Robert has a good point. Losing Dove with no comparable replacement on the team or coming to the team means two more years (if not three) for Sean to have the time to prove his ability. He has given a glimpse of improvement in 5 of the last 7 games. I think he has got to show improvement in recruiting with retention to get more people off his case. Going deep in the NIT will also go a long way towards building his credibility as a coach. If he is one and out of the NIT I will seroiusly doubt that he can do the job. His team has had some good victories this season over highly rated teams and competed well vs. UT so NIT victories should be forthcoming.

Mark from Bartlesville,
Yea I guess the grade school cheer squad knows more than I do. All I know is that losses and not even making it in the NIT would never fly in Austin for Barnes. I'm more OSU than you will ever be and at least I willing to say we made a mistake.

Meant to write "are a bad fan."

I find it fascinating that those of us who do not support Sean are personally attacked. We are the ones who don't know anything about basketball. The only people who know something about basketball are those that want Sean to stay. I'm a season ticket holder, I go to the games, so I guess that blows your theory out of the water Jerry. Some of us are pleased with mediocrity, some of us don't want the program destroyed. Stop attacking people for having an opinion. Just because you want to see your team succeed doesn't make you a bad fan.

I support Sean, but I think what infuriates the "Sean-bashers" is the way so many people make excuses for Sean and ignore inconvenient facts. Fans making excuses for our supposed youth is ironic in response to an article about Rick Barnes, who has had no seniors for the past two years! And please stop minimizing the loss of Dove. Yes, he is not our leading scorer, but he is clearly our best player and the only one who really seems to understand how to play OSU defense. And yes, EAton and others were underachieving earlier, but it is the responsibility of the coaches to get them to achieve. The fact is the jury is still out on Sean and we have too much invested in him to call it quits now. When we committed to this "head coach designate" arrangement we should have known that we would have a 2-4 year learning curve that most coaches get at a lower level, out of the glare of a big-time, pressure program. (Eddie went from high school, junior college, small conference before he got the chance to build the Arkansas program from scratch.) We need to be patient. But if you are backing Sean because you think next year we will be much improved, I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment. I don 't see a lot of help coming in next year in new players, and losing Dove leaves a big hole. So if you are going to argue for one more year, the case should be made for being patient for two more years.

I haven't heard Mike Holder say one word in direct support of Sean Sutton this season. Has anyone else?

Bud and Bob have written the only sensible responses about Cowboy basketball that have appeared in the last several weeks. I have a feeling that many of these Sean bashers are not season ticket holders or individuals that regularly attend games. These "bashers" only hurt the program. The afternoon self-proclaimed radio "basketball guru", Swaim, is also pouring fuel on the fire, even though he claims he isn't. If you really ever wanted to know what he doesn't know about basketball, all you would have needed to do was listen to him broadcast a state tournament game. Absolutely the worst. Ever!!!!

Mike Holder will evaluate Sean Sutton using Mike Holder's criteria. And I can guarantee you he doesn't give ONE SECOND of consideration to what other coaches have to say one way or the other (including Sean's DAD).

Sean had 10.8 points by the two seniors this year with Dove and Hatch. Coming in to the year he lost what many consider was the heart of the team, to the pros, who on any given night was capable of lighting up the scoreboard for 40 points. All but 10.8 points will be back next year (10 of the 15 were Freshmen and sophomores) They lost 7 conference games by 8 or fewer points (that's what freshmen and sophomores do). They beat the #1, #2 and #4 conference seeds. They beat the team above us with the same conference record by 14 (what's up with THAT? Every other team in the conference is losing major scoring, we are not. This team has shown vast improvement over the season...Like the announcers have said over the past several weeks, "NOBODY is going to feel good about playing OSU in the tourney" and that is true.

Barnes knows a hell of a lot more about basketball coaching than Holder ever will and more than Jim in Fayeteville (but then again the average grade school cheerleader knows more than Jim and the other idiot bashers). Holder's failure to publically endorse Sean and end this riculous debate only makes recruiting that much more difficult. He needs to grow a pair and stand up to the idiot bashers who want to destroy the program and to Pickens too if the rumors of him being against Sean contain any truth. There is no way, short of major legal or NCAA violations, that firing Sean should even be considered this year and no real fan would continue bringing it up so that biased media like the DOK can use it to further damage the program.

Obviously, I meant to say I hope that they DON'T start poorly next year, and that I doubt that they will !!! Sorry!!

Jim, in Fayetteville: Let me tell you how they got to 1-6 in the first place. They had only one senior, and an underachieving junior point guard that FINALLY began to play to his potential late in the season. Beyond those two, they had a bunch of freshmen who had to learn to play Big XII basketball. Barnes point was right on the mark, the coach is responsible for late season improvement like this, and it makes next year look very bright. Now, if this teams starts poorly next season, then you would have a point. I hope, and very much doubt, that they will start poorly next year with this group of players. They proved they could play well against a top team on the road (Texas). Too bad they didn't find a way to win, but everyone expected them to lay down and get blown out, especially all of you fair-weather types calling for Sean to be fired.

This is a close call. And I agree, Holder hasn't expressed anything but support of Sean. However, we are now seeded #9 in the Big 12. And that is probably a close reflection of our capabilities. No question in the last couple of years we have lost ground to Kansas State, Texas A&M and Baylor. (We are no longer mentioned in parity with Kansas and Texas.) Also, there have been some extremely troubling losses this season-e.g. North Texas and Oral Roberts. Does Sean deserve another year? I don't know. But let's not rule out that virtually all assistant coaches would have started out as a Head Coach for a team in a lower conference. (Family ties most likely were in the equation of selection.) Due to that, and the fact he was an assistant coach on the team, I don't think the "third year argument" carries as much weight. (Yes, it still should be considered, but not to the degree.) Either way it goes, Holder has a tough decision. Sean stays and we have another year like the last two, it is going to be difficult to rebuild the infrastructure of the fan base. Holder replaces Sean, there will also be turmoil in the fan base.

Jim in Rockwall - has Holder even given a hint that he's not behind Sean? No, he hasn't. That's all a bunch of garbage speculation and rumors stirred up by message boards, talk radio and newspaper columnists. Holder has only said supportive statements about Sean and the bball team. Get a grip.

Hey Jim in Fayetteville...since you know so much, why don't you take over. What's that? Youo like to talk, but don't know what you're talking about? Oh, I see...Well, here's the deal: Sean Sutton deserves to be the coach and Holder should come out RIGHT NOW on his side...period! If Holder wants to be a strong AD that coaches and players respect, he shold never give a even a hint that he's not behind Sean.

Who let them get to 1 and 6 to begin with? Let's not put too much stock in what Coach Barnes has to say, since it's in his best interest to beat us. Let him hire Sean as his assistant.

Coach Sutton needs, has earned and deserves more time to build "HIS" team, not reshape his father's team.

I'm a diehard OU fan, and I look forward to playing the Pokes with Shawn on the Cowboy's bench.