OKLAHOMA 30 NCAA TOURNAMENTS u 5 FINALS FOURS u 4 BIG 12 TITLES u 32 ALL-AMERICANS u 31 POSTSEASON APPEARANCES IN THE LAST 36 YEARS Game 5: Oklahoma vs. Oregon Sunday, Nov. 25, 2017 Noon CT Veterans Memorial Coliseum (10,407), Portland, Ore. ESPN2/WatchESPN OKLAHOMA SCHEDULE/RESULTS N12 OMAHA W, 108-89 N15 BALL STATE W, 108-69 N23 vs. Arkansas# L, 83-92 N24 vs. Portland# W, 93-71 # 12 p.m. ESPN2 N30 NORTH TEXAS 7 p.m. SSTV 7 p.m. SSTV % 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 D16 at Wichita State$ 3 p.m. ESPN2 D19 NORTHWESTERN STATE 6 p.m. SSTV D22 NORTHWESTERN 6 p.m. ESPN2 TBA ESPNU J3 OKLAHOMA STATE 8 p.m. ESPNU 6:15 p.m. ESPN/2 J9 TEXAS TECH 6 p.m. ESPNU 12 p.m. ESPNU J16 at Kansas State 8 p.m. ESPNU J20 at Oklahoma State 1 p.m. ESPN/2 J23 KANSAS 6 p.m. ESPN2! 1:15 p.m. ESPN J30 BAYLOR 8 p.m. ESPN2 5 p.m. ESPN/2 F5 WEST VIRGINIA 8 p.m. ESPN F10 at Iowa State 1 p.m. ESPN/2 8 p.m. ESPNews F17 TEXAS 11 a.m. ESPN/2 8 p.m. ESPN F24 KANSAS STATE 5 p.m. ESPNU 8 p.m. ESPN2 M2 IOWA STATE 8 p.m. ESPN2 M7-10 Big 12 Championship^ TBD TBD All times Central and subject to change # PK80 (Portland, Ore.) % Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.) $ Played at INTRUST Bank Arena (Wichita, Kan.) % Big 12/SEC Challenge ^ Kansas City, Mo. GETTING SOCIAL WITH THE #SOONERS Twitter/Instagram...@OU_MBBall Facebook... OU Mens Basketball OU ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS Associate Director/MBB Contact...Ben Coldagelli Email...bcoldagelli@ou.edu Cell... 405-246-5663 Office:... 405-325-7014 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (3-1) Head Coach: Lon Kruger Record at OU: 125-78 (7th Year) OKLAHOMA PROBABLE STARTERS (BASED ON PREVIOUS GAME) No. Name Position Class Height Weight Hometown (Last School) 11 Trae Young G Fr. 6-2 180 Norman, Okla. (Norman North HS) 0 Christian James G Jr. 6-4 211 Houston, Texas (Bellaire HS) 20 Kameron McGusty G So. 6-5 192 Katy, Texas (Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]) 35 Brady Manek F Fr. 6-9 210 Harrah, Okla. (Harrah High School) 3 Khadeem Lattin F Sr. 6-9 220 Houston, Texas (Redemption Christian Home School Academy) OKLAHOMA RESERVES No. Name Position Class Height Weight Hometown (Last School) 5 Matt Freeman F So. 6-10 229 Auckland, New Zealand (Westlake Boys HS) 22 Patrick Geha F Jr. 6-5 212 Leawood, Kan. (Rockhurst HS) 2 Chris Giles G Fr. 6-3 193 Dallas, Texas (Findlay College Prep) 14 Ty Lazenby G Jr. 6-5 209 Glencoe, Okla. (Northern Oklahoma College Enid) 4 Jamuni McNeace C Jr. 6-10 215 Kankakee, Ill. (Allen HS) 1 Rashard Odomes G Jr. 6-6 217 Copperas Cove, Texas (Copperas Cove HS) 44 Hannes Pöllä C Fr. 6-11 271 Lahti, Finland (Helsinki Basketball Academy) 13 Jordan Shepherd G So. 6-2 180 Asheville, N.C. (Asheville Christian Academy) 32 Read Streller F Fr. 6-8 229 Edmond, Okla. (Oklahoma Christian School) 30 Marshall Thorpe F So. 6-9 226 Tulsa, Okla. (Bishop Kelley HS) OKLAHOMA STAFF Coach Alma Mater Year at OU Head Coach: Lon Kruger Kansas State 75 Seventh Associate Head Coach: Chris Crutchfield Nebraska-Omaha 92 Seventh Assistant Coach: Carlin Hartman Tulane 94 Second Assistant Coach: Kevin Kruger Arizona State 06 Second Director of Operations: Mike Shepherd Kansas State 92 Seventh Video Coordinator: Will Saxon Oklahoma 15 Second Athletics Trainer: Alex Brown Appalachian State 79 31st Director of Strength and Performance: Bryce Daub Central Washington 08 Third PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Khadeem Lattin: kuh-deem LAT-tin Ty Lazenby: LAY-zen-bee Jamuni McNeace: juh-mun-ee mick-neese vs OREGON DUCKS (5-1) Head Coach: Dana Altman Record at Oregon: 192-71 (8th Year) Hannes Pöllä: HAHN-iss POLE-uh Rashard Odomes: ruh-shard OH-dums THREE POINTERS u Oklahoma concludes play in Portland, Ore., for PK80 - an early-season tournament honoring the 80th birthday of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The Sooners are one of 16 prestigious Nike schools competing in the event. The field combines for 23 national titles, 89 Final Four appearances and 391 NCAA Tournament invitations. OU is 15-6 during in-season tournament games under Lon Kruger, having won at least two games in all six previous in-season tournaments under Kruger. u Freshman guard Trae Young has combined for 61 points in the first two games of PK80 - the most of any player in the 16-team event. Young s 33 points against Portland are the most scored by a freshman during the Kruger era. The freshman leads the Big 12 in scoring with 24.5 points per game, coupled with 9.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He enters Sunday s contest with two double-doubles and three 20-point games through four contests. COMING SUMMER 2018 u Oregon head coach Dana Altman was an assistant for Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger at Kansas State from 1986-89. The two helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in the 1988 NCAA Tournament and Altman then succeeded Kruger as the head coach at K-State when Kruger took the Florida job in 1990. Kruger (604) and Altman (602) combine for 1,206 career college wins as head coaches and are both rank in the top 10 in Division I wins among active head coaches. Kruger owns the ninth-most Division I wins among active head coaches and Altman ranks 10th.
