Texas Tech's Beard passionately lobbies for Sutton's Hall of Fame induction
STILLWATER — Texas Tech coach Chris Beard wanted to deliver an emphatic message.
It's why his team wore special warm- up shirts honoring Cowboys coaching legend Eddie Sutton.
“Hall of Fame” adored the front. “Coach Sutton” was the back nameplate, above “806,” the number of Sutton's career victories.
“One thing's important is that the fore fathers, the ambassadors of our game, the best people that have ever coached our game should be in the Hall of Fame,” Beard said following OSU's 73-70 upset Saturday afternoon in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
But Beard did not stop there. He del ivered a passionate plea for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to induct Sutton this year, his seventh as a finalist.
“I'm not on that panel and I don't really have much of a voice,” Beard said, “but you asked the question and I'll proudly answer it. You know, I think it's one of the worst things about our game. It's just wrong that Coach Eddie Sutton's not in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
“He's won everywhere he's been, he's a gentleman, he's a coach's coach, his players went onto graduate and be productive people. Just simply stated, he's one of the classiest guys I've ever known, and he's a damngood basketball coach.”
Bear di sin his third season as head coach at Texas Tech. But he remembers being an assistant under Bobby Knight during a period when opposing head coaches rarely acknowledged assistants. Not Sutton. He always talked with opposing assistants.
And Sutton was always open to Beard attending practice or games in Still water when Beard coached at Seminole State.
“He's first class,” Beard said.
That's why the shirts were so important.
“I don't know how that deal works with the votes at all, but I know right from wrong, and I've been around basketball enough to have an opinion,” Beard said. “Eddie Sutton should have been in the Hall of Fame long ago, and I just hope that they get it right this time.
“He's a great coach and even better person. There's nobody in the Hall of Fame
that's more deserving than Coach Sutton. So today for our team to show some respect, I'm glad that we did that.”
`You look good. You play good.'
Perhaps it's no coincidence OSU picked up its best victory of the season in a throwback uniform.
“I always say, `You look good. You play good,'” OSU graduate transfer Jonathan Laurent said.
Sporting black jerseys with Oklahoma State and the player's number on the front, the old O-State logo on the shorts and orange-and-white trim, the Cowboys threw it back to 1995.
It was a nod to the Final Four team, which was honored throughout the day.
“These are unbelievable,” OSU freshman Kalib Boone said.
Boone and Laurent loved the uniforms enough that they had yet to change before postgame i nterviews. And it was unclear if they were even going to give them back.
“You don't get no better than this, man,” Laurent said.
Added Boone: “I might have to hang this up in my room.”
OSU finalist for Alexander-Moncrieffe
OSU could be closer to adding another piece to its loaded recruiting class.
Four-star small forward Matthew AlexanderMoncrieffe included the Cowboys in his top three choices on Saturday. OSU is competing with Seton Hall and Georgetown for the Ontario, Canada, product.
Alexander-Moncrieffe will announce his decision on Friday.
Alexander-Moncrieffe is a 6-foot-7, 195-pound senior at Orangeville Prep, a basketball academy in Mono, Ontario. He also held offers from Arizona State, Florida, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Washington State, SM U and Iowa State.
If he commits, Alexander-Moncrieffe will add to a recruiting class that already features No .1- ranked Ca de Cunningham, Putnam West star Rondel Walker and Arlington Martin (Texas) power forward Montreal Pena.