OSU women's basketball notebook

Oklahoma State played two emotional games in the Big 12 Tournament last week in Kansas City — a semifinal win over Texas and a loss to Texas A&M in the title game.

"We were maybe a little tired (Monday), but they were really sharp in practice,” said coach Kurt Budke. "I thought Monday might be kind of a down day, but no. They're excited about the next game, the next challenge.”

•Staying put: Earlier this week assistant coach Jim Littell turned down an offer to be a Division I head coach. Budke said athletic director Mike Holder's willingness to give assistant Littell a raise will pay huge dividends for the program.

Littell compiled 628 wins during 25 seasons as a head coach on the junior college, high school and NAIA level in Kansas. He won a national championship at Seward County Community College in 2002.

"Jim Littell is the best associate head coach in America,” Budke said. "Mike Holder stepped up and got this thing done. This says a lot for the future of Oklahoma State basketball.”

All-American point guard Andrea Riley said: "This means a lot. He's like the second dad of this team. He's a great coach. He sees the little things, especially the bad things. He'll tell you what you're doing wrong. He makes everyone so much better.”

•Sounding board: Because of his vast experience, Littell plays a key role. During OSU's semifinal win over Texas, Budke asked Littell to handle a timeout during a critical part of the game when the Longhorns were making a run.

"After being a head coach all those years, he promised me that he'd allow me to coach,” Littell said. "He treats his assistants very well. He was an assistant at one time (at Louisiana Tech). He remembers what it's like.”

•Helping hand: No. 25 Ohio State, the No. 6 seed in Des Moines and possible second-round opponent for the