TODAY S OPPONENT: OREGON OREGON SERIES HISTORY Games... 3 Standing... Oregon leads 2-1 At Norman... Oregon leads 1-0 At Eugene...0-0 At Neutral Site...Tied 1-1 Last Win... 80-68, 3/26/16 in Anaheim, Calif. Last Home Win... Last Road Win... Last Loss...29-42, 1940 in Norman Last Home Loss...29-42, 1940 Last Road Loss... Largest Margin of Victory...12 (80-68), 3/26/16 Largest Margin of Defeat... 18 (37-55), 1939 Current Streak...OU, 1 win OREGON ALL-TIME MEETINGS Date Location Result Score 3/26/16 Anaheim W 80-68 1940 Norman L 29-42 1939 San Francisco L 37-55 NEXT OPPONENT: NORTH TEXAS Date...Thursday, Nov. 30 TV...SSTV/Fox Sports Oklahoma Site... Lloyd Noble Center, Norman UNT 2017-18 Record...3-3 UNT Head Coach...Grant McCasland Record at UNT...3-3 (1st year) NORTH TEXAS SERIES HISTORY Games... 5 Standing...OU leads 4-1 At Norman...OU leads 3-1 At Denton...0-0 At Neutral Site...OU leads 1-0 Last Win... 95-82, 11/11/13 in Norman Last Home Win...95-82, 11/11/13 Last Road Win... Last Loss... 78-86, 12/17/66 in Norman Last Home Loss...78-86, 12/17/66 Last Road Loss... Largest Margin of Victory... 53 (147-94), 12/29/89 Largest Margin of Defeat... 8 (78-86), 12/17/66 Current Streak... OU, 4 wins NORTH TEXAS ALL-TIME MEETINGS Date Location Result Score 11/11/13 Norman W 95-82 12/09/00 Norman W 100-72 12/22/97 Norman W 95-72 12/29/89 Oklahoma City W 147-94 12/17/66 Norman L 78-86 GAME OVERVIEW The last time the Sooners and Ducks met, there was a Final Four berth on the line. While the stakes aren t as high as they were in March 2016, Sunday s PK80 finale between Oklahoma (3-1) and Oregon (5-1) shapes up to be an elite matchup between two schools who have reached the Final Four within the past two years. After the Sooners defeated the Ducks in the Elite Eight to reach the 2016 Final Four, the Ducks reached college basketball s brightest stage in 2017. The Sooners reached the fifth-place game after defeating Portland in the second round, while the Ducks took down DePaul in overtime. Sunday s matchup will tip at noon CT and air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Brian Brinkley and Kevin Henry announcing. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2 and will also be available through the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com. OKLAHOMA VS. OREGON SERIES HISTORY Sunday s game between the Sooners and Ducks is a rematch of the 2016 Elite Eight showdown that advanced the Sooners to their fifth Final Four. The Sooners downed Oregon, 80-68, behind 37 points from Buddy Hield in Anaheim, Calif. Three current Sooners saw action in the Elite Eight game, including senior forward Khadeem Lattin who started the game and finished with six points and two boards. Christian James, a freshman at the time, pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in addition to having five points, three assists and two steals. Jamuni McNeace grabbed three boards in the win. Oregon leads the all-time series 2-1, with the pair of Ducks wins coming in 1939 and 1940. The first meeting between the two schools came in the first Final Four with Oregon defeating Oklahoma in the 1939 national semifinals. The Sooners are 3-0 against Pac-12 opponents during the Lon Kruger era. Oklahoma is 117-69 all-time against current members of the Pac-12. OKLAHOMA S LAST TIME OUT... NEXT UP: NORTH TEXAS STATS COMPARISON CATEGORY Overall Record 3-1 5-1. Points Per Game 98.0 88.5 Opp. Points Per Game 80.2 66.3 Per Game 42.5 40.5. Rebounding Margin +6.5 +9.7 Field Goal Pct..527.486 Opp. Field Goal Pct..388.357 3-Point Pct..363.381 Opp. 3-Point Pct..423.266 Free Throw Pct..763.813 Assists Per Game 20.8 17.2 Turnovers Per Game 14.8 14.2 Blocked Shots Per Game 6.5 6.2 Steals Per Game 8.0 6.8 Oklahoma 93, Portland 71 Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 Veterans Memorial Coliseum Portland, Ore. Score by periods 1st 2nd Total Portland 31 40 71 Oklahoma 46 47 93 GAME LEADERS OKLAHOMA PORTLAND Points Young, 33 Walker, 15 Lattin, 16 F. Porter, 7 Assists Young, 8 McSwiggan, 13 Oklahoma (3-1) bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 93-71 win over Portland (2-3) on Friday. The game was played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore., as a part of PK80. The Sooners were led by freshman guard Trae Young, who shot 11-of-18 from the field to score 33 points. Young is the first freshman in the Lon Kruger era to score 30 points and his performance marked the highest-scoring game by an OU freshman since Tommy Mason-Griffin tallied 38 points on Jan. 27, 2010. Young added eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 33 minutes. Senior forward Khadeem Lattin collected his second double-double in as many days, scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds. His performance was the first game of 15 points and 15 rebounds by a Sooner since Kristian Doolittle had 15 and 15 against Iowa State on Jan. 21, 2017. Junior guard Christian James picked up his fourth straight game of double-digit scoring, recording 11 points with four assists and three rebounds. While OU led by double digits for most of the second half, the Pilots went on a late run to come within five (67-62) with 7:15 remaining. The Sooners then put away Portland with a 15-2 run that included 10 points from Young. The Sooners return home for a pair of home games, starting with North Texas on Thursday, Nov. 30. The 7 p.m. CT contest will be broadcast by SoonerSports TV on Fox Sports Oklahoma. OU is 4-1 all-time against the Mean Green and has won the last four meetings. UNT s lone win in the series came in 1966. Dating back to last season, Oklahoma has won five straight games at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners are 36-5 in home non-conference games during the Kruger era. 2 @OU_MBBall
BIG 12 STANDINGS As of November 25 Big 12 Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. Baylor 0 0.000 5 0 1.000 Kansas 0 0.000 5 0 1.000 TCU 0 0.000 5 0 1.000 Texas Tech 0 0.000 5 0 1.000 Kansas State 0 0.000 5 1.833 West Virginia 0 0.000 5 1.833 Oklahoma State 0 0.000 4 1.800 Texas 0 0.000 4 1.800 Oklahoma 0 0.000 3 1.750 Iowa State 0 0.000 3 2.600 OKLAHOMA QUICK FACTS Official Name: University of Oklahoma Location: Norman, Okla. Founded: 1890 Enrollment: 31,250 Nickname: Sooners Colors: Crimson and Cream President: David L. Boren Athletics Director: Joe Castiglione Arena: Lloyd Noble Center (11,562) First Year of Basketball: 1907-08 NCAA Tournament Appearances: 30 (41-30) NIT Appearances: 7 (10-7) All-Time Record: 1,637-1,056 Regular Season Conference Championships: 14 (1928, 1929, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 2005) Conference Tournament Championships: 7 (1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003) Head Coach: Lon Kruger (Kansas State 75) Career Record: 604-382 (32nd year) Oklahoma Record: 125-78 (7th year) NCAA Appearances: 17 (most recent 2016) NIT Appearances: 4 (most recent 2009) Assistant Coaches: Chris Crutchfield (Omaha 92), Carlin Hartman (Tulane 94), Kevin Kruger (Arizona State 06) Director of Operations: Mike Shepherd (Kansas State 92) Video Coordinator: Will Saxon Athletic Trainer: Alex Brown Strength and Conditioning: Bryce Daub Team Physician: Dr. Brock Schnebel Equipment Manager: Marco Griego Graduate Assistant: Byron Peak Official Website: SoonerSports.com HOT START Oklahoma s offense put up together historic numbers through the first two games of the seasons, scoring 108 points in wins over Omaha (Nov. 12) and Ball State (Nov. 15). Its just the third time in program history that OU began a season with back-toback games of at least 100 points. The Sooners 216 combined points are their third-most through the first two games of the season and the most since a Billy Tubbs-led squad opened the season with 319 total points (not a typo) in the first two games of the 1989-90 campaign. OU put up back-to-back games of triple-digit scoring for the first time since December 2001. It is just the third time since 1993 that the Sooners have put together consecutive 100-point showings. Through four games, Oklahoma is averaging 98.0 points, shooting.527 from the field and dishing out 20.8 assists per game. OU s 98.0 points per game represent the third-highest scoring average in the country. The Sooners are 3-0 when shooting above 50 percent. Oklahoma is also 3-0 when it hands out at least 20 assists. Oklahoma s offensive efforts have been led by the scoring and passing of freshman guard Trae Young. In four games, the Norman native has put together twos double-doubles, three 20-plus-point games and a 33-point performance. Young is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He leads the Big 12 in scoring average by over five points (Baylor s Manu Lecomte is in second with 19.0 points per game). Young is 11th in the nation in scoring and third in assists. With two double-doubles in his first two collegiate games, Young is the first Oklahoma player to record consecutive points-assists double-doubles since John Ontjes in the 1994-95 season. The freshman is also the first Sooner to have multiple points-assists double-doubles in one season since Terrell Everett in 2005-06. He was one of only three freshmen in Division I to produce two double-doubles in his first two games of the 2017-18 season (Deandre Ayton of Arizona and Brandon McCoy of UNLV). Young s 13 dimes against Ball State tied an OU freshman record for assists in a game (Tim McAlister in 1984) and were the most by a Sooner since Terrell Everett served up 15 in 2006. CONSISTENT KRUGER WHERE OKLAHOMA RANKS... Through Nov. 24 Lon Kruger has made his mark on the college basketball world as a master