STILLWATER, OKLA. ? Eddie Sutton watched reels of film from his team’s practices, then glanced over the preseason polls that picked Oklahoma State to finish fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

He decided that was about right.

“I think when you looked at the talent that was returning, it was a pretty accurate pick,” Sutton said. “Those things are always pretty close.”

Turns out, even a grizzled coaching veteran like Sutton couldn’t have been more wrong.

Oklahoma State (24-3 overall, 14-2 league) emerged as the Big 12’s surprise champion for the 2003-04 season, winning its first outright league title since 1964-65 in the former Big Eight and setting a school record for most conference wins.

With three transfers in the starting lineup and no regular contributor taller than 6-foot-9, the Cowboys somehow managed to become one of nation’s top 10 teams during the final month of the season.

“It’s been a Cinderella season,” Sutton said. “We certainly have overachieved in a lot of areas.”

A panel of 23 sports writers all agreed, and Sutton was an unanimous choice for the Big 12 coach of the year. It’s only the second time in the eight-year history of the league that some was garnered all the votes — Roy Williams did it at Kansas University in 1997.

“I’m really honored, but I have to make sure I share it,” Sutton said. “This coaching staff has done a remarkable job … there were just so many question marks with this team.”

Of course, these type of honors are nothing new to Sutton.

In 34 years, Sutton has won eight in four different leagues — two that don’t even exist anymore. He was previously chosen top coach with Arkansas in the Southwest Conference, Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference and Oklahoma State in the Big Eight and Big 12.

Even with that track record, Sutton didn’t think this team of underdogs would be the one to capture Oklahoma State’s first hoops crown in the Big 12.

“Of all the teams I’ve had the honor to coach, this will always be a special team,” he said. “They certainly surpassed what I and the coaching staff thought they’d accomplish.”

Sutton somehow found a way to blend holdovers Tony Allen and Ivan McFarlin with transfers point guard John Lucas from Baylor, shooting guard Daniel Bobik from BYU and power forward Joey Graham from Central Florida.

The Cowboys were a team long on quickness and athleticism, short on size and depth.

That figured to be a losing formula in the Big 12, which featured conference powers Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma — all ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams in the preseason and all boasting a bruising big man or two.

Oklahoma State’s weaknesses were exposed in a 76-71 loss at BYU, a game in which the Cougars’ 6-11, 280-pound center Rafael Araujo posted career highs of 32 points and 17 rebounds.

Sutton left Salt Lake City wondering if his team had enough toughness to compete in the Big 12. To figure it out, Sutton made the players wear helmets and shoulder pads at the next practice.

“We played so poorly and they just went right back to work,” Sutton said. “It didn’t seem to do anything but help them.”

From there, the Cowboys lost only their conference opener at Texas Tech and against a Missouri team desperate to stay in the hunt for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.

Most impressively, the Cowboys swept 11th-ranked Texas — first, snapping the Longhorns’ 25-game home winning streak Jan. 24, then clinching a share of the title in last week’s showdown at raucous Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“Eddie’s team and this program have had a great year,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “They did something that I didn’t think would happen.”

Sutton, who turns 68 on Friday, has kept up his remarkable winning pace even in the twilight of his career. He said he wouldn’t give retirement a thought until he reached 800 victories, a mark that might be only two or three seasons away since he stands at 747.

And, as Sutton showed this season, the gray-haired coach is still capable of a few surprises.

“He’ll bring the best out of you,” Graham said. “If you can’t play for coach Sutton, you can’t play for anybody.”