Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball

Oklahoma State Cowboys
2015–16 Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team
University	Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Conference	Big 12
Location	Stillwater, OK
Head coach	Travis Ford (8th year)
Arena	Gallagher-Iba Arena (Capacity: 13,611)
Nickname	Cowboys
Colors	Orange and Black
Uniforms
Home Away
NCAA Tournament champions
1945, 1946
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1995, 2004
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1995, 2000, 2004
NCAA Tournament appearances
1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1983, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015
Conference tournament champions
1983, 1995, 2004, 2005
Conference regular season champions
1925, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1991, 2004

The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. (All women's teams at the school are known as Cowgirls.) The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.

Since 1938, the team has played its home games in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Prior to 1957, the school was known as Oklahoma A&M College, and the teams were nicknamed the Aggies.

On April 16, 2008, Travis Ford was hired as the men's basketball head coach at Oklahoma State, replacing the outgoing Sean Sutton.

History

Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A&M College) began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in 1908. The Cowboys (including the predecessor Aggies teams) rank 35th in total victories among all NCAA Division I college basketball programs, with an all-time win-loss record of 1517–1053 (.590) at the end of 2010–11 season.

The Cowboys (including the predecessor Aggies teams) have made 22 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament (37–21 overall record), reaching the NCAA Final Four six times (1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1995, 2004) and the NCAA Regional Finals (Elite Eight) eleven times. Oklahoma State (then Oklahoma A&M College) won the NCAA Championship in 1945 and 1946. The Cowboys rank tenth (tied with three other programs) in all-time Final Four appearances and seventh (tied with seven others) in total NCAA Championships.

The early years (1907–34)

Under nine head coaches in this period Oklahoma A&M found very little success, with only six winning seasons. Very little success was found early on and after a six-win fifteen-loss season under first-year coach John Maulbetsch things were not looking well. However, in the next three seasons Maulbetsch turned around the program, leading the Aggies to a 41–20 record culminating with a first-place finish in their last season in the Southwest Conference. The move to the Missouri Valley Conference in 1925 would halt the progress under this budding coach. After Maulbetsch resigned from the positions of football, baseball and basketball coach the Aggies would not have another winning season until Henry Iba took the reins in 1934.

This period in Oklahoma State basketball history was marked with mainly football coaches heading the football, baseball and basketball teams.

Coach	Record	Seasons
Boyd Hill	2–3	1
William Schrieber	4–5	2
Paul Davis	15–16	3
John Griffith	18–12	2
Earl Pritchard	11–15	2
James Pixlee	3–21	2
John Maulbetsch	75–74	8
George E. Rody	8–24	2
Harold James	13–42	3

Henry Iba era (1934–70)

The Oklahoma A&M Aggies National Championship basketball team in 1945

Henry Iba came to Oklahoma A&M College in 1934 and remained for 36 years. He retired after the 1969–70 season. For most of his tenure at A&M/OSU, he doubled as athletic director.

Iba's teams were methodical, ball-controlling units that featured weaving patterns and low scoring games. Iba's "swinging gate" defense (a man-to-man with team flow) was applauded by many, and is still effective in today's game. He was known as "the Iron Duke of Defense".

Iba's Aggies became the first to win consecutive NCAA titles (1945 and 1946). His 1945–46 NCAA champions were led by Bob Kurland, the game's first seven-foot player. They beat NYU in the 1945 finals and North Carolina in the 1946 finals. He was voted coach of the year in both seasons. His 1945 champions also defeated National Invitation Tournament champion, DePaul, and 6' 9" center George Mikan in a classic Red Cross Benefit game. Iba's 1949 and 1951 teams also reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma A&M/Oklahoma State teams won 655 games, 14 Missouri Valley Championships, and one Big Eight Championship, in 36 seasons with Iba as head men's basketball coach.

"Mr. Iba," as he is still popularly known at OSU, remained a fixture on campus until his death in 1993, often giving advice to players during practice. One seat in the southeast concourse level of Gallagher-Iba Arena (which was renamed in his honor in 1987) remains unused in his honor.