rebuilder. Throughout his career, he has inherited struggling programs and taken them as far as the Final Four in a short number of a years. While Kruger s turnarounds have traditionally occurred at new schools, the seventh-year head coach at Oklahoma now looks to continue his rebuilding success with his own program in Norman. Kruger s success at Oklahoma has been evident throughout the country, taking a Sooners team that went 27-36 (.429) in the two seasons prior to his arrival to reaching the Final Four just five years into the job. Since 2011, Kruger has racked up four NCAA Tournament appearances, coached three NBA Draft picks and a national player of the year (Buddy Hield) and was named the 2014 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year. Although a young Oklahoma team finished the 2016-17 season with an 11-20 record and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, Kruger carries a track record of bouncing back throughout his career. Since 1986 (his first season as head coach at Kansas State), Kruger has never missed the postseason in consecutive seasons. Of the past six instances that Kruger failed to reach the postseason, five of his teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament the next year. Kruger s OU teams have surpassed their win total from each subsequent season in five of the last six years. Oklahoma was voted sixth in the Big 12 Conference s 2017-18 preseason poll. The Sooners have finished as well or better in the conference standings than predicted in four of the six seasons under Kruger. KRUGER AFTER MISSING THE POSTSEASON (SINCE 1985) Offensive Stats Big 12 NCAA Points 98.0 1 3 42.5 2 25 Assists 20.8 2 6 FG %.527 2 13 3FG%.363 6 127 FT%.763 1 57 Turnovers 14.8 10 231 Defensive Stats Big 12 NCAA Points Allowed 80.2 10 292 Opp. FG%.388 6 63 Opp. 3FG%.423 10 329 Steals 8.0 6 69 Blocks 6.5 2 13 Opp. Turnovers 14.8 7 145 Missed the Postseason Next Season Season School Record School Record Postseason 1985-86 Pan American 20-8 Kansas State 20-11 NCAA Tournament 1990-91 Florida 11-17 Florida 19-14 NIT 1995-96 Florida 12-16 Illinois 22-10 NCAA Tournament 1998-99 Illinois 14-18 Illinois 22-10 NCAA Tournament 2005-06 UNLV 17-13 UNLV 30-7 NCAA Tournament 2011-12 Oklahoma 15-16 Oklahoma 20-12 NCAA Tournament @OU_MBBall 3
OKLAHOMA IN THE LON KRUGER ERA SINCE LON KRUGER WAS HIRED ON APRIL 1, 2011 Overall Record...125-78 Home...75-20 Road...24-40 Neutral...26-18 Record in Big 12 Regular Season Play...57-52 Home...39-15 Road...18-36 Record vs. Non-Conference Opponents...66-21 Home...36-5 Road...5-4 Neutral...25-12 vs. AP Top 25...25-36 Home...14-9 Road...6-19 Neutral...5-8 vs. AP Top 15...16-22 Home...8-7 Road...5-9 Neutral...3-5 vs. AP Top 10...9-17 Home...4-6 Road...3-7 Neutral...2-4 vs. AP Top 5...2-10 Home...1-4 Road...0-4 Neutral...1-2 vs. AP Ranked Big 12 Opponents...22-26 Home...14-7 Road...6-17 Neutral...1-2 vs. AP Ranked Non-Conference Opponents...4-8 Home...0-1 Road...0-1 Neutral...4-6 Both OU and Opponent are Ranked...18-14 Home...10-1 Road...4-8 Neutral...4-5 TEAM HIGHS IN THE LON KRUGER ERA Points... 111 vs. Central Arkansas, 12/3/15 FG Made... 42 vs. Ball State, 11/15/17 FG Attempted...88 vs. Kansas, 1/4/16 FG Percentage....620 (31-50) vs. Baylor, 1/23/16 3FG Made...17 vs. Iowa State, 1/18/16 3FG Attempted...35 vs. Baylor, 3/13/14 3FG Percentage..615 (8-13) vs. Okla. State, 1/12/13 FT Made...39 vs. Baylor, 2/23/13 FT Attempted...48 vs. Tulsa, 12/14/13 FT Percentage..1.000 (34-34) vs. Iowa State, 3/2/13 Total...63 vs. S.C. State, 12/21/12 Assists...29 vs. Baylor, 1/23/16 Steals... 16, Twice, Last: vs. Oral Roberts, 12/7/16 Blocks...14 vs. Texas Tech, 1/26/16 Opponent Turnovers...23, Twice, Last: vs. Auburn, 12/21/16 PLAYER HIGHS IN THE LON KRUGER ERA Points... 46, Buddy Hield vs. Kansas, 1/4/16...18, Ryan Spangler vs. Kansas, 1/4/16... 18, Romero Osby vs. S.C. State. 12/21/11 Assists...13, Trae Young vs. Ball State, 11/15/17 GOING LOCAL Oklahoma has seen strong production from a pair of freshmen already known around the Norman area. Guard Trae Young (Norman) and forward Brady Manek (Harrah) are both local products with numerous high school accolades now in their first season as Sooners. Both local freshmen have scored in double figures in each game this season and are combining to average 32.0 points per contest. Attending high school less than three miles from the University of Oklahoma campus, Young is the first starter at OU to list Norman as his hometown since Steve Ayers in the 1967-68 season. Young has earned two Big 12 weekly honors in as many weeks, earning the conference s Player of the Week title in week one and Newcomer of the Week in the second week. Young is just the second freshman in Big 12 history to be named the conference s Player of the Week in the opening week of the season, joining Michael Beasley of Kansas State in 2007. Young has been named to numerous preseason honors lists - including the Preseason Top 50 for the John R. Wooden Award and the 20-person watch list for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. Young is also a Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention selection. Named a five-star recruit according to 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout, Young was named the second-best point guard in his national recruiting class by ESPN and third-best by 247Sports and Scout. Playing high school ball at Norman North HS, Young averaged 42.6 points, 4.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds during his senior year while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. He earned McDonald s All-America honors, becoming the fourth McDonald s All-American from Oklahoma to play for OU, joining Sooner legends Blake Griffin, Wayman Tisdale and Jeff Webster. Manek has also found success in his first few collegiate contests, putting together averages of 9.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting.552 from the field and 7-of-17 (.412) from 3-point range. A four-star recruit according to 247Sports, ESPN and Scout and a three-star recruit by Rivals, Manek joined the Sooners from Harrah HS, a 35 mile drive from Norman. Manek averaged a double-double in his senior high school season with 24.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. BACKCOURT WORTH WATCHING Oklahoma guards Kameron McGusty and Trae Young were voted by the Big 12 Conference s head coaches as Preseason All-Big 12 Team honorable mention selections. The Sooners were one of only two Big 12 teams with two guards on the conference s preseason honors list. The Sooners also hope to see junior Christian James continue his solid start in the early season. A sophomore from Katy, Texas, McGusty boasts the highest 2016-17 scoring average (10.9 points) among returning Sooners. The 6-5 guard upped his production to 14.4 points per game in Big 12 play last season the fifth-most among all returning Big 12 players. McGusty s success in conference play was highlighted by 15 consecutive games of doubledigit scoring. Following his rookie campaign, McGusty was named an All-Big 12 honorable mention and member of the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. He is the first OU freshman to earn All-Big 12 honors and All-Newcomer status since Tommy Mason-Griffin in 2009-10. Coming off a summer that included shooting 12-of-13 (.923) from 3-point range during the team s trip to New Zealand and Australia, James is averaging 12.8 points through four games. James is working toward a bounce-back campaign after ending the 2016-17 season in a shooting slump. As a sophomore, James began the season averaging 11.3 points in his first 15 games, before scoring just 4.6 points per contest in the last 16 games. LATTIN BLOCK PARTY Senior forward Khadeem Lattin has proven himself as one of the top shot blockers in Oklahoma program history. In 106 career games for the Sooners, Lattin ranks fourth in the OU record book in career blocks with 180. The senior led the Big 12 in blocked shots per game during conference play the past two seasons (had 2.4 per game in 2016-17). Oklahoma s lone senior, Lattin is off to a strong start in his final season, averaging a double-double of 14.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals. RASHARD RISING OU S CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS 1. Al Beal... 230 2. Stacey King... 228 3. Wayman Tisdale... 209 4. Khadeem Lattin... 180 No returning Big 12 player saw a bigger increase in role last season than Oklahoma junior guard Rashard Odomes. After playing just 6.1 minutes per game in 18 contests of the 2015-16 season, Odomes averaged 26.8 minutes per game and started in 30 outings in 2016-17. His increase in minutes (20.7 per game) was by far the most in the Big 12. No other Big 12 returner averaged more than 16 additional minutes per game compared to their previous season. Offensively, Odomes averaged 1.9 points per game in 2015-16 before boosting his scoring to 10.1 points a night in 2016-17. He was the only returning Big 12 player to average under two points in 2015-16 and over 10 points in 2016-17. His increase in scoring (8.2 points per game) was the second-highest among any Big 12 returner. During his rookie season, Odomes totaled just 17 minutes in Big 12 games. His sophomore year, he started in 17 Big 12 contests and averaged 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals in 28.8 minutes. 4 @OU_MBBall
