Optimism for next year?

GDC · Mar 21, 2006

A talent infusion
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
3/21/2006

Sooners should be able to call on a few freshmen next season.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Terrell Everett, one of the quietest Oklahoma basketball players ever, said the one thing that could lift the program's spirits in the aftermath of its NCAA first-round loss.

"They could be like Kansas from this year," Everett said of the 2006-07 Sooners.

The Jayhawks, with a lineup of freshmen and sophomores, just began the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed after winning 15 of their last 16 games to seize a share of the Big 12 Conference championship.

"It might take them a while to get on track, but I think they'll be really good," Everett added. "They've got some talented players coming in."

Damion James, Tony Crocker, Keith Clark, Jeremy Mayfield and McDonald's All-American Scottie Reynolds make up the No. 4-ranked class in the nation according to Rivals.com.

"Scottie and Damion are impact-type freshmen," Sampson said. "And then Tony Crocker's athleticism will help us."

While Clark, who must qualify academically, and Mayfield are iffy, Reynolds, James and Crocker should inherit immediate playing time. The key will be how they blend in with OU's holdovers,

and how those holdovers advance over the offseason.

"We've got a guy who I think can lead our team in Michael Neal," Sampson said of his senior-to-be shooting guard.

What Neal must do is heal the tender Achilles that hampered him down the stretch of this season, and develop an off-the-dribble game to complement his pure shooting ability.

Reynolds and sophomore Austin Johnson will vie to replace the departed Everett at point guard. James, Rivals' No. 16 prep player nationally, joins Crocker, junior David Godbold and senior Nate Carter on the wing.

Carter's progress -- he was expected to provide more than the six points he averaged this year -- will be crucial.

"He's got to get to where he plays with confidence," Sampson said. "Look at David (in Thursday's loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, when he equaled a career high with 15 points). David looked like he was just playing the game, whereas Nate sometimes fights the game."

Whether or not Carter comes along, OU's perimeter should be their strength next season. There are more questions than answers in their interior.

The first is: Can Longar Longar and Taylor Griffin, who combined to average five points and 19 minutes, replace Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout?

"Longar and Taylor will play better with more minutes," Sampson claimed. "Playing a minute here, a minute there, you can't judge a guy off that."

Maybe not. The skeptics include the Sooners themselves.

"We may sign one more guy," said Sampson, believed to have targeted 6-10 Jerome Habel of San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College.

Interesting, since OU would appear to be maxed out on scholarships (it has 12 to offer next year instead of 13, as part of the probation it recently self-imposed for its phone call violations). It either shows the concern over Clark's and Mayfield's viability, or hints that someone -- perhaps Chris Walker, a senior-to-be who is far down the point guard depth chart -- will be transferring.

"We've got a great group coming in and a solid group coming back," Sampson said. "I think in some ways we've got a chance to be better next year than we were this year."

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Guerin Emig 581-8355
[email protected]
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CtheB · Mar 21, 2006

No question that optimism should abound. The program needs a little fresh air right now, hopefully these freshman, and a few of the kids already on campus, will provide it.

TopDaugIn2000 · Mar 21, 2006

Yeah, I have lots of optmism for next year. ALL of our starters return and we get Abi in there as well. Gonna win it ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CtheB · Mar 21, 2006

TopDaugIn2000 said:

Yeah, I have lots of optmism for next year. ALL of our starters return and we get Abi in there as well. Gonna win it ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You bet Daug. They only get BETTER next year. And they're already pretty stinkin' solid.

sas · Mar 21, 2006

Was Everett on weed when he said that?

MojoRisen · Mar 21, 2006

"Terrell Everett, one of the quietest Oklahoma basketball players ever,"

Somehow I believe they got this in there so they can say that TE never talks so how could anyone know there was something wrong!

Brilliant!

sas · Mar 21, 2006

They're deaf if they couldn't hear him munching those cheetos like a rabbit.

tnraider1 · Mar 21, 2006

Kelvin = King of the Sunshine Pumpers.

GDC · Mar 21, 2006

You guys carck me up.

OU Season in Review
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
3/21/2006

HIGH POINT

When guard Michael Neal started hitting, averaging 17 points and making 53 percent of his 3-pointers over an 11-game stretch from Jan. 21 to Feb. 25, so did the Sooners. They went 9-2, beating Texas and winning at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

Neal, thanks to that burst, wound up being named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year.

