Weber to stay at Illinois
Illinois coach Bruce Weber will remain with the Illini the school announced in a written statement Thursday afternoon.
Weber, who has coached Illinois the past eight seasons, said in the statement he received calls from other schools. Sources said one of those schools was Oklahoma.
Some Illinois fans have called for Weber to be fired after a 21-14 finish. The Illini were ranked in the top 25 in preseason but finished unranked, receiving a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Weber, 54, has compiled a 193-86 record at Illinois but the Illini hasn’t reached the Sweet Sixteen since his first two seasons when he inherited players from former coach Bill Self, who left for Kansas.
Illinois has made the NCAA Tournament in six of Weber’s eight seasons but only two of the last four. Weber owns a career 296-140 record, including five seasons at Southern Illinois.
Lane Johnson could join battle at RT
THE SOONERS HAD SUCCESS WITH ERIC MENSIK going from tight end to tackle. In light of Jarvis Jones’ torn patella ligament, they’re wondering if Lane Johnson can make a similar transition. Johnson played quarterback at his junior college, was recruited to OU as a tight end and last season flipped to defensive end. Now, the Sooners are considering auditioning Johnson at right tackle.
“Lane has a good idea about it, but he is doing really well at d-end and so we worry about even giving him a little peek,” Stoops said. “But he’s up to 275 and he has about eight percent body fat. He is about 6-10 — kidding, but Lane is huge.
“Lane actually has more years than Eric Mensik did, so that may be something that we stumble into. We are going to look at it and make sure that Lane has a good idea, and a good attitude and he seems to like it. He thought, ‘Hey it is worth it if it will get me a look.’”
Johnson’s chances of getting on the field might actually be better at tackle. The Sooners are stacked at defensive end with Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis and R.J. Washington, David King and Geneo Grissom. But at tackle, his competition is Josh Aladenoye and Daryl Williams. Neither player has started a game.
IF JOSH ALADENOYE WINS the starting right tackle job, it will be in large part because of the work he’s put in the weight room. Aladenoye came to campus overweight at almost 360 pounds. He now weighs 315 and is beginning to show some natural quickness.
“He’s got a chance,” line coach James Patton said. “We have to refine some technique with him. Jarvis was quick footed and a really good athlete. Josh is the same kind of way he just needs to play more. He needs to get more reps. He’s getting that right now.”
IN KENNY STILLS, OU had arguably the most productive freshman wideout in school history last season. Stills’ freshman outburst has overshadowed the other four receivers in the recruiting class of 2010. But with Stills banged up with a hamstring tweak, some of those wideouts like Sheldon McClain and Justin McCay have been getting a lot of work with the first-team offense.
“You know, they’re getting better,” Stoops said. “Sheldon is coming on and he is beginning to get a little more consistent. Justin is doing better and showing up with his big body and making plays. Joe (Powell) is too, but Joe is still a little too inconsistent here and there, but they are getting better, which is exciting to see”
The chances for any of those three to break the receiving rotation, however, are slim. In addition to Stills, the Sooners bring back All-American Ryan Broyles, Trey Franks and Dejuan Miller back at wideout, and also signed arguably the No. 1 wideout in the country in Trey Metoyer.
SPEAKING OF METOYER, position coach and co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said “hopefully” Metoyer will qualify academically and be with the team this fall. Norvell didn’t expound, but at this point, it’s too early to know if Metoyer will make it or not.
But if the Sooners can get Metoyer to campus, he should compete for a substantial role in the offense immediately. Metoyer is top 10 in the Texas high school football record books for career receptions, yards and touchdowns.
SPEAKING OF MILLER, the 6-foot-4 junior stepped back on the practice field this week. Miller is coming off a season-ending knee injury.
“He will be fairly limited in how much he gets, but he looked good out there,” Stoops said. “We had been holding him out of a lot of team stuff, but he had been doing some individual stuff, but he looks good.”
Said Broyles: “He needs to get some more confidence in the knee. But he’s a veteran, he knows what’s expected of him.”
BROYLES STEADILY has been adding weight to what three years ago was a skinny frame. Last season Broyles played at 185 pounds. Broyles got up to 195, but expects to play at his target weight of 192 during the season.
“I can tell the difference,” he said. “When I get into contact, I don’t notice it as much.”
DEFENSIVE TACKLE DANIEL NOBLE IS BACK AND FEELING BETTER than ever after returning from a concussion that ended the second half of his freshman season.
Noble was beginning to surge following a banner performance in a win over Texas. But the following week, he was chasing Iowa State’s quarterback when an offensive lineman wheeled around and popped him in the head. Noble was diagnosed with a concussion. Noble thought he’d be back soon. But the concussion kept lingering.
“There were some bad days,” he said. “Headaches and fatigue. Just a bad place for me.”
Noble said the most frustrating part of the injury was the lack of a timetable.
“With a knee injury, the trainers tell you in six months you’ll be here, in eight months you’ll be here. With concussions you don’t really know,” said Noble, who eventually saw an Oklahoma City neurologist. “I was talking to the trainers to see where I was going, and they couldn’t really give me a definite timeline. They were just kind of, ‘You’ll get better when you’re better.’”