1970–90

The poor results of the final five years of Iba's tenure largely remained the status quo for Oklahoma State during the two decades following his retirement. From the 1970–71 to 1989–90 seasons, the Cowboys finished with winning records six times, finished in the top half of the Big Eight Conference standings only three times, and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament only once.

Eddie Sutton era (1990–2006)

After being an assistant for the Cowboys in 1958–59, Eddie Sutton returned to Oklahoma State in 1990 to coach. In the years leading up to his hiring, the team had only made postseason play three times since joining the Big Eight Conference in 1957.

The Pokes began to turn around almost immediately with Sutton's presence, and in 1991, Oklahoma State returned to the NCAA Tournament, ending their NCAA Tournament drought that had lasted since losing 56–53 to Princeton in 1983. Sutton’s Cowboys advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen during his first two seasons. In 1995, the Pokes, under the leadership of Bryant "Big Country" Reeves and Randy Rutherford, captured the Big Eight Conference Tournament and won a bid to the 1995 NCAA Final Four in Seattle, Washington.

Led by John Lucas III, Joey Graham, and 2004 Big 12 Player of the Year Tony Allen, Sutton's 2003–04 team finished with a school-record 31 wins (31–4), won both the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the Final Four as a No. 2 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll and Coaches' Poll.

In his 16 seasons in Stillwater, the Cowboys reached the postseason 15 times (having declined an NIT bid in Sutton's sixth season as head coach), including 13 NCAA Tournament bids and two Final Four appearances. They also captured three regular-season conference titles and three conference tournament championships. Sutton finished his career at OSU as the second-winningest coach in school history, behind only his mentor, Henry Iba.

2001 plane crash

On January 27, 2001, one of three planes carrying Oklahoma State staff and players crashed in a snow storm near Byers, Colorado, killing all 10 on board. The plane was on its way back from a loss against the University of Colorado. Those killed included Nate Fleming, a redshirt freshman guard; Dan Lawson, a junior guard; Bill Teegins, radio sportscaster of OSU basketball and sports anchor on CBS affiliate KWTV-9 in Oklahoma City; Kendall Durfey, television and radio engineer; Will Hancock, media relations coordinator; Pat Noyes, director of basketball operations; Brian Luinstra, athletic trainer; Jared Weiberg, student assistant; Denver Mills, pilot; and Bjorn Falistrom, co-pilot.

Since 2007, Oklahoma State has honored these ten during an annual 5k and 10K race called the Remember the Ten Run.

Sean Sutton era (2006–08)

Eddie Sutton's son, Sean Sutton, also a former Cowboy player, took over head coaching duties in 2006. Following a record of 39–29 during his first two seasons, Sutton resigned under pressure after a March 31, 2008, meeting with Athletic Director Mike Holder.

Travis Ford era (2008–present)

On April 16, 2008, Travis Ford was hired as the eighteenth men's basketball head coach at Oklahoma State. He resigned from the same position with the UMass Minutemen to take the position. He has a Division One coaching record of 123–115. Ford has also coached at Eastern Kentucky and Campbellsville University (NAIA). As a player, he was coached by Norm Stewart at the University of Missouri as a freshman. He transferred after his freshman season and played for three years (1992–94) at the University of Kentucky for coach Rick Pitino.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Cowboys have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 27 times. Their combined record is 38–26. They are two time National Champions (1945, 1946).

