Cowboys have a pulse, but will they have trip to Pullman?
Published: 3/16/2011 7:29 PM
Last Modified: 3/16/2011 7:29 PM
While waiting for the identity of Oklahoma State's second-round NIT opponent, let's revisit what happened to allow the Cowboys to win a first-round NIT game for the first time since 1997:
OSU beat Harvard by 17 points. It was apparent when Harvard players lined up for the national anthem that they weren't the same breed of cat as Big 12 athletes. So the bottom line became this: If the Cowboys cared at all about winning, they would. And they did.
Travis Ford's first hint that his team would respond in the correct manner came after he kicked them out of practice Monday. Instead of heading to the locker room, showering up and making spring break plans, they decided to return to the court and show Ford they were capable of taking practice more seriously.
Ford's second hint came after he talked to his team one final time before tipoff. He indicated -- and this is unusual -- that his players weren't stoic.
"I have talked a lot about the personality of this team and this team not really having a lot of personality," the coach said. "It’s just different teams have different personalities. They don’t get up for a lot of stuff. I have come in the room after big wins and everybody is just kind of sitting there."
But, this time....
"I saw some excitement for the first time as they were leaving the locker room. They were whooping and hollering. Now, they did hear Harvard right outside our locker room getting after it pretty good too. I think that might have sparked them a little bit. But for the first time, and every coach (talked about) it one-by-one. It was like 'we have never seen that before.' They were excited to play."
What's next? A waiting game. OSU plays the Washington State-Long Beach State survivor in a second-round game and the date has yet to be determined. If Washington State wins, the Cowboys hit the road to Pullman, Wash. If Long Beach State wins, the Cowboys get another home game.
"It’s a little difficult for somebody like me who loves to prepare," Ford said.
"Not only do we not know who we are playing, but we don’t know when we are playing. We will take off (Wednesday) and not practice, but we’ll get together and watch the (Washington State-Long Beach State) game.... For someone like me, it’s tough. I will be on edge the next couple of days, but at least we get to watch the game (Wednesday) night, so hopefully we won’t play until Saturday or Sunday, if we have to go out to Pullman. That’s a pretty long way away."
--Jimmie Tramel.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
