaukee 2nd 11th 1956 Clayton Carter Rochester 9th 73rd 1957 Mel Wright Cincinnati 10th 70th 1965 James King Detroit 4th 32nd 1969 Joe Smith Los Angeles 8th 111th 1972 Jerry Clack Cincinnati 8th 119th 1974 Kevin Fitzgerald Houston 7th 113th 1978 Mark Tucker Chicago 10th 191st 1980 Ed Odom San Diego 4th 76th Don Youman Washington 10th 207th 1983 Leroy Combs Indiana 2nd 26th Matt Clark Utah 5th 100th Lorenza Andrews Kansas City 5th 106th 1984 Ray Crenshaw Phoenix 7th 151st 1985 Joe Atkinson Portland 4th 85th Beginning in 1989, the NBA Draft was reduced to two rounds 1991 Richard Dumas Phoenix 2nd 46th Von McDade New Jersey 2nd 53rd 1992 Byron Houston Chicago 1st 27th Corey Williams Chicago 2nd 33rd 1994 Brooks Thompson Orlando 1st 27th 1995 Bryant Reeves Vancouver 1st 6th 2000 Desmond Mason Seattle 1st 17th 2004 Tony Allen Boston 1st 27th 2005 Joey Graham Toronto 1st 16th 2007 JamesOn Curry Chicago 2nd 51st Cowboys in the NBA Sixteen former Oklahoma State Cowboys have played in nearly 3,000 games in the NBA in the last two decades. John Starks leads all former Pokes with 866 games played in the NBA for four different teams. Desmond Mason, Joey Graham, Stephen Graham and Tony Allen are currently playing in the NBA. Bryant Reeves, the highest draft pick in over half a century from Oklahoma State, was forced to retire during the season after being plagued by back injuries. Player Team(s) Year(s) Career Stats Doyle Parrack Chicago games, 4.7 ppg Cecil Hankins Boston games, 4.9 ppg St. Louis 1947 Lonnie Eggleston St. Louis games, 2.0 ppg Joe Bradley Chicago games, 1.9 ppg Bob Harris Boston games, 6.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg Fort Wayne Pete Darcey Milwaukee games, 0.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg John Starks Utah games, 12.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg Chicago 2000 Golden State 1989, New York Thomas Jordan Philadelphia games, 11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg Corey Williams Minnesota games, 2.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg Chicago 1993 Richard Dumas Philadelphia games, 10.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg Phoenix 1993, 95 Byron Houston Sacramento games, 3.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg Seattle 1995 Golden State Brooks Thompson New York games, 4.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg Phoenix 1998 Denver 1997 Utah 1997 Orlando Bryant Reeves Memphis games, 12.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg Vancouver Desmond Mason Oklahoma City 2008-pres. 599 games, 12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg Milwaukee NO/OKC Milwaukee Seattle Maurice Baker Portland games, 0.0 ppg, 0.4 rpg LA Clippers Tony Allen Boston 2004-pres. 236 games, 7.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg Joey Graham Toronto 2005-pres. 197 games, 6.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg Stephen Graham Indiana 2007-pres. 58 games, 3.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg Portland 2006 Cleveland 2006 Chicago Houston 2005 John Lucas, III Houston games, 3.1 ppg, 0.8 apg Melvin Sanders San Antonio Ivan McFarlin Denver games, 1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg Philadelphia JamesOn Curry Chicago World Champion Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics Bold indicates current NBA players 155