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Results
1945		Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	Utah Arkansas NYU	W 62–37 W 68–41 W 49–45
1946		Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	Baylor California North Carolina	W 44–29 W 52–35 W 43–40
1949		Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	Wyoming Oregon State Kentucky	W 40–39 W 55–30 L 36–46
1951		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Montana State Washington Kansas State Illinois	W 50–46 W 61–57 L 44–68 L 46–61
1953		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	TCU Kansas	W 71–54 L 55–61
1954		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Rice Bradley	W 51–45 L 57–71
1958		First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Loyola (LA) Arkansas Kansas State	W 59–42 W 65–40 L 57–69
1965		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Houston Wichita State	W 75–60 L 46–54
1983	#5	First Round	#12 Princeton	L 53–56
1991	#3	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#14 New Mexico #6 NC State #10 Temple	W 67–64 W 73–64 L 63–72OT
1992	#5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#15 Georgia Southern #10 Tulane #6 Michigan	W 100–73 W 87–71 L 72–75
1993	#5	First Round Second Round	#12 Marquette #4 Louisville	W 74–62 L 63–78
1994	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 New Mexico State #12 Tulsa	W 65–55 L 80–82
1995	#4	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	#13 Drexel #5 Alabama #1 Wake Forest #2 Massachusetts #1 UCLA	W 73–49 W 66–52 W 71–66 W 68–54 L 61–74
1998	#8	First Round Second Round	#9 George Washington #1 Duke	W 74–59 L 73–79
1999	#9	First Round Second Round	#8 Syracuse #1 Auburn	W 69–61 L 74–81
2000	#3	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#14 Hofstra #11 Pepperdine #10 Seton Hall #5 Florida	W 86–66 W 75–67 W 68–66 L 65–77
2001	#11	First Round	#6 USC	L 54–69
2002	#7	First Round	#10 Kent State	L 61–69
2003	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 Penn #3 Syracuse	W 77–63 L 56–68
2004	#2	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	#15 Eastern Washington #7 Memphis #3 Pittsburgh #1 Saint Joseph's #3 Georgia Tech	W 75–56 W 70–53 W 63–51 W 64–62 L 65–67
2005	#2	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#15 Southeastern Louisiana #7 Southern Illinois #3 Arizona	W 63–50 W 85–77 L 78–79
2009	#8	First Round Second Round	#9 Tennessee #1 Pittsburgh	W 77–75 L 76–84
2010	#7	First Round	#10 Georgia Tech	L 59–64
2013	#5	Second Round	#12 Oregon	L 55–68
2014	#9	Second Round	#8 Gonzaga	L 77–85
2015	#9	Second Round	#8 Oregon	L 73–79

NIT results

The Cowboys have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 11 times. Their combined record is 6–11.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1938	Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Temple NYU	L 55–56 W 37–24
1940	Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Duquesne DePaul	L 30–34 W 23–22
1944	Quarterfinals	Canisius	L 29–43
1956	First Round	Duquesne	L 61–69
1990	First Round Second Round	Boise State St. John's	W 69–55 L 64–76
1990	First Round Second Round	Tulsa New Mexico	W 83–74 L 88–90
1997	First Round Second Round	Tulane Michigan	W 79–72 L 65–75
2006	First Round	Miami (FL)	L 59–62
2007	First Round	Marist	L 64–67
2008	First Round	Southern Illinois	L 53–69
2011	First Round Second Round	Harvard Washington State	W 71–54 L 64–74

