Tulsa World: OSU Basketball Notebook

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OSU Basketball Notebook

By JIMMIE TRAMEL World sports writer
Published: 10/24/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 10/24/2008 3:15 AM

Out of the doghouse: Senior guard Terrel Harris was suspended in April for violating unspecified team rules. Harris was reinstated by coach Travis Ford who says Harris has probably been OSU's most consistent player in preseason.

"He's been playing terrific basketball," Ford said. "He was the best at every preseason conditioning (and) won every single drill we did. It wasn't even close. He seems to be very focused and very motivated — from what I understand, more than he ever has in his career. I think he's very appreciative ... of this second chance that he received and he's trying to make the most of it."

Lean machine: Ford indicated senior point guard Byron Eaton also is having a strong preseason. Eaton weighed 246 pounds in June, but now weighs 210. Eaton said he has lost so much weight that he needs a belt. He said he has only two pair of pants that fit.

Ford, asked if he feels guilty about Eaton's wardrobe dilemma, said, "I do not. That's a great problem to have."

Ford wants Eaton to be in the right kind of shape and to have the mindset to go full throttle all the time. Ford said Eaton, in the past, would "choose" to play hard in spurts, then rest.

"Now we've got to get him out of those habits and get him to understand he can only play one way and that's hard all the time," Ford said. "There cannot be any rest. Only during timeouts."

High gear: Eaton also will need to be fit in order to run Ford's fast-paced system.

"He wants to take one or two steps as far as walking and then push it. That's not how we play," Ford said.

"It's (preferably) from the moment he touches the ball, it's at level five. And he likes to play at level three sometimes."

Solo act: Eaton was the only player OSU took to the Big 12's preseason media preview in Oklahoma City. Sophomore guard James Anderson was scheduled to make the trip, but stayed in Stillwater because he had to take an exam. Ford said he considered bringing Harris, but Harris also had an exam.

Cover subjects: Ford, Harris and Eaton grace the cover of OSU's basketball media guide.

There are conspiracy theorists who believe the school is trying to divorce itself from all things Eddie Sutton-related, but it's worth noting that the media guide still includes a multi-page spread devoted to the former coach's accomplishments.

Still waiting: The status of Teeng Akol, a 6-foot-11 freshman from Sudan, is still up in the air. Ford said it is 50-50 that Akol will play this season because of an eligibility issue. By JIMMIE TRAMEL World sports writer

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