Noble ultimately got better. He’s had a great winter, according to Stoops. Now, he’s trying to work his way back into the rotation at defensive tackle, where the Sooners desperately needed him last season.
“Through all the winter, I’ve been feeling great,” Noble said. “I had great workouts. I got back to feeling like I should feel, back ready to play football. It’s been a relief, definitely.”
THE SOONERS MIGHT HAVE UNEARTHED another Brian Lepak. Drew Serruto, a walk-on transfer from Eastern Michigan has been getting some reps on the interior of the offensive line at guard and center.
Serruto attended high school in Centerville, Ohio, before accepting a scholarship to play at Easter Michigan. Patton says he has no idea how Serruto ended up all the way in Norman, but he could prove to be a valuable reserve.
“He’s got good feet, good quickness,” Patton said.
Serruto was with the team last year, but on the defensive line.
-JT
OU job not an easy sell
OU athletic director Joe Castiglione faces a monumental challenge to find a replacement for Jeff Capel, who he fired two weeks ago. Because the program is in a deep hole, playing in an elite conference, it’s understandable why a lot of coaches would be hesitant to take the job.
Castiglione repeatedly has said the program’s rich tradition — a lot richer than often given credit — makes it an attractive job.
Castiglione can sell coaches on the fact the Sooners have been to Final Fours, won conference titles, played in countless NCAA Tournaments and have produced players like Blake Griffin, Wayman Tisdale and Mookie Blaylock.
OU's Steven Pledger drives to the basket past Baylor's Fred Ellis during the college basketball Big 12 Championship tournament game between the University of Oklahoma and Baylor in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
But at this point and time, April 2011, the OU job isn’t that attractive for several reasons.
1) The talent pool on campus is lacking. The new coach will have some decent players to build around — Andrew Fitzgerald, Cameron Clark, Steven Pledger, Romero Osby and Tyler Neal — but none are stars which is requried to win at a high level. It’s probably the primary reason Castiglione decided to make a change. He could sense the current roster wasn’t on the brink of being a viable NCAA Tournament contender.
2) An ongoing NCAA investigation probably won’t lead to any sanctions since the investigation is almost a year old with no new developments. But one of Capel’s former assistants being accused of possibly being involved in a alledged improper loan to an OU player’s family doesn’t help Castiglione’s sales pitch.
3) The most daunting variable is the new coach faces the unenviable task of playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country. It will be even tougher with Colorado and Nebraska leaving. The 18-game round robin format will be brutal for everyone, especially a program in a rebuilding mode.
Kansas and Texas are perennial powers. Kansas State and Texas A&M have built solid programs. Oklahoma State has one of the nation’s top players joining a solid nucleus. Missouri is a factor once again and should remain so depending on who the Tigers hire.
Baylor coach Scott Drew has recruited NBA caliber talent. Texas Tech should improve dramatically under Billy Gillispie. That leaves Iowa State and OU. And Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg already is restocking the roster in Ames.
On a nightly basis, the new Sooner coach will be matched against Bill Self (Kansas), Rick Barnes (Texas), Frank Martin (Kansas State), Travis Ford (OSU), Mark Turgeon (A&M), Gillispie, Hoiberg and whoever Missouri hires. Drew is the least feared of the group and he signstop notch talent.
There will be no gimmes in the revamped Big 12. Especially on the road.
Castiglione is right. OU has a rich tradition. But it will take at least a year or two for the new coach to restock the roster to where it can be competive in a dog-eat-dog conference.
Maybe veteran coach Lon Kruger is willing to take on the momumental rebuilding task. Whoever takes the job, there’s a ton of work to be done in a conference where finishing in the top half will be a major challenge for everyone except Kansas and Texas.
Yes, OU has a rich men’s basketball tradition. But it won’t be easy to get the program back to where it was much of the past three decades.
Tramel: BYU’s Dave Rose not interested in OU basketball job
The Oklahoman sports columnist Berry Tramel says BYU coach Dave Rose isn’t interested in coaching at OU.
An OU source said Rose was contacted but turned down a chance to pursue the Sooner job. Rose is a Utah lifer (except for his two years at Houston U. as part of Phi Slama Jama) and a devout Mormon. It wasn’t a great fit.
Read more from Berry here. Who should Joe Castiglione look at next?
Power Lunch Chat Recap: Jake Trotter
OT Jarvis Jones injures knee
Offensive tackle Jarvis Jones suffered a knee injury during Friday’s spring practice, a source confirmed to The Oklahoman. The injury is believed to be a torn patella tendon. It’s unclear how long Jones will be out, but at the least he will miss the rest of spring ball. Jones had surgery on Saturday.
With Jones out, freshman Daryl Williams and sophomore Josh Aladenoye will both get time at right tackle this spring.
-JT
Buzz Willams expects new contract with Marquette
Buzz Williams told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday that he expects to have a new contract with Marquette soon. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Williams addressed the situation after Marquette’s loss to North Carolina on Friday night, saying he expected to start talking about a new contract with Marquette in the next couple of days.