ASSOCIATED PRESS NAMES OKLAHOMA A TOP-20 ALL-TIME BASKETBALL PROGRAM The Associated Press announced its All-Time Top 100 last spring, a ranking system to determine the top programs in men s college basketball since the AP poll began in 1949. Oklahoma ranked 20th in the All-Time Top 100 the second highest of any team in the Big 12. To determine the all-time Top 100, the AP formula counted poll appearances (one point each) to mark consistency and No. 1 rankings (two points each) to acknowledge elite programs. The AP doesn t release a poll after the NCAA Tournament, so eventual national champions are not factored into these rankings. Below are numbers breaking down Oklahoma s history in the AP poll and the Sooners place in the All-time Top 100. Oklahoma ranks second among Big 12 schools in the All-Time Top 100. Kansas (No. 5) is the only school in the conference ahead of the Sooners. Oklahoma s football program ranks second in the AP Football All-Time Top 100. OU is the only Big 12 school to finish in the top 20 of the All-Time Top 100 in both football and men s basketball. Of the four institutions from the state of Oklahoma listed in the All-Time Top 100, OU ranks the highest. Oklahoma State (34), Tulsa (83) and Oklahoma City (90) were also featured on the list. DOMINANCE DOWN UNDER Oklahoma s 2017-18 season started earlier and much farther south than normal as the Sooners headed to New Zealand and Australia for a foreign exhibition tour in August. The Sooners went 4-0 during their time Down Under, scoring 119.0 points per game and winning by an average margin of 40.0 points. The Sooners were led in scoring by Trae Young with 22.3 points per contest in 21.8 minutes. The Sooners collectively shot 50-of-117 (.427) from 3-point range, sinking an average of 12.5 treys a game. One of the keys to OU s 3-point barrage Down Under was guard Christian James. The junior was near unstoppable from behind the arc, shooting 12-of-13 (.923) during the trip and 10-for-10 in the final three games. Oklahoma pulled down 50.0 rebounds per game on the foreign tour - an average of 16.8 more boards than their opponents. Six players averaged at least four rebounds (while all playing under 21 minutes a game), led by Rashard Odomes with 7.3. Khadeem Lattin, Jamuni McNeace and Brady Manek all pulled down 5.3 boards per outing. THEM BOYS UP TO SOMTHING... Jordan Brand continues to expand both on the court and on the field. On Nov. 9, 2017, the brand welcomed the University of Oklahoma to the family, making it just the fifth collegiate basketball program and third football program to represent the Jumpman. The Sooners uniforms will begin to feature the Jumpman logo at the start of the 2018-19 season. The partnership will include the football team and the men s and women s basketball teams. Oklahoma will join Georgetown, Marquette, Michigan and North Carolina as the only schools to wear the Jumpman on its men s basketball uniforms. Blake Griffin, a long-time Jordan Brand family member, is a University of Oklahoma alum whose No. 23 jersey was recently honored by the university. Griffin was named the AP National Player of the Year in 2008-09 after averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game and leading the nation in rebounding and double-doubles. Griffin was on OU s campus the day of the announcement to tell the OU basketball team of the brand s new partnership and welcome the Sooners to the family. GRIFFIN GIVES BACK The University of Oklahoma s athletics performance center at Lloyd Noble Center, which is expected to be completed in early 2018, will be named after former OU basketball player Blake Griffin in recognition of his financial gift, the largest ever to OU by a former Sooner basketball player. The Griffin Family Performance Center will be an 18,400-gross-square foot training center located just south of the men s and women s basketball s two existing practice gyms. The performance center will help enhance strength training facilities for both men s and women s programs, as well other Sooner studentathletes. Griffin was the 2009 consensus national player of the year and the No. 1 overall pick in that year s NBA Draft. Griffin on the Griffin Family Performance Center: Being a Sooner is more than just what you do in competition. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to play OU basketball, which has a legacy of people that have made it great. College is such a critical time in an athlete s playing career and it s my honor to help give the men s and women s teams the resources and technology that will give them the best opportunity to succeed. I am humbled that OU has chosen to name this facility after me, and I am really excited to see this high-performance training center come to life. Since the mid-80s, the Sooners have appeared in a majority of all AP polls. Oklahoma has been voted a top-25 team in 55 percent of AP polls since the start of the 1984 season. The Sooners have gone nine seasons of being ranked in every AP poll of that season - most recently 2015-16 when Lon Kruger s squad was in the top 10 of every week s poll. Oklahoma has been ranked No. 1 in the country for a total of eight weeks, most recently claiming the top spot for three straight weeks in 2015-16. All eight No. 1 appearances have come since 1988. OU s best decade in the AP poll came in the 2000s, when the Sooners were ranked in 66.8 percent of that decade s polls. The Sooners have been ranked in 44 of the last 70 AP polls (57.1 percent), all under head coach Lon Kruger. @OU_MBBall 5
RESULTS AND GAME LEADERS Date Opponent W/L Score Margin Attend. Points Leader Leader Assists Leader 11/12 Omaha W 108-89 +19 9,045 Young - 15 Lattin - 7 Young - 10 11/15 Ball State W 108-69 +39 7,242 Young - 22 Lattin - 8 Young - 13 11/23 vs. Arkansas L 83-92 -9 11,294 Young - 28 Lattin - 10 Young - 5 11/24 vs. Portland W 93-71 +22 6,603 Young - 33 Lattin - 16 Young - 8 POINTS, REBOUNDS AND ASSISTS 0 1 2 3 4 5 11 13 14 20 22 30 32 35 44 Date Opponent JAMES ODOMES GILES LATTIN MCNEACE FREEMAN YOUNG SHEPHERD LAZENBY MCGUSTY GEHA THORPE STRELLER MANEK PÖLLÄ 11/12 Omaha 14-2-1 9-2-1 DNP 8-7-0 14-5-1 13-2-0 15-6-10 10-3-6 3-3-1 9-3-0 DNP DNP DNP 11-6-1 2-0-0 11/15 Ball State 13-2-2 7-3-2 2-0-0 20-8-1 1-6-0 7-5-0 22-3-13 4-2-4 2-5-1 8-3-1 0-0-0 0-2-0 DNP 16-4-1 6-5-0 11/23 vs. Arkansas 13-3-3 5-3-2 DNP 10-10-0 0-1-0 5-1-2 28-3-5 9-0-1 0-0-0 7-2-1 DNP DNP DNP 6-8-1 DNP 11/24 vs. Portland 11-3-4 DNP 0-0-0 19-16-1 0-1-0 8-4-2 33-5-8 6-1-3 0-1-0 7-2-2 DNP DNP DNP 6-6-2 3-0-0 GAME-BY-GAME TEAM STATS FG-A Pct. 3FG-A Pct. FT-A Pct. O-D-T PF A TO B S 1 2 TP 11/12 Omaha 32-73.438 12-22.545 13-17.765 9-22-31 17 19 14 2 13 38 51 89 at Oklahoma 39-70.557 8-25.320 22-27.815 11-35-46 16 21 17 13 5 52 56 108 11/15 Ball State 23-77.299 11-37.297 12-15.800 16-27-43 13 11 13 3 1 31 38 69 at Oklahoma 42-74.568 15-29.517 9-16.563 10-39-49 17 25 11 5 9 60 48 108 11/23 Arkansas 28-65.431 9-18.500 27-33.818 10-31-41 19 14 16 4 8 50 42 92 vs. Oklahoma 30-65.462 8-29.276 15-20.750 6-29-35 24 15 19 4 9 45 38 83 11/24 Portland 23-58.397 12-27.444 13-20.650 7-22-29 19 13 16 1 6 31 40 71 vs. Oklahoma 34-66.515 10-30.333 15-17.882 9-31-40 18 22 12 4 9 46 47 93 SCORING + SPECIALTY STATS First Half Second Half Total Starters Bench In the Paint Fast Break Second Chance Off Turnovers Date Opponent OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. OU Opp. 11/12 Omaha 52 38 56 51 108 89 57 57 51 32 50 32 14 12 16 6 21 21 11/15 Ball State 60 31 48 38 108 69 78 35 30 34 48 22 12 0 15 6 16 12 11/23 vs. Arkansas 45 50 38 42 83 92 62 71 21 21 42 30 12 6 4 12 13 20 11/24 vs. Portland 46 31 47 40 93 71 76 41 17 30 42 22 12 4 9 4 19 19 Totals 203 150 189 171 392 321 273 204 119 117 182 106 50 22 44 28 69 72 Season Averages 50.8 37.5 47.3 42.8 98.0 80.3 68.3 51.0 29.8 29.3 45.5 26.5 12.5 5.5 11.0 7.0 17.3 18.0 6 @OU_MBBall
DOUBLE-DIGIT PERFORMANCES AND GAME LEADERS LED OU IN... 10+ POINTS 20+ POINTS 30+ POINTS 10+ REBOUNDS 10+ ASSISTS DOUBLE-DOUBLES POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS Matt Freeman 1 - - - - - - - - Patrick Geha - - - - - - - - - Chris Giles - - - - - - - - - Christian James 4 - - - - - - - - Khadeem Lattin 3 2-2 - 2-4 - Ty Lazenby - - - - - - - - - Brady Manek 2 - - - - - - - - Kameron McGusty - - - - - - - - - Jamuni McNeace 1 - - - - - - - - Rashard Odomes - - - - - - - - - Hannes Pöllä - - - - - - - - - Jordan Shepherd 1 - - - - - - - - Read Streller - - - - - - - - - Marshall Thorpe - - - - - - - - - Trae Young 4 3 1-2 2 4-4 GAME MARGINS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16+ Wins by... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 Losses by... - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - LEADS AND DEFICITS Largest lead...39, Nov. 15 vs. Ball State Largest deficit... 10, Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas Largest halftime lead...29, Nov. 15 vs. Ball State Largest halftime deficit... 5, Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas OU IN GAMES DECIDED BY... 5 points or less... 0-0 6-10 points... 0-1 11-19 points... 1-0 20 or more points... 2-0 Largest halftime deficit in a win... Largest deficit in a win...3, twice, last: Nov. 24 vs. Portland Largest winning margin...39, Nov. 15 vs. Ball State Largest losing margin... 9, Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas OU S RECORD WHEN... Home... 2-0 Road... 0-0 Neutral Site... 1-1 Overtime... 0-0 Big 12 Conference Games... 0-0 Non-Conference Games... 3-1 vs. AP Top 25 opponents... 0-0 vs. Power Five school (Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12, SEC, ACC)... 0-1 vs. non-power Five school... 3-0 On no days rest... 1-0 On one days rest... 0-0 On two days rest... 1-0 On three days rest... 0-0 On four days rest... 0-0 One five+ days rest... 0-1 Ahead at the half... 3-0 Behind at the half... 0-1 Tied at the half... 0-0 FG% of.500 or more... 3-0 FG% less than.500... 0-1 Better FG% than opp... 3-1 Worse FG% than opp.... 0-0 Same FG% as opp.... 0-0 More 3-point field goals... 1-0 Fewer 3-point field goals... 2-1 Same 3-point field goals... 0-0 Bench outscores opponent bench... 1-0 Bench outscored by opponent bench or tied... 2-1 More points in the paint... 3-1 Fewer or same points in the paint... 0-0 More fast break points... 3-1 Fewer or same fast break points... 0-0 More second chance points... 3-0 Fewer or same second chance points... 0-1 Outrebound opponent... 3-0 Tied or outrebounded by opponent... 0-1 Same or fewer TOs than opp.... 2-0 More TOs than opp.... 1-1 Score fewer than 50 pts... 0-0 Score 50-59 pts.... 0-0 Score 60-69 pts.... 0-0 Score 70-79 pts.... 0-0 Score 80-89 pts.... 0-1 Score 90 or more pts.... 3-0 Allow fewer than 50 pts.... 0-0 Allow 50-59 pts.... 0-0 Allow 60-69 pts.... 1-0 Allow 70-79 pts.... 1-0 Allow 80-89 pts.... 1-0 Allow 90 or more pts.... 0-1 @OU_MBBall 7
