Ever-modest coaching legend Eddie Sutton says he knows why Kansas University decided to honor him at halftime of Wednesday’s KU-Oklahoma State basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I probably had the worst record of any coach who’s come in here,” Sutton quipped.

The man who amassed a 798-315 record in 36 seasons (at Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Arkansas and Creighton) went 0-11 in Allen as coach at Oklahoma State, 0-1 at Kentucky and 1-0 at Arkansas.

That’s a 1-12 record if you’re counting.

“I’ve always rooted for Kansas every time they’ve played except against one of my teams or my son’s teams,” said Sutton, whose son Sean coaches at OSU. Other son Scott works at Oral Roberts, which defeated KU, 78-71, on Nov. 15 at Allen.

“Kansas fans have always treated me with great respect,” Eddie Sutton said.

The Bucklin native said he was “deeply honored” by Wednesday’s halftime ceremony, in which he was presented a rocking chair and portrait of himself embracing KU’s Kirk Hinrich with time still remaining in the Jayhawks’ Senior Night victory over Sutton’s Cowboys in 2003.

He had ventured from OSU’s bench to KU’s to embrace Hinrich and Nick Collison in their final home game at KU.

“I’ve received a lot of awards. This is the first time I’ve received one from another school,” Sutton said.

“I’m happy to get a rocking chair. Every time I stand for a long time, my back aches. I’ve got some young grandchildren I can rock in it.”

Sutton, who took a leave of absence late last season, then stepped down after season’s end, says he’s doing promotion work for a bank.

He’s also working to raise money for a center for recovery from addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling on OSU’s campus. It will be patterned after a center at Texas Tech.

He also plans to write a book.

“There are a lot of stories people will want to hear,” he said.

One of them is how he almost came to KU to play for Phog Allen instead of playing at Okie State for Henry Iba.

“I almost came to Kansas,” he said. “I made four visits to KU in the spring of my senior year. I’d have gone to Kansas if he’d have been my coach two years. He was going to retire at the end of my sophomore year, and freshmen were ineligible back then.”

He’s definitely the pride of Bucklin.

“Two coeds came up to me just now and said, ‘We’re from your hometown.’ I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,”’ Sutton said. “Bucklin’s small. We had a graduating class of 18.”

Sutton coached at OSU from 1990-2006 and guided his alma mater to Final Fours in 1995 and 2004. He won 20 or more games in 13 seasons.

“Coach Sutton always had great respect for Kansas,” said KU coach Bill Self, a former Sutton assistant at OSU. “One, he grew up in Bucklin, and two, Dr. Allen coached here. Mr. Iba (Henry, Sutton’s coach at Oklahoma State) and Dr. Allen were competitors, but very respectful. There is an unwritten rule of great respect between these two programs. Some of the great matchups in the league in recent times have been when Oklahoma State and Kansas have played.”