Year-by-year results

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Henry Iba (Missouri Valley Conference) (1934–1958)
1934–1935	Oklahoma A&M	9–9	5–7	5th
1935–1936	Oklahoma A&M	16–8	9–4	T–1st
1936–1937	Oklahoma A&M	19–3	11–1	1st
1937–1938	Oklahoma A&M	25–3	13–1	1st	NIT Final 4, 3rd Place
1938–1939	Oklahoma A&M	19–8	11–3	1st
1939–1940	Oklahoma A&M	26–3	12–0	1st	NIT Final 4, 3rd Place
1940–1941	Oklahoma A&M	18–7	8–4	2nd
1941–1942	Oklahoma A&M	20–6	9–1	T–1st
1942–1943	Oklahoma A&M	14–10	7–3	T–2nd
1943–1944	Oklahoma A&M	27–6		1st*	NIT Final 4
1944–1945	Oklahoma A&M	27–4		1st*	NCAA Champion
1945–1946	Oklahoma A&M	31–2	12–0	1st	NCAA Champion
1946–1947	Oklahoma A&M	24–8	8–4	T–2nd
1947–1948	Oklahoma A&M	27–4	10–0	T–1st
1948–1949	Oklahoma A&M	23–5	9–1	1st	NCAA Runner-Up
1949–1950	Oklahoma A&M	18–9	7–5	3rd
1950–1951	Oklahoma A&M	29–6	12–2	1st	NCAA 4th Place
1951–1952	Oklahoma A&M	19–8	9–3	2nd
1952–1953	Oklahoma A&M	23–7	8–2	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1953–1954	Oklahoma A&M	24–5	9–1	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1954–1955	Oklahoma A&M	12–13	5–5	3rd
1955–1956	Oklahoma A&M	18–9	8–4	2nd	NIT 1st Round
1956–1957	Oklahoma A&M	17–9	8–6	3rd
1957–1958	Oklahoma State Cowboys	21–8	–	–	NCAA Elite Eight
Henry Iba (Big Eight Conference) (1958–1970)
1958–1959	Oklahoma State Cowboys	11–14	5–9	5th
1959–1960	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–15	4–10	7th
1960–1961	Oklahoma State Cowboys	14–11	8–6	3rd
1961–1962	Oklahoma State Cowboys	14–11	7–7	4th
1962–1963	Oklahoma State Cowboys	16–9	7–7	5th
1963–1964	Oklahoma State Cowboys	15–10	7–7	4th
1964–1965	Oklahoma State Cowboys	20–7	12–2	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1965–1966	Oklahoma State Cowboys	4–21	2–12	7th
1966–1967	Oklahoma State Cowboys	7–18	2–12	7th
1967–1968	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–16	3–11	7th
1968–1969	Oklahoma State Cowboys	12–13	5–9	6th
1969–1970	Oklahoma State Cowboys	14–12	5–9	7th
Henry Iba:		655–317	257–152
Sam Aubrey (Big Eight Conference) (1970–1973)
1970–1971	Oklahoma State Cowboys	7–19	2–12	8th
1971–1972	Oklahoma State Cowboys	4–22	2–12	8th
1972–1973	Oklahoma State Cowboys	7–19	3–11	8th
Sam Aubrey:		18–60	7–35
Guy R. Strong (Big Eight Conference) (1973–1977)
1973–1974	Oklahoma State Cowboys	9–17	3–11	7th
1974–1975	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–16	5–9	6th
1975–1976	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–16	4–10	6th
1976–1977	Oklahoma State Cowboys	6–21	4–10	7th
Guy R. Strong:		35–70	16–40
Jim Killingsworth (Big Eight Conference) (1977–1979)
1977–1978	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–16	4–10	6th
1978–1979	Oklahoma State Cowboys	12–15	5–9	7th
Jim Killingsworth:		22–31	9–19
Paul Hansen (Big Eight Conference) (1979–1986)
1979–1980	Oklahoma State Cowboys	10–17	4–10	8th
1980–1981	Oklahoma State Cowboys	18–9	8–6	5th
1981–1982	Oklahoma State Cowboys	15–12	7–7	5th
1982–1983	Oklahoma State Cowboys	24–7	9–5	3rd	NCAA Round of 64
1983–1984	Oklahoma State Cowboys	13–15	5–9	7th
1984–1985	Oklahoma State Cowboys	12–16	3–11	8th
1985–1986	Oklahoma State Cowboys	15–13	6–8	6th
Paul Hansen:		107–89	42–56
Leonard Hamilton (Big Eight Conference) (1986–1990)
1986–1987	Oklahoma State Cowboys	8–20	4–10	7th
1987–1988	Oklahoma State Cowboys	14–16	4–10	6th
1988–1989	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–13	7–7	4th
1989–1990	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–14	6–8	5th
Leonard Hamilton:		56–63	21–35
Eddie Sutton (Big Eight Conference) (1990–1996)
1990–1991	Oklahoma State Cowboys	24–8	9–4	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1991–1992	Oklahoma State Cowboys	28–8	8–6	2nd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1992–1993	Oklahoma State Cowboys	20–9	8–6	2nd	NCAA Round of 32
1993–1994	Oklahoma State Cowboys	24–10	10–4	2nd	NCAA Round of 32
1994–1995	Oklahoma State Cowboys	27–10	10–4	2nd	NCAA Final Four
1995–1996	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–10	7–7	4th
Eddie Sutton (Big 12 Conference) (1996–2006)
1996–1997	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–15	7–9	6th	NIT 2nd Round
1997–1998	Oklahoma State Cowboys	22–7	11–5	T–2nd	NCAA Round of 32
1998–1999	Oklahoma State Cowboys	23–11	10–6	5th	NCAA Round of 32
1999–2000	Oklahoma State Cowboys	27–7	12–4	T–3rd	NCAA Elite Eight
2000–2001	Oklahoma State Cowboys	20–10	10–6	5th	NCAA Round of 64
2001–2002	Oklahoma State Cowboys	23–9	10–6	T–3rd	NCAA Round of 64
2002–2003	Oklahoma State Cowboys	22–10	10–6	4th	NCAA Round of 32
2003–2004	Oklahoma State Cowboys	31–4	14–2	1st	NCAA Final Four
2004–2005	Oklahoma State Cowboys	26–7	11–5	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2005–2006	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–16	6–10	7th	NIT 1st Round
Eddie Sutton:		368–151	153–90
Sean Sutton (Big 12 Conference) (2006–2008)
2006–2007	Oklahoma State Cowboys	22–13	6–10	T–7th	NIT 1st Round
2007–2008	Oklahoma State Cowboys	17–16	7–9	T–7th	NIT 1st Round
Sean Sutton:		39–29	13–26
Travis Ford (Big 12 Conference) (2008–Present)
2008–2009	Oklahoma State Cowboys	23–12	9–7	T–4th	NCAA Round of 32
2009–2010	Oklahoma State Cowboys	22–11	9–7	T–6th	NCAA Round of 64
2010–2011	Oklahoma State Cowboys	20–13	6–10	9th	NIT 2nd Round
2011–2012	Oklahoma State Cowboys	15–18	7–11	7th
2012–2013	Oklahoma State Cowboys	24–9	13–5	3rd	NCAA Round of 64
2013-2014	Oklahoma State Cowboys	21-13	8-10	8th	NCAA Round of 64
2014-2015	Oklahoma State Cowboys	18-14	8-10	6th	NCAA Round of 64
Travis Ford:		125–76	52–50
Conference Total:			641–583
Total:		1577–1095
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