TEAM HIGHS AND LOWS OKLAHOMA HIGH LOW Points 108, twice, last: vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 83 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Points in a Half 60 (first) vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 38 (second) vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Points in an Overtime Period -- -- Field Goals 42 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 30 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Field Goal Attempts 74 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 65 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Field Goal Percentage.568 (42-74) vs. Ball State, Nov. 15.462 (30-65) vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 3-Point Field Goals 15 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 8, twice, last: vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 3-Point Field Goal Attempts 30 vs. Portland, Nov. 24 25 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (min. 10 att.).517 (15-29) vs. Ball State, Nov. 15.276 (8-29) vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Free Throws Made 22 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 9 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 Free Throw Attempts 27 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 16 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 Free Throw Percentage (min. 10 att.).882 (15-17) vs. Portland, Nov. 24.563 (9-16) vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 Offensive 11 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 6 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Defenseive 39 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 22 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Total 49 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 35 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Personal Fouls 24 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 16 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 Assists 25 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 15 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Turnovers 19 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 11 vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 Blocked Shots 13 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 4, twice, last: vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Steals 9, three times, last: vs. Portland, Nov. 24 5 vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 OPPONENTS HIGH LOW Points 92 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 69 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Points in a Half 52 (second) by Omaha, Nov. 12 31, twice, last: (first) by Portland, Nov. 24 Points in an Overtime Period -- -- Field Goals 32 by Omaha, Nov. 12 23, twice, last: by Portland, Nov. 24 Field Goal Attempts 77 by Ball State, Nov. 15 58 by Portland, Nov. 24 Field Goal Percentage.438 (32-73) by Omaha, Nov. 12.299 (23-77) by Ball State, Nov. 15 3-Point Field Goals 12, twice, last: by Portland, Nov. 24 9 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 3-Point Field Goal Attempts 37 by Ball State, Nov. 15 18 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (min. 10 att.).545 (12-22) by Omaha, Nov. 12.297 (11-37) by Ball State, Nov. 15 Free Throws Made 27 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 12 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Free Throw Attempts 33 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 15 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Free Throw Percentage (min. 10 att.).818 (27-33) by Arkansas, Nov. 23.650 (13-20) by Portland, Nov. 24 Offensive 16 by Ball State, Nov. 15 7 by Portland, Nov. 24 Defensive 31 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 22, twice, last: by Portland, Nov. 24 Total 43 by Ball State, Nov. 15 29 by Portland, Nov. 24 Personal Fouls 19, twice, last: by Portland, Nov. 24 13 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Assists 19 by Omaha, Nov. 12 11 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Turnovers 16, twice, last: by Portland, Nov. 24 13 by Ball State, Nov. 15 Blocked Shots 4 by Arkansas, Nov. 23 1 by Portland, Nov. 24 Steals 13 by Omaha, Nov. 12 1 by Ball State, Nov. 15 8 @OU_MBBall
INDIVIDUAL TOP PERFORMANCES OKLAHOMA HIGHS Points 33, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Field Goals 11, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Field Goal Attempts 18, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 18, Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 FG Pct. (min. 5 made).900 (9-10), Khadeem Lattin vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 3-Point Field Goals 5, Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 3-Point FG Attempts 10, Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 3-Point FG Pct. (min. 3 made) 1.000 (3-3), Matt Freeman vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 Free Throws 8, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 8, Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Free Throw Attempts 9, Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 Free Throw Pct. (min. 5 made) 1.000 (8-8), Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 16, Khadeem Lattin vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Assists 13, Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 Turnovers 5, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Blocked Shots 6, Jamuni McNeace vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 Steals 3, Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 Christian James vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 OKLAHOMA S TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES POINTS 33...Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 23...Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 22... Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 20... Khadeem Lattin vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 19...Khadeem Lattin vs. Portland, Nov. 24 16...Brady Manek vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 15...Trae Young vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 14...Christian James vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 14...Jamuni McNeace vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 13... Christian James vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 13...Matt Freeman vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 13...Christian James vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 REBOUNDS 16...Khadeem Lattin vs. Portland, Nov. 24 10...Khadeem Lattin vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 8... Brady Manek vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 8... Khadeem Lattin vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 7...Khadeem Lattin vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 ASSISTS 13... Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 10...Trae Young vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 8...Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 6... Jordan Shepherd vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 OPPONENT HIGHS Points 27, Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 Field Goals 8, Zach Jackson of Omaha, Nov. 12 Field Goal Attempts 19, Jaylen Barford of Arkansas, Nov. 23 FG Pct. (min. 5 made).714 (5-7), JT Gibson of Omaha, Nov. 12 3-Point Field Goals 6, Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 3-Point Field Goal Attempts 8, Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 8, Jontrell Walker of Ball State, Nov. 15 3-Point FG Pct. (min. 3 made).750 (6-8), Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 Free Throws 7, Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 7, Zach Jackson of Omaha, Nov. 12 Free Throw Attempts 8, Zach Jackson of Omaha, Nov. 12 Free Throw Pct. (min. 5 made) 1.000 (7-7), Daryl Macon of Arkansas, Nov. 23 10, Tahjai Teague of Ball State, Nov. 15 Assists 6, Tayler Persons of Ball State, Nov. 15 Turnovers 5, Franklin Porter of Portland, Nov. 24 Blocked Shots 2, Jaylen Barford of Arkansas, Nov. 23 2, Trey Moses of Ball State, Nov. 15 Steals 3, Josh McSwiggan of Portland, Nov. 24 3, JT Gibson of Omaha, Nov. 12 3, Mitchell Hahn of Omaha, Nov. 12 BLOCKED SHOTS 6...Jamuni McNeace vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 2...Khadeem Lattin vs. Portland, Nov. 24 2...Jamuni McNeace vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 2...Khadeem Lattin vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 2...Trae Young vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 STEALS 3...Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 3...Christian James vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 2...Khadeem Lattin vs. Portland, Nov. 24 2...Khadeem Lattin vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 2... Jamuni McNeace vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 2...Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 2... Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 2...Christian James vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 2...Trae Young vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 3-POINT FIELD GOALS 5... Trae Young vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 4...Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 4...Brady Manek vs. Ball State, Nov. 15 3... Christian James vs. Portland, Nov. 24 3...Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 3...Matt Freeman vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 FREE THROW MAKES 8...Trae Young vs. Portland, Nov. 24 8...Trae Young vs. Arkansas, Nov. 23 6...Trae Young vs. Omaha, Nov. 12 @OU_MBBall 9
