Coach Slessinger's Comments Heading Into Wednesday's Game At Oklahoma State

PREVIEW

On kicking off the road swing with a game at Oklahoma State
"They're very, very good. They're as good of a coached team as any team in the country with Coach Underwood, a guy we know very well from our battles in the Southland Conference. They've got tremendous talent with Phil Forte and [Juwan] Evans. They're two of the better guards in the Big XII, which means they're two of the better guards in the nation. We know our work is cut out for us. We know this is one of the better places to play in college basketball. Historic Gallagher-Iba year in and year out is one of the better places to put your student-athletes in to play. It's always fun to come here and play. I've been here many times and I think our guys are excited about the challenge and opportunity that this road swing gives us. We have a chance to not just play good competition and challenge yourself, but it gives us an opportunity to grow together on this road swing OSU and Tulsa before heading out to Southern California."
 
On what it will take to beat a team like the Cowboys
"It's going to take a whole-team effort. It's going to take everyone pulling the rope the same way and going in to have a great night. We're going to have to guard at a high rate. We're going to have to rebound at a high rate and we have to execute offensively."
 
On the challenge Oklahoma State presents
"They're so talented offensively and they're really good at what they do defensively – pressuring the ball, getting out in passing lanes and all the things they did so successfully when [Underwood] was at Stephen F. Austin. He brought that here and that's what the people here in Stillwater love. They made this place great with Mr. Iba and Coach [Eddie] Sutton. It's what makes this place special."
 
On if knowing OSU head coach Brad Underhill from his time at Stephen F. Austin is an advantage
"I think it gives us some familiarity. He'll be familiar with what we do and we'll be familiar with what he wants to do. It should be a fun game and a very entertaining game to watch. You saw some of that with them against Central Arkansas [on Monday night]."
 
On the road trip with games at Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Southern California
"In my tenure here, this is probably the toughest three-game run that we've put together. You can look at us playing Indiana and Michigan State. We've had road wins at Bradley, Southern Illinois and UTEP. We went out to New Mexico. We've played some big ones. I don't know that we've had three together in a row like this. It's going to be a long trip, but I think it'll be good. The team is going to come out of this trip very close. We'll galvanize on some things that are important core values for us, both on and off the floor. It'll be good for them to see the country. We want to give them the student-athlete experience that's more than just playing the games. We've got some stuff planned for Oklahoma and there are some things we want them to see in California. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only for us to play these games and for us to travel but as a unit represent our University – first and foremost, the student body, the faculty and staff, and the city of New Orleans."