• Voted 1st in Missouri Valley Conference in 1944 and 1945 there was no league play due to World War II

Facilities

Gallagher-Iba Arena

Main article: Gallagher-Iba Arena

Gallagher-Iba Arena, once dubbed “Madison Square Garden of the Plains”, is the basketball and wrestling venue at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Originally completed in 1938 and named the 4-H Club and Student Activities Building, it was soon renamed Gallagher Hall to honor wrestling coach, Ed Gallagher. After renovations in 1987, the name became Gallagher-Iba Arena, as a tribute to longtime basketball coach and innovator, Henry Iba. Gallagher-Iba Arena was named the best college gymnasium by CBS SportsLine.com in August 2001.

The first basketball game was played on December 9, 1938, when Iba's Oklahoma A&M Aggies beat Phog Allen’s Kansas Jayhawks, 21–15, in a battle between two of the nation's early basketball powers. In its original configuration, seating was limited to 6,381. Though small by today's standards, it was the largest collegiate facility in the country when completed. The original maple floor, still in use today, was the most expensive of its kind in America when it was installed in 1938.

Oklahoma State completed a $55 million expansion of Gallagher-Iba Arena prior to the 1999–2000 Cowboy basketball season. Rather than build a new, off-campus arena to accommodate the need for additional seating, the decision was made to expand Gallagher-Iba Arena itself to more than double its original capacity (from its 6,381 seat-capacity to its current 13,611 seats). The old sightlines and the original white maple floor were kept (it remains the oldest original basketball court floor still in use).

On January 15, 2005, the court was officially named after Eddie Sutton as Eddie Sutton Court.

External links

• Voices of Oklahoma interview with Eddie Sutton. First person interview conducted with Eddie Sutton on September 30, 2010. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.

Further reading

• Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Kurland. First person interview conducted on January 27, 2011 with Bob Kurland. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.