5 MATT FREEMAN 6-10 229 SO FORWARD AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (WESTLAKE BOYS HS) 4-0 8.3 3.0 1.0 15.5 2016-17 AVERAGES 26-2 2.7 1.5 0.2 8.9 2017-18: Scored eight points in a career-high-tying 20 minutes of action on Nov. 24 vs. Portland...Opened the season by shooting 5-of-6 (3-for-3 from 3-point range) to score 13 points against Omaha (Nov. 12). 2016-17: After redshirting in the spring of 2016, saw action in 26 games (two starts) and averaged 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.9 minutes...averaged 1.5 points and 1.2 boards in 6.9 minutes during Big 12 play...made his first collegiate start on Nov. 29 against Northern Colorado...In his OU debut (Nov. 13 vs. Northwestern State), shot 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range to score 15 points...his 15 points were the most by a Sooner freshman in a season opener since Steven Pledger (21 in 2009). Points 15 vs. Northwestern St (11/13/16) FG Made 6 vs. Northwestern St (11/13/16) FG Attempts 7 (twice) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made 3 (Twice) 4 (Twice) 2 (twice) FT Attempts 2 (3 times) 5 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Assists 2 (3 times) Blocks Steals Minutes 1 (4 times) 1 (6 times) 20 (3 times) 22 PATRICK GEHA 6-5 212 JR FORWARD LEAWOOD, KAN. (ROCKHURST HS [KAN.]) 0-0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 HIGH SCHOOL: In his first season with the OU program as a walk-on Played high school ball at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo.... Averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his senior season... Member of the Kansas/Missouri All-Academic Team. Points FG Made FG Attempts 2 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made FT Attempts Assists Blocks Steals Minutes 3 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 2 CHRIS GILES 6-3 193 FR GUARD DALLAS, TEXAS (FINDLAY COLLEGE PREP [NEV.]) 2-0 1.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 HIGH SCHOOL: Joined the Sooners as a walk-on...a three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals and Scout... Averaged 6.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game during his senior year at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev...A three-year letterwinner at Plano West before transferring to Findlay. Points 2 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Made 1 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Attempts 2 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made FT Attempts Assists Blocks Steals Minutes 4 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 10 @OU_MBBall
0 CHRISTIAN JAMES 6-4 211 JR GUARD HOUSTON, TEXAS (BELLAIRE HS) 2017-18: Has scored in double figures in all four games this season...opened the season with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting on Nov. 12 against Omaha...Entered his junior year after a productive offseason, averaging 16.3 points per game during OU s foreign tour to Australia and New Zealand...Shot 12-for-13 (.923) from 3-point range in four international exhibitions this past summer. 2016-17: In 31 games (14 starts), averaged 7.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 22.0 minutes...his scoring average was five points higher than his freshman season (2.9 points) and marked the second-highest improvement among returners on the 2016-17 OU squad...finished conference play averaging 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds against Big 12 foes...averaged 11.1 points and shot 21-of-45 (.467) from 3-point range during non-conference games...tied a career-high 17 points against Oral Roberts (Dec. 7) while picking off a career-best four steals...notched 14 points and seven rebounds against Northern Colorado (Nov. 29)...Scored 14 second-half points on 5-of-7 shooting and finished with a career-best 17 points and 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range vs. Clemson (Nov. 20)...First Sooner to shoot 100 percent from 3-point range on at least five attempts since Buddy Hield went 7-for-7 in November, 2014...Scored double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career by tallying 12 points against both Northwestern State (Nov. 13) and Tulane (Nov. 17). Points 17 (twice) FG Made 6 (twice) FG Attempts 17 vs. Wichita State (12/10/16) 4-4 12.8 2.5 2.5 27.3 2016-17 AVERAGES 31-14 7.9 3.7 1.1 22.0 3-Pt FG Made 5 vs. Clemson (11/20/16) 3-Pt FG Attempts 9 vs. Portland (11/24/17) FT Made 8 vs. Wichita State (12/10/16) FT Attempts 10 vs. Wichita State (12/10/16) 10 vs. Oregon (3/26/16) Assists 4 vs. Portland (11/24/17) Blocks 1 (5 times) Steals 3 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Minutes 35 vs. Baylor (12/30/16) 3 KHADEEM LATTIN 6-9 220 SR FORWARD HOUSTON, TEXAS (REDEMPTION CHRISTIAN HOME SCHOOL ACADEMY) GP-GS PTS REB BLK MIN 4-4 14.3 10.3 1.5 22.8 2016-17 AVERAGES GP-GS PTS REB BLK MIN 31-31 8.4 6.3 2.1 23.8 2017-18: Oklahoma s lone senior...boasts 72 consecutive starts...ranks fourth in program history in career blocked shots with 180 50 blocks shy of the program record...put together consecutive double-doubles for the second time in his career, posting 10 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas and following up with 19 points and a career-high 16 boards the next day against Portland (Nov. 24)...Recorded the first 20-point game of his career by shooting 9-of-10 with eight boards against Ball State on Nov. 15. 2016-17: The only Sooner to start in all 31 games...averaged 8.4 points, 6.3 rebounds (10th in Big 12), 2.1 blocks (second in Big 12) and 1.2 steals in 23.8 minutes...led the team in rebounds per game (6.3) and was second in field goal percentage (516)...During conference play, averaged 7.6 points, 6.3 rebounds (ninth in Big 12) and 2.4 blocks in 24.5 minutes...led the Big 12 in blocked shots per game during conference play for the second season in a row with 2.4 rejections (43 per game)...is the fourth Big 12 player to lead the league in blocks during conference play in back-to-back seasons... Boasted seven games of four or more blocks, including a season-best six rejections against Oklahoma State (Jan. 30)...Entering the year with six career games of double-digit scoring, he scored 10 or more points in nine contests in 2016-17... His two double-doubles were the second-most on the team...averaged 13.5 points, 8.8 boards and 3.0 blocks in the last four games of the year...concluded the season with 18 points (7-of-10 shooting) and nine boards against TCU (March 8)...Recorded his second double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a win over K-State (Feb. 25)...Opened the year with a career-high 19 points (7-of-9 shooting), 11 rebounds and two blocks for his third career double-double. Points 20 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Made 9 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Attempts 10 (twice) 3-Pt FG Made None 3-Pt FG Attempts 1 (4 times) FT Made 7 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) FT Attempts 8 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) 16 vs. Portland (11/24/17) Assists 3 vs. Baylor (1/23/16) Blocks 8 vs. Texas Tech (1/26) Steals 4 vs. Oral Roberst (12/7/16) Minutes 46 vs. Kansas (1/4/16) 14 TY LAZENBY 6-5 209 JR GUARD GLENCOE, OKLA. (NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE ENID) 4-0 1.3 2.3 0.5 9.0 2017-18: Scored three points in his OU debut on Nov. 12 against Omaha. JUNIOR COLLEGE: Attended Northern Oklahoma College Enid...National Junior College Athletic Association first-team All-American...In 2016-17, averaged 22.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting.451 from the field,.359 from 3-point range and.864 from the foul line...scored at least 20 points in 20 of his 29 games, including seven performances of at least 30 points. Points 3 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) FG Made 1 (twice) FG Attempts 5 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) 3-Pt FG Made 1 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) 3-Pt FG Attempts 3 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) FT Made FT Attempts 5 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Assists 1 (twice) Blocks Steals 1 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Minutes 14 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) @OU_MBBall 11
