Taking over as a head coach of a successful program is a daunting challenge. The pressure to maintain the accustomed level of success can be an enormous burden, especially if you are taking over for one of the most accomplished coaches in college basketball history.

Oh yeah, and that historic coach is your dad.

That is the predicament Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton is in during his second season after taking over for his father, Eddie Sutton. Eddie won 798 games with Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and, most recently, Oklahoma State, which is the ninth most in Division I history.

But trying to coach in that prestigious shadow might not even be the biggest source of heat for Sean.

“[Sean’s] such a competitive guy, so he has put the pressure on himself to win, because that’s his makeup,” Eddie said.

Growing up around basketball and the great basketball minds that have coached with his father, Sean has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best. With all that knowledge and experience, his father can see Sean being very successful.

“He’s been an assistant with me for numerous years, so I think he is more than ready,” Eddie said. “I’ve had 13 guys go on and be Division I head coaches, and he was just as good as any of them.”

So far, Sean hasn’t quite lived up to the standards Oklahoma State fans grew accustomed to under Eddie.

After a trip to the National Invitation Tournament last year, the Cowboys (10-6, 1-1) have had some bad losses this year to the likes of Oral Roberts and North Texas.

Growing pains were expected, but with a recent drop in talent with the early departure of JamesOn Curry and a young squad, this season might not be a surprise.

“They don’t have the players they did when I was there,” Eddie said. “I don’t think there were the expectations as if I was there.”

Even with their early-season struggles, the Cowboys could give the Cyclones some problems. Oklahoma State ranks 11th nationally in steals, with 10.1 per game. As a team that has been giving the ball away like hotcakes, Iowa State could have problems.

After struggling to protect the ball against Baylor, the Cyclones did a better job hanging on to it in their win over Missouri, turning it over 10 times. Building on that strong performance could go a long way toward a successful Big 12 season.

Another big factor that can help the Cyclones is continued crowd support. After an impressive crowd Wednesday, considering the weather, the team hopes the fans keep coming out and giving them an extra boost.

“If we want to make any noise in this league at all, you have to protect our home floor,” said coach Greg McDermott. “If we can get an enthusiastic crowd here on Saturday, hopefully we can take care of business.”