TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006
KU 64 - OSU 49
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 51
Younger Sutton replaces his father
BY DANIEL BERK
dberk@kansan.com
KANSAN SEALED SPORTWRITERS
Even though Kansas left Stillwater, Okla., with a hard-earned victory, Kansas coach Bill Self was still disappointed after the game.
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Self, who played and coached at Oklahoma State, had looked forward to coaching against his mentor, Eddie Sutton.
Sutton was absent from the Oklahoma State bench after announcing Monday that he was taking a medical leave from the team for the remainder of the season.
"It wasn't very enjoyable," Self said. "I wanted to compete against Coach. I wanted to play against his team. I wanted to show my mentor what we do. That's something I am proud of. I hope the entire situation is handled as well as it possibly can be handled."
Sutton missed Oklahoma State's last game against Texas A&M Saturday because he was in a car accident a day earlier on the way to meet the team for the plane ride.
Sutton's son, Sean, took his dad's place on the sideline for the Kansas game and will continue to be the coach for the remainder of the season.
It was reported Monday that Sutton was given a citation for driving under the influence at the time of the accident.
Sean Sutton thanked Oklahoma State fans after the game for their support after his dad's accident and said he thought this could make his team stronger as the season moved forward.
"When adversity happens, you grow up as a person," Sean Sutton said. "It's not fair to the kids, but life isn't fair. We talked before the
Oklahoma State Coach Sean Sutton yells instructions to his players early in the first half. Sutton will replace his father, Eddie Sutton, as head coach for the remainder of the season.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
The younger Sutton was named the head coach designate before the season began. It was expected his dad would retire in the next couple of years. Now, it is unclear whether the legendary coach will ever return to the sidelines again. Eddie Sutton has been a head coach for 35 years, including 15 years at Oklahoma State.
game about keeping a positive mind. I think we did that. We played with a lot of heart and energy tonight."
Ryan Howe/KANSAM sight of his 12 points in the second
Sutton told Oklahoma State officials that he was considering taking a leave of absence after his team's victory at Kansas State last week because of severe back pain.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
He amassed 794 total Division I victories, which ranks fifth all-time. He has also had a number of successful coaches start their career learning from him, himself Self, who served as an assistant under Sutton from 1987 to 1993.
Sean Sutton said after the game that his dad had been in a lot of pain during the past two years and that it had been a constant battle for his dad to feel healthy. He said he was hopeful that his dad would start feeling better now that he had more time to heel.
Self said after the game that he talked to Eddie Sutton Monday morning, and Sutton said he was still in a lot of pain.
"I think the quote he used was he feels like he got in a fight with Ali and lost," Self said.
"It's been a hard 72 hours, that's for sure," Sean Sutton said. "I'm going to hang in there, and I know the players are too."
Sean Sutton and Oklahoma State will return to the court Sunday against Texas.
— Edited by Gabriella Souza
Ryan Howe/KANSAN
Sophomore guard Russell Robinson loses the ball in traffic during the first half of Monday night's game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.
Kansas had 15 turnovers in the first half.
BOX SCORES
OKLAHOMA STATE
(12-12, 3-8 Big 12 Conference)
FG FT Pts
Mario Bogan 5-1 3-3 13
Marcus Dove 0-1 0-0 0
Kenny Cooper 0-1 0-0 0
Jamaal Brown 1-8 0-0 2
JamesOn Curry 5-13 4-7 15
Byron Eaton 0-3 1-2 1
Terrel Harris 2-2 3-4 7
David Monds 2-5 0-0 4
Torre Johnson 3-4 1-2 7
TOTALS 19-48 12-12 69
NO. 22 KANSAS
(18-6, 9:2 Big 12 Conference)
FG FT Pts
Julian Wright 5-9 2-2 12
Sasha Kaun 5-7 2-6 12
Russell Robinson 1-8 3-6 6
Mario Chalmers 3-11 7-8 13
Brandon Rush 6-9 0-0 12
Jeff Hawkins 0-2 0-0 0
Jeremy Case 1-1 0-0 2
Darnell Jackson 0-3 0-0 0
CJ Giles 1-5 2-2 4
Christian Moody 0-0 3-4 3
TOTALS 22-35 19-28 54
source: The Associated Press
Rvlan Howe/KANSAN
Freshman forward Julian Wright dribles in Oklahoma State junior forward Torre Johnson. Wright tallied 12 points and eight rebounds during the Kansas victory.
Rvlan Hown/KANSAN
Sophomore guard Russell Robinson shoots around OSU junior guard David Monds in the first half of Monday night's game in Stillwater, Okla.