35 BRADY MANEK 6-9 210 FR FORWARD HARRAH, OKLA. (HARRAH HS) 4-4 9.8 6.0 1.3 23.0 2017-18: Pulled down a career-best eight boards against Arkansas on Nov. 23...Shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range en route to 16 points in his second career game (Nov. 15 vs. Ball State)...Started his first collegiate game, scoring 11 points to go with six boards against Omaha on Nov. 12. HIGH SCHOOL: A four-star recruit according to 247Sports, ESPN and Scout and a three-star recruit by Rivals...Rated by Scout as the No. 96 overall player in the country, No. 112 by 247 Sports and No. 134 by Rivals...Named the 14th-best power forward in the nation by Scout, No. 24 by 247Sports and No. 30 by ESPN...Averaged a double-double in his senior season at Harrah High School with 24.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field...selected by The Oklahoman as its Little All-City Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons for 2016 and 2017...Named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State First Team in 2017. Points 16 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Made 6 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Attempts 8 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Made 4 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Attempts 5 (twice) FT Made FT Attempts 1 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 8 vs. Arkansas (11/23/17) Assists 2 vs. Portland (11/24/17) Blocks 2 vs. Arkansas (11/23/17) Steals 1 vs. Portland (11/24/17) Minutes 24 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 20 KAMERON MCGUSTY 6-5 192 SO GUARD KATY, TEXAS (SUNRISE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY [KAN.]) 4-1 7.8 2.5 1.0 19.8 2016-17 AVERAGES 31-17 10.9 2.2 0.9 24.9 2017-18: A Preseason All-Big 12 Team honorable mention selection. 2016-17: Played in all 31 games (17 starts) his freshman season, averaging 10.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest...shot.430 from the field,.352 from 3-point range and.778 from the foul line... During conference play, led the Sooners with 14.4 points (13th in Big 12), 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 30.7 minutes per outing...shot 30-of-79 (.380) from 3-point range in Big 12 games (11th in Big 12)...An All-Big 12 honorable mention selection and member of the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team...The most decorated Sooner freshman of the Lon Kruger era, he was the first OU freshman to earn All-Big 12 honors and All-Newcomer status since Tommy Mason-Griffin in 2009-10...Finished third in conference scoring among freshmen with 14.4 points per game...reached a double-figures scoring streak of 15 outings (Jan. 3 - Feb. 21) the longest by an OU freshman since Jeff Webster (22) in 1990-91 and the longest by any Big 12 freshman during the season...his four games of 20+ points are the most by an OU freshman since Tommy Mason-Griffin (seven) in 2009-10...His 337 total points ranks 10th all-time for a freshman season at OU...Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his performance in games against Kansas (Feb. 27) and TCU (March 4), averaging 18.0 points, 2.0 steals and 1.5 rebounds on.452 percent shooting...recorded a career-high 22 points against both TCU (March 4) and Oklahoma State (Jan. 30)...Scored 21 points at Texas (Jan. 23)...Alongside teammate Kristian Doolittle s 29 points vs. Texas, became the first pair of OU freshman to both score 20 points in a game since 1976...In the K-State game on Jan. 7, became the first Sooner freshman with a 20-point performance since 2014 and was also the first Sooner to score 20 points off the bench since Romero Osby produced 22 points in 2012. Points 22 (Twice) FG Made 9 vs. Oklahoma State (1/30/17) FG Attempts 17 (3 Times) 3-Pt FG Made 4 vs. Texas Tech (2/4/17) 3-Pt FG Attempts 7 (4 Times) FT Made 8 vs. Kansas State (1/7/17) FT Attempts 9 vs. Kansas State (1/7/17) 6 vs. Texas (2/14/17) Assists 3 (twice) Blocks 2 vs. No. Colorado (11/29/16) Steals 5 vs. Texas (2/14/17) Minutes 44 vs. Iowa State (1/21/17) 4 JAMUNI MCNEACE 6-10 222 JR CENTER KANKAKEE, ILL. (ALLEN HS [TEXAS]) GP-GS PTS REB BLK MIN 4-0 3.8 3.3 2.0 14.3 GP-GS PTS REB BLK MIN 31-0 4.4 3.7 1.2 15.5 2017-18: Kicked off the season with 14 points off the bench (6-of-7 shooting) while registering a career-high six blocks vs. Omaha on Nov. 12. 2016-17: Posted his first career double-double with career highs in both points (14) and rebounds (14) against Texas on Feb. 14...Shot 6-of-6 from the field to score 4 points off the bench against West Virginia (Jan. 18)...In a career-high 33 minutes of action against Memphis (Dec. 17), posted 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting while pulling down a career-high-tying nine boards...ranks 10th in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.3)...Pulle Points 14 (3 times) FG Made 6 (3 times) FG Attempts 10 vs. Texas (2/14/17) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts 1 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) FT Made 4 vs. Auburn (12/21/16) FT Attempts 7 vs. Auburn (12/21/16) 10 vs. Texas (2/14/17) Assists 1 (4 times) Blocks 6 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) Steals 1 (7 times) Minutes 33 vs. Memphis (12/17/16) 12 @OU_MBBall
1 RASHARD ODOMES 6-6 217 JR GUARD COPPERAS COVE, TEXAS (COPPERAS COVE HS) 3-3 7.0 2.7 0.6 17.3 2016-17 AVERAGES 30-30 7.0 3.1 1.8 26.8 2016-17: In 30 games (all starts), averaged 10.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.8 minutes...shot.487 from the field...during Big 12 play, averaged 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds (16th in Big 12), 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals in 28.8 minutes while shooting.492 from the field...no returning Big 12 player saw a bigger increase in role than Odomes, with an increase in minutes played of 20.7 compared to his freshman season (6.1 minutes per game)...the only Big 12 returner to average under two points in 2015-16 (1.9 points) and over 10 points in 2016-17 (10.1)...His increase in scoring average (8.2 points per game) was the second-highest among all Big 12 returners and the highest among Big 12 sophomores...one of two Sooners (Lattin) to start in 30 games...put together 17 games of double-digit scoring, including two games of over 20 points...collected his first career double-double with career highs in points (29) and rebounds (10) on 10-of-14 shooting against Oklahoma State (Feb. 18)...Shot 9-of-14 from the field en route to 24 points against Texas Tech (Jan. 14)...Against Tech, notched 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the opening half and added a career-best eight boards. Points 29 vs. Oklahoma State (2/18/17) FG Made 10 vs. Oklahoma State (2/18/17) FG Attempts 14 (Twice) 3-PT FG Made 1 (3 times) 3-PT FG Attempts 2 (Twice) FT Made 8 vs. Oklahoma State (2/18/17) FT Attempts 12 (Twice) 10 vs. Oklahoma State (2/18/17) Assists 5 vs. Northwestern St (11/13/16) Blocks 1 (4 times) Steals 3 (Twice) Minutes 40 vs. Iowa State (1/21/17) 44 HANNES PÖLLÄ 6-11 271 FR CENTER LAHTI, FINLAND (HELSINKI BASKETBALL ACADEMY) 3-0 3.7 1.7 0.0 4.0 2017-18: Pronounced HAHN-iss POLE-uh. HIGH SCHOOL: A four-star recruit according to ESPN and a three-star recruit by Scout...Named the 34th best center in the class of 2017 by ESPN...In the 2016-17 Finnish League season, averaged 12.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks with Helsinki Basketball Academy...Competed for U20, U18 and U16 Finnish National Teams... Helped Finland go 5-2 at the 2017 U20 European Division B Championship, averaging 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 19.6 minutes...during the 2016 U18 Nordic Championship, averaged 7.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest for Finland s National Team. Points 6 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Made 3 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FG Attempts 5 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made 1 vs. Portland (11/24/17) FT Attempts 2 vs. Portland (11/24/17) 5 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Assists Blocks Steals Minutes 5 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) 13 JORDAN SHEPHERD 6-2 180 SO GUARD ASHEVILLE, N.C. (ASHEVILLE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY) 4-0 7.3 1.5 3.5 20.0 2016-17 AVERAGES 28-4 4.3 1.2 1.5 17.0 one steal in 37 minutes. Points 18 vs. Memphis (12/17/16) FG Made 6 vs. Memphis (12/17/16) FG Attempts 14 vs. Memphis (12/17/16) 2017-18: Scored nine points off the bench against Arkansas on Nov. 23...Dished out a career-high six assists in the season opener against Omaha (Nov. 12). 2016-17: In 28 games (four starts), averaged 4.3 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.0 minutes... During conference play, averaged 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.7 minutes per outing... Registered four games of at least 10 points...pulled down a career-best five rebounds to go with 12 points and four assists against Kansas State (Feb. 25)...Dished out a career-high five assists against Oklahoma State (Feb. 18)...Led the Sooners bench with 11 points and three dimes against West Virginia on Feb. 8...Earned his first career start on Dec. 17 against Memphis...Entering the Memphis game averaging just 2.7 points and 8.8 minutes, posted a career-high 18 points in his starting debut, adding two rebounds, two assists, one block and 3-Pt FG Made 2 (4 times) 3-Pt FG Attempts 6 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) FT Made 7 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) FT Attempts 8 vs. Kansas State (2/25/17) 5 vs. (twice) Assists 6 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) Blocks 1 (7 times) Steals 2 (3 times) Minutes 33 vs. Memphis (12/17/16) @OU_MBBall 13