LOW POINT

The season-ending losses to Texas, Nebraska and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It wasn't so much the what, but the how.

"You could tell we just didn't have our edge," coach Kelvin Sampson said. "And when you lose your edge, it's hard to get it back. We probably worked harder on that the last two weeks than we did anything else."

Still, it never returned.

LOOMING QUESTIONS

The first has nothing to do with basketball: Will the NCAA be satisfied with OU's self-imposed probation over all those excessive phone calls, or will it hit the Sooners with more penalties after the hearing scheduled for April 21?

The other question is back on the court: How will the Sooners replace starting frontcourt Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout? Will

the incoming recruits be as good as advertised? Can OU get its blue collar mojo back?

"This is probably the first of the 12 teams I've had at Oklahoma that practiced harder than they played," Sampson said in bowing out of the tournament Thursday.

Not good.

NOTABLE

David Godbold made 4-of-5 3-pointers en route to a career high-tying 15 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Sooners will need another scorer to help Neal next year. Might that be Godbold?

"If he could be a 10- or 12-point (scorer) that would be good for us," Sampson said. "I don't think he can get up to the 15-point range."

Incoming freshman Scottie Reynolds finished his high school career with 2,306 points, the seventh-most in Virginia history, while fellow recruit Damion James averaged 25 points a game at Nacogdoches (Texas) High last season.
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Jimminy Crimson · Mar 21, 2006

faux realz, we should be good next year.

2nd place big 12 finish, play in title game against ku, sweet 16 in tourney, and the next year make it to the final four. BEYONCE!!!

Soonerborn03 · Mar 21, 2006

"They could be like Kansas from this year," Everett said of the 2006-07 Sooners.
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You mean "one and done" two straight years

Seriously though, I'd be very happy if our team could gel like the KU team did this season. This '05-'06 Sooners team never seemed to click for a long period of time which made it a very frustrating but still exciting season. I just hope Kelvin can get some momentum going next season. I never felt we had any this year

GDC · Mar 21, 2006

I still wonder what happened with Rush. I thought he was ours.

Rock Hard Corn Frog · Mar 21, 2006

gdc said:

I still wonder what happened with Rush. I thought he was ours.
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He said KS didn't call him enough.

TopDaugIn2000 · Mar 21, 2006

gdc said:

I still wonder what happened with Rush. I thought he was ours.
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PSSSSSSSSSSSST......Leah plays for the WOMEN.

GDC · Mar 21, 2006

Rock Hard Corn Frog said:

He said KS didn't call him enough.
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spek

Jimminy Crimson · Mar 21, 2006

gdc said:

I still wonder what happened with Rush. I thought he was ours.
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His qualifying is about as questionable as that Mizzou kid who got like 97 hours completed in one summer.

That being said, I wouldn't have minded having him wearing the C&C.

TopDawg · Mar 21, 2006

Soonerborn03 said:

You mean "one and done" two straight years

Seriously though, I'd be very happy if our team could gel like the KU team did this season. This '05-'06 Sooners team never seemed to click for a long period of time which made it a very frustrating but still exciting season. I just hope Kelvin can get some momentum going next season. I never felt we had any this year
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saw you at the game last night

nice sweater

stoopified · Mar 21, 2006

Jimminy Crimson said:

faux realz, we should be good next year.

2nd place big 12 finish, play in title game against ku, sweet 16 in tourney, and the next year make it to the final four. BEYONCE!!!
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Well that is what I am hoping for too.It seems pretty much like everyonne else is still in KILL KELVIN mode.

oumartin · Mar 21, 2006

i thought Rush got schooled by Nate Carter.

oh, before being too optimistic. Look what happened to optimism this year!!!

william_brasky · Mar 21, 2006

"If he could be a 10- or 12-point (scorer) that would be good for us," Sampson said. "I don't think he can get up to the 15-point range."
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now why the hell would a coach say this about any player? you think godbold might have a bit of a complex and not work on his offensive game as much this offseason after reading his coach blurting crap out like that? real encouraging coach. real encouraging.

clean house. i'm sick of KSs crap. Majerus for Mayor.

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