BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The best player in New York City suddenly looked he couldn't even play in Peoria.

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New Yorkers from all over came to see Hofstra's Craig "Speedy" Claxton Friday in Buffalo. The best thing to thing to happen to the Hempstead campus in Long Island since suburban sprawl didn't exactly disappoint. But he didn't win either, not even close.

What the masses got at HSBC Arena in an East Region first-round game was a typical case of New York hype.

Claxton was more freak show than factor as third-seeded Oklahoma State moved on easily over the 14th-seeded Flying Dutchmen, 86-66. The senior guard's 20 points were a mere annoyance to the Cowboys, who look primed to make a run at more than Hofstra's gunner with a grin.

Sure, Speedy lived up to his nickname. The 5-foot-10 Claxton can buckle knees and take defenders off the dribble. But in the case of Oklahoma State, the question after that was, "Ok Speedy, what do you do now?"

The Cowboys (25-6) ran down Claxton no matter where he was on the floor. Cowboy point guard Doug Gottlieb and shooting guard Joe Adkins took turns guarding Claxton one-on-one. If he tried to dribble around them there was always another defender stepping out to slow down Speedy.

The result: 7-for-18 shooting and 20 points -- Claxton's second-lowest total since Feb. 2.

"We've got better New York point guards in our league," said a Big 12 player who didn't want be identified, "Look at (Iowa State's) Jamaal Tinsley, (Colorado's) Jaquay Walls. Claxton's good, he's quick, but he plays at a lower level. He's smart, he did that to develop his game. If he goes to another school he may sit for two years. Some coaches don't like little guards."

Claxton energized Hofstra, which hadn't been to the tournament in 23 years. Just as quickly he is gone, leaving another tournament tale of a good player on a mid-major team with no hope.

The victory and the way it was accomplished was a good omen for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys' past three losses had come to teams with New York guards -- Iowa twice (twice with Tinsley) and Oklahoma (Brooklyn's Nolan Johnson).

Coach Eddie Sutton won his 10th consecutive first-round game. Hofstra (24-7) bowed out quickly in its first NCAA appearance since 1977.

"We had to really make sure he didn't hit us for 30 points or more and end up with 10 or 12 assists," Sutton said. "He can beat you by himself."

But shutting down a dominant guard is nothing new for Sutton. He has spent years doing it at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. That's what one of the best defensive teams in the country does every game. Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton is so old school, he remembers watching Adolph Rupp and Henry Iba diagram plays with empty soda bottles. Claxton didn't exactly fill 'em up.

"They just played solid team defense and made me rush my shots," Claxton said. "They made it difficult for me to turn the corner. They are a great defensive team."

If some Big Apple myopes can't see west of the Hudson, they should clean the hype out of their eyes. The kid still has some dues to pay. They began Thursday night. Claxton is a nice player -- a bit small and light perhaps for the NBA at 180 pounds -- but he was a flash in the pandemonium in Buffalo.

Brian Montonati and Oklahoma overpower the Flying Dutchmen.(AP)

Maybe that's the way it is in New York basketball. Yell loud enough and someone will hear you.

Erick Barkley was just a nice St. John's guard, or so it seemed, until the NCAA came snooping around. Now he's Mike Jarvis' martyr. Claxton became somewhat of an underground cult figure because he might as well been playing underground in the America East. No, that's not a geography lesson, it's a conference.

"If we play a series with Hofstra, we're going to win the series," Sutton said. "We played maybe a little bit better than we do sometimes. Our defense took them out of it a little bit. Just because they play in a conference that maybe is not as good as the Big East or the Big Ten doesn't mean they're not a good ballclub."

There were flashes of brilliance. Twenty-seven seconds into the game Claxton drove the lane and dropped in an underhanded scoop. Then the Flying Dutchmen went 7:05 without a point. With 40 seconds left in the first half, Claxton slammed home an alley-oop. The crowd went nuts. Oklahoma State still led by 16.

A five-point run by Claxton in the second half featured a dazzling layup and an arching three. That cut the lead to 17.

The simple point was that the NCAA selection committee had done its job perfectly, matching an outmanned opponent with a powerhouse. A subtler point should be made to those who want to idolize their New York basketball gods. Before sending him outside the city limits to play, make sure he's got a team behind him.

If Hofstra is going to tout itself as big time, it might want to quit running plays that Oklahoma State could see coming a mile away. They might work against New Hampshire but not against the nation's 14th-ranked team.

While you're at it, get some uniforms to match your GQ-styling coach, Dutchmen. Coach Jay Wright, a former Villanova assistant, wears Armani. His players wear AAU hand-me-downs. The sleeveless jerseys feature numbers that look like were just ironed on at the local sporting goods store.

"In big games we have played well," Wright said. "Tonight was one of the nights we didn't do that. That's what this tournament is. You have to play in a big-time atmosphere and you have to bring your best game and you have to play against great teams."

Hofstra will wait till next year while Claxton tries to advance to the next level.