32 READ STRELLER 6-8 229 FR FORWARD EDMOND, OKLA. (OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL) 0-0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 HIGH SCHOOL: In his first season with the OU program as a walk-on Played two seasons of varsity basketball at Oklahoma Christian School...Named an Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association All-Star...A 2017 honorable mention All-State selection by The Oklahoman...A 2017 Little All-City honorable mention choice by the Oklahoman. Points FG Made FG Attempts 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made FT Attempts Assists Blocks Steals Minutes 30 MARSHALL THORPE 6-9 226 SO FORWARD TULSA, OKLA. (BISHOP KELLEY HS) 1-0 0.0 2.0 0.0 3.0 2017-18: The Sooners only returning walk-on. 2016-17: Played in three games Pulled down three rebounds in three minutes against Oral Roberts (Dec. 7)...Made his OU debut on Nov. 13 vs. Northwestern State. GP-GS PTS REB BLK MIN 3-0 0.0 1.0 0.3 1.7 Points FG Made FG Attempts None None 1 (Twice) 3-Pt FG Made 3-Pt FG Attempts FT Made None None None FT Attempts None 3 vs. Oral Roberst (12/7/16) Assists None Blocks 1 vs. Northwestern St (11/13/16) Steals 1 vs. Oral Roberst (12/7/16) Minutes 3 (twice) 11 TRAE YOUNG 6-2 180 FR GUARD NORMAN, OKLA. (NORMAN NORTH HS) 4-4 24.5 4.3 9.0 29.8 2017-18: Through four collegiate games, has three games of at least 20 points and two double-doubles... Became the first freshman of the Lon Kruger era to score over 30 points, tallying 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting against Portland (Nov. 24)...Notched 28 points against Arkansas on Nov. 23...Recorded his second double-double in as many collegiate games with 22 points and 13 assists against Ball State on Nov. 15 to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week...Began his collegiate career with 15 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals against Omaha on Nov. 12 the first points-assists double-double by a Sooner since Dec. 7, 2015 (Isaiah Cousins)...After the Omaha performance, was named Big 12 Player of the Week, becoming just the second freshman in Big 12 history to be named the conference s Player of the Week in the opening week of the season, joining Michael Beasley of Kansas State in 2007... Selected to the Preseason Top 50 for the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Men s Player of the Year...One of 20 watch list candidates for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame...One two freshmen in the Big 12 to be named a Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. HIGH SCHOOL: Named a five-star recruit according to 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout...Rated the No. 14 overall player in the country by Rivals, No. 15 by ESPN, No. 18 by 247Sports and No. 21 by Scout...Named the second-best point guard in the nation by ESPN and third-best by 247Sports and Scout...Averaged 42.6 points, 4.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds during his senior year at Norman North High School while shooting 48.9 percent from the field...earned McDonald s All-America honors, starting at point guard for the West Team in the 2017 McDonald s All American Game...Is the fourth McDonald s All-American from Oklahoma to play for OU, joining Sooner legends Blake Griffin, Wayman Tisdale and Jeff Webster...Named a first-team All-American by MaxPreps and a second-team All-American by USA Today and the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Trophy)...Selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017...One of 24 players invited to compete in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y...Won gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship as part of the United States U18 National Team...Was also selected to participate in the 2017 USA Basketball Men s U19 World Cup Team training camp but chose not to attend in order to focus his time with his new OU teammates...took first place at the McDonald s All-American 3-Point Contest and finished as the runner-up at the American Family Insurance High School 3-Point Contest at the Final Four. Points 33 vs. Portland (11/24/17) FG Made 11 vs. Portland (11/24/17) FG Attempts 18 (twice) 3-Pt FG Made 5 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) 3-Pt FG Attempts 10 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) FT Made 8 (twice) FT Attempts 9 vs. Arkansas (11/23/17) 6 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) Assists 13 vs. Ball State (11/15/17) Blocks 2 vs. Omaha (11/12/17) Steals 3 vs. Portland (11/24/17) Minutes 34 vs. Arkansas (11/23/17) 14 @OU_MBBall
ukruger FILE Hometown: Silver Lake, Kan. Alma Mater: Kansas State 75 Years Coached: 31 Career Record: 604-382 (.613) Record at OU: 125-78 (.616) Postseason Appearances: 21 (17 NCAA, 4 NIT) ufamily Wife: Barbara Daughter: Angie Son: Kevin Granddaughter: Avery Grandson: Wyatt u COACHING HISTORY 2011-Present: Oklahoma Head Coach 2004-11: UNLV Head Coach 2003-04: New York Knicks Assistant Coach 2000-03: Atlanta Hawks Head Coach 1996-00: Illinois Head Coach 1990-96: Florida Head Coach 1986-90: Kansas State Head Coach 1982-86: Texas-Pan American Head Coach 1977-82: Kansas State Assistant Coach 1976-77: Pittsburg State Assistant Coach LON KRUGER 17 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES TWO FINAL FOURS FIVE SWEET SIXTEENS ONLY COACH TO LEAD FIVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO AN NCAA TOURNAMENT WIN NINTH MOST WINS AMONG ACTIVE DIVISION I HEAD COACHES Lon Kruger is in his seventh campaign as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners and 32nd season of coaching college basketball. Kruger, who has been leaving his trademark rebuilding stamp on college basketball programs throughout his career, is the first Division I coach to ever take five different schools to the NCAA Tournament. In 2015 he became the first coach since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to take four programs to the Sweet 16 or beyond. With a career record of 604-382, Kruger boasts the ninth most career wins among active coaches and is the 33rd head coach to win 600 Division I games in the history of college basketball. Kruger owns a 20-17 record in NCAA Tournament games and has compiled 16 20-plus-win seasons, including nine in the last 12 years. In 2017, Kruger was honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Metropolitan Award for long and outstanding service to men s college basketball. After inheriting a program that went 27-36 (.429) in the two seasons prior to his arrival, Kruger has coached the Sooners to a 125-78 (.616) record in his six years in Norman. Kruger has guided the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament four times, including a trip to the 2016 Final Four. Oklahoma wasn t the first rapid turnaround under Kruger. When Kruger took over the Florida job in 1990, the Gators were coming off of a 7-21 season. Four years into the role, Kruger guided UF to the 1994 Final Four. Kruger is one of just two head coaches (also Rick Pitino with Kentucky and Louisville) to inherit two teams coming off a sub-.500 year and take both to a Final Four within the first five seasons as head coach. LON KRUGER YEAR BY YEAR Year School Record Pct. 1982-83 Pan American 7-21.250 1983-84 Pan American 13-14.481 1984-85 Pan American 12-16.429 1985-86 Pan American 20-8.714 1986-87 * Kansas State 20-11.645 1987-88 * Kansas State 25-9.735 1988-89 * Kansas State 19-11.633 1989-90 * Kansas State 17-15.531 1990-91 Florida 11-17.393 1991-92 ^ Florida 19-14.576 1992-93 ^ Florida 16-12.571 1993-94 * Florida 29-8.784 1994-95 * Florida 17-13.567 1995-96 Florida 12-16.429 1996-97 * Illinois 22-10.688 1997-98 * Illinois 23-10.697 1998-99 Illinois 14-18.438 1999-00 * Illinois 22-10.688 2004-05 ^ UNLV 17-14.548 2005-06 UNLV 17-13.567 2006-07 * UNLV 30-7.811 2007-08 * UNLV 27-8.771 2008-09 ^ UNLV 21-11.656 2009-10 * UNLV 25-9.735 2010-11 * UNLV 24-9.727 2011-12 Oklahoma 15-16.483 2012-13 * Oklahoma 20-12.625 2013-14 * Oklahoma 23-10.697 2014-15 * Oklahoma 24-11.686 2015-16 * Oklahoma 29-8.784 2016-17 Oklahoma 11-20.354 2017-18 Oklahoma 3-1.750 Totals 604-382.613 * NCAA Tournament ^ NIT A staple of the NCAA postseason, Kruger has taken five different schools to the Big Dance. His collegiate teams have made postseason appearances in 21 of the last 28 years. He has guided teams to 17 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16s and two Final Fours. Kruger rebuilt the Sooners upon his arrival in Norman. His 111 wins in the first five seasons are the second most through the first five seasons of coaching at OU (Billy Tubbs went 115-49 from 1980-85). He was the first coach in OU history to win six NCAA tournament games within his first five seasons. Following the 2013-14 season, he was voted the AP Big 12 Coach of the Year. Under Kruger, Sooner players have earned First-Team All-Big 12 selections on three occasions and racked up 18 Academic All-Big 12 honors. Buddy Hield, who played four seasons for Kruger (2012-16), was named the winner of the 2016 Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and the Oscar Robertson Trophy as the national player of the year (first consensus player of the year for OU since Blake Griffin in 2009). Hield was named Big 12 Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016 (second player in conference history to win the award twice) and exited OU as the Big 12 s all-time leading scorer. Three Sooners have been drafted into the NBA during Kruger s tenure. Hield was selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft while Isaiah Cousins (2016) and Romero Osby (2013) were chosen in the second round of their respective drafts. For a full bio, visit SoonerSports.com. @OU_MBBall 15