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Celebrity Cowboys open season

Senior guard Terrel Harris goes up for a dunk during the Homecoming and Hoops event Friday night at Gallagher-Iba arena. PRESTON BEZANT/ Tulsa World

 
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 10/18/2008  2:07 AM
Last Modified: 10/18/2008  2:42 AM

 STILLWATER — Oklahoma State's basketball season began with a limo ride.

Before the Cowboys and Cowgirls took the court for season-opening scrimmages Friday night at packed-to-capacity Gallagher-Iba Arena, videos were shown on the scoreboard. The videos showed the men's and women's teams getting the "orange carpet" treatment.

One by one, players climbed out of limos for a walk down an orange runway, mugging for the camera like they were stars bound for a movie premiere.

Senior point guard Byron Eaton, the last men's player to emerge, drew cheers from fans when he donned an orange cowboy hat before strolling down the carpet. Eaton later said he had to give the hat back to the fan he borrowed it from.

Eaton would like to trade the hat for some sort of crown in his farewell season. He was among the Big 12's best players during the final stages of his junior year. He picked up where he left off and was OSU's leading scorer with 10 points in Friday's orange-white scrimmage.

Eaton, who has struggled with weight issues during his collegiate career, said he was told that he had to get down to 215 pounds before the first practice "and that's one thing I had to take care of. That's just going to help me and my team. For one, it's going to help me get where I want to be. Step two, it's going to help me be able to play longer."

Eaton will need to be in the best shape of his life to play at the pace new coach Travis Ford desires. Ford constantly urged the Cowboys to push the ball up the court.

"We were probably playing in second gear tonight," Ford said. "We've got to get to five."

OSU fans got a first glimpse of freshman guard Keiton Page, second-leading scorer in Oklahoma high school history. The former Pawnee star scored nine points, all on 3-point baskets.

"The first practice we kind of had as a team, I couldn't get him to shoot," Ford said. "I'm like, 'you just need to give your scholarship back. (Shooting is) what you do.' He's not shy now."

Said Page, "The first couple of practices, I was a little nervous. He told me just to relax and shoot it when I am open and he told me before we came out here to do the same thing and that's what I did."

Four walk-on students who participated in an open tryout for the men's basketball team last month suited up for the season-launching hoops event. The tryout survivors are 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Garrett Thomas of Edmond, 6-6 senior forward Nolan Cox of Highland Village, Texas, 6-4 senior guard Blaine Booher of Oklahoma City and 6-8 senior forward Greg Hughes of Forney, Texas.

Ford raved about OSU's homecourt advantage during his introductory press conference back in April. After the scrimmage, he was asked how it felt to showcase his team in front of a packed house.

"Obviously I have heard a lot about it and to experience it for the first time definitely gives you chill bumps," he said.

"You can definitely feel the enthusiasm for basketball and enthusiasm for the school from the fans. There is no question it was everything I have heard. It was loud in there."

Eaton described the event as fun. "Tomorrow the real thing starts," he said.

OSU football coach Mike Gundy and four defensive players — Orie Lemon, Ricky Price, Jacob Lacey and Patrick Lavine — appeared during the pep rally portion of the homecoming weekend event.

White 26, Orange 25

Orange: Eaton 10, Harris 4, Muonelo 3, Brown 4, Kirkland 4.

White: Page 9, Sidorakis 2, Thomas 3, Anderson 7, Moses 5.



Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer

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Report Comment
Liberal, (10/18/2008 8:32:24 AM)
To anyone who went...do you know what the attendance was? Was it actually packed to capacity? Are we talking 13,000 plus? If so, that's great.
Report Comment
Phred_53, Stillwater (10/18/2008 8:46:44 AM)
I was there, I'd guess 500-800 empty seats but a lot of folks standing. Definitely somewhere close to 13k if not more
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Liberal, (10/18/2008 10:33:39 PM)
Excellent!
 

 
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