“I have now completed three seasons as head coach at Marquette,” Williams told the Journal Sentinel. “I’ve worked under three different contracts. I anticipate, if I can sleep between now and open of business on Monday, that on Monday we’ll begin work on the fourth contract.
“Is it going to happen on Monday? I don’t think so. I can tell you this: I have unbelievable confidence in the administration. I think they feel the same about me. And no amount of money, no years of service, no anything else that goes into a contract means more to me than that.”
Now, does that mean the folks at OU should strike Williams off their list of possible candidates (if he’s even on the list…)? Nope. We’ve heard coaches talk like this before only to bolt for a new school a day or two later.
OU isn’t the only school for which Williams has been mentioned as a possible candidate. His name has also come up with the openings at Tennessee, Missiouri and Georgia Tech.
Read the rest of Williams’ comments here.
– Assistant Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
How valuable is the OU football radio broadcast?
Landry Jones pumping up
MUCH LIKE SAM BRADFORD before him, quarterback Landry Jones has transformed his body the last two off-seasons.
“He really did that a year ago and has done the same here,” coach Bob Stoops said. “He is a great worker. His
strength has improved and he is constantly working on it and his footwork, strength and body. Again he
is a big strong guy and that works hard and looks good.”
Jones is all the way up to 230 pounds. He weighed 211 when he first got to OU. He’s noticeably stouter this spring. That should only help him stand tall in the pocket and deliver throws with more power and zip.
“I definitely changed my body more this winter,” he said. “During the season, you are really just trying to survive. During the winter you build on what you already had. I’ve gotten a bit faster and put more muscle on.”
Jones said during the spring, he’s really focused on quickening his release and his footwork, two areas he really improved on from his freshman to sophomore seasons.
BRUCE KITTLE, who just five years ago, was coaching seventh grade football in Iowa has to pinch himself that he’s now an assistant at OU. Kittle was promoted from recruiting coordinator to offensive tackle/tight ends coach in the off-season, taking Kevin Wilson’s spot on the staff.
“To to tell you that I thought I would get it done in five years, it’s a little bit more than surreal,” he said.
“Every morning my feet hit the ground, I drive in and park in the stadium and I walk into the OU Sooner football office, and this is my job. I still have to pinch myself a little bit.”
Kittle graduated from Iowa in 1983 with a degree in business. He obtained his law degree from Iowa in 1989 then received a master’s in divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1998. Years later, he decided he wanted to be in football.
“Kind of a funny thing, my different jobs and career changes, I get cold calls from all over,” he said. “Anytime an article runs on my history, I get calls from people asking me how I did it, why I did it. I don’t know if there’s a good answer. I’ve been very fortunate that I haven’t spent too much time doing things I really didn’t believe in. I feel very blessed to be in this spot.”
LONDELL TAYLOR learning how to play linebacker is a bit like Bob Stoops “reading Japanese” the coach cracked. Taylor, a walk-on out of Vian, has been playing pro baseball since being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 13th round of the 2007 MLB Draft. Taylor originally had a scholarship and signed with OU before deciding to pursue his baseball career.
“We’re still working through that with him,” Stoops said. “There’s a lot of understanding that needs to still happen there. He’s got a lot of developing that way to go. Physically, he’s done a great job. It’s just getting him to understand everything. I think sometimes it’s a little bit like me reading Japanese when you’ve been away that long.”
Stoops could once read Japanese?
“No, (laughing) I guess I should say he’s further along than that. But you get what I mean. The terminology is just different than what he’s heard the last few years.”
THREE INTERESTING NATIONAL STORIES have been penned about the Sooners in the last week.
* From SI.com, about linebacker Tom Wort, who isn’t a stranger in a strange land, but a stranger in his homeland.
* From Rivals.com, about the working relationship co-coordinators Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell now share.
* From Dr. Saturday, about defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland, the “missing link” on the Sooner defense.
STOOPS ON EMBRACING THE POSSIBILITY of being preseason No. 1: “We are always talking, regardless of what our expectations or rankings are, our expectations internally are always pretty high. Our whole focus is then talking to them about what are we going to do about it and how are we going to go about earning this. That’s what we did in the winter and I felt great about the way we came out of that. Now the second part of the whole year process is spring ball and how are we going to change and develop as a team in the way we go on the field. We talk a lot to our guys about earning what you get so hopefully they have had that kind of attitude.”
-JT
Regents approve new dorm to replace the Bud
The University of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents approved the conceptual design for the $75 million Sooner Center Student Housing, which will house almost 400 students.
The new facility, of which 49 percent will comprise athletes and 51 percent non-athletes, will replace Bud Wilkinson Hall and be funded by the athletic department. The location will be where the old O’Connell’s was.
The 230,000 square foot housing center will have 392 beds in two- and four-bedroom units. The building will include central dining, computer labs and study rooms as well as a faculty-in-residence unit.
The facility could be ready for occupancy by the fall of 2013.
-JT
