I don’t think it was a home run, but I think it was a darn, good selection.

     There might have been some Oklahoma State fans upset when they heard that Travis Ford was going to be the next basketball coach. They had heard all along that Boone Pickens was going to open his checkbook and bring in one of the nation’s elite coaches. This never happen.

     However, I think when Cowboys fans heard Ford at his opening press conference, they became excited. They heard a dynamic speaker. And the had to like his promises of playing at a high speed on both offense and defense. Poke fans will enjoy his racehorse style.

     Ford has done an excellent job coaching at UMASS and at Eastern Kentucky. He was becoming a hot commodity on the coaching circle. That’s why Providence recently offered him a job.

     There’s no doubt the key for the new coach will be his ability to recruit. We don’t know much about that. He hasn’t signed the high profile player yet in his head coaching career.

     But it will be easier to recruit to Oklahoma State than it has been at his two previous stops. Just bring the recruit into Gallagher-Iba during a game and he has to be impressed. Another key for Ford will be his ability to bring in junior college players. That’s essential to have any kind of success at OSU.

     I was hoping the Cowboys could get someone like Tim Floyd at USC or Lon Kruger at UNLV. They both are quite familiar with this part of the country. And they have had a lot of success recruiting in the juco ranks.

     But I think Ford was a nice choice. He inherits a pretty talented team. So there’s no reason why the Cowboys can’t get into the NCAA tournament next season.