DeMarco Murray going to Big D
The Dallas Cowboys made DeMarco Murray the No. 71 overall pick in the NFL Draft, selecting the Oklahoma running back midway through the third round.
The choice is intriguing by the Cowboys, considering they already have Marion Barber, Oklahoma native Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, who played at OU before transferring to Georgia Tech. But to spend such a high pick on a running back, the Cowboys must believe Murray is capable of beating at least one of those three backs.
-JT
Power Lunch: Chat with OU football writer Jake Trotter
Sooners land commitment No. 5
OU landed its fifth verbal commitment for the Class of 2012 in Mesquite (Texas) Horn cornerback DeVante Harris, SoonerScoop.com reported Thursday night.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Harris had offers from Kansas State, Mississippi State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia.
The also have commitments from Jenks running back Alex Ross, Heritage Hall receiver Sterling Shepard, San Antonio offensive tackle Kyle Marrs and Rockdale, Texas, athlete Daniel Brooks.
-JT
DeMarco Murray on top of the world
Or on top of the Empire State Building. Murray in NYC for this week’s NFL Draft.
-JT
Kruger upgrades roster
Most believe new OU men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger will need at least one more season before the Sooners realistically are an NCAA Tournament contender.
But since he was hired three weeks ago, Kruger has signed three players, including two junior college prospects that could make the Sooners one of the conference’s surprise teams his debut season in Norman.
Sam Grooms, a Juco point guard from Chipola (Fla.), will compete for the starting job. Later this week Casey Arent, a 6-10 Juco center from Sierra (Calif.) will officially sign. Arent gives the Sooners a big man they need after starting four guards last season.
The biggest impact will be the addition of forward Romero Osby, an inside-outside weapon who sat out last season after transferring from Mississippi State. Former coach Jeff Capel said Osby was the best player on OU’s roster.
Add those three newcomers to the roster Kruger inherits and the Sooners have some upside. Maybe it will take another year, and another recruiting class which will include Amath M’Baye, a Wyoming transfer who will be eligible in 2012-13.
But the Sooners might contend next season. OU returns four starters from a off a 14-18 team that beat Baylor twice and Colorado.
Known for turnarounds at other schools facing rebuilding projects, Kruger and his staff will have at least eight players for the rotation, a major upgrade from last season.
Grooms, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, is a pass-first point guard who has a reputation for playing solid defense. Grooms isn’t a top NBA prospect. But Grooms and Carl Blair, last year’s starter, should form a solid combination.
Forward Andrew Fitzgerald shed more than 30 pounds and was the Big 12′s Most Improved Player. A consistent inside scorer with 15-foot range, Ftizgerald gives Kruger a valuable weapon to build around, especially if Arent can ease the load defensively.
Wing player Cameron Clark had a solid freshman season. A top 40 consensus national recruit, Clark should average double figures. Long and athletic, Clark could develop into an elite defender.
Guard Steven Pledger expanded his game, putting the ball on the floor more but primiarly is a shooter. Ideally, Pledger would be a scoring threat off the bench. Regardless of his role, Pledger is a double figure scorer to build around.
Tyler Neal flashed potential his freshman year. The 6-foot-7 Putnam West product has 3-point range. He was overmatched defensively in the paint. But if he adds 10 or more pounds of muscle in the off-season, he should be part of the rotation.
How much has the roster been upgraded? Forward C.J. Washington and backup point guard Calvin Newell — two reserves last season — will have to battle just to carve out some playing time.
Several Big 12 teams, including Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Kansas State, must regroup. The revamped 10-team league will be competitive but a little down.
If Kruger and his staff can get the right pieces to mesh, especially by conference play, there could be enough talent the Sooners might be one of the Big 12′s surprise teams next season.
OU caravan dates set
The Oklahoma athletics department has released the dates for the OU caravan. Here’s a look at the caravan stops and the coaches that will be in attendance:
June 2 – Dallas @ Addison Event Center (football coach Bob Stoops, men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger, women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale)
June 8 – Tulsa @ OU-Tulsa Campus (Stoops, Coale and men’s asst. coach TBA)
Aug. 1 – OKC @ National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Stoops, Kruger, Coale)
The OU caravan will stop in Oklahoma City at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Aug. 1. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, The Oklahoman Archive
– Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
Sampson interviews in Houston
Former OU coach Kelvin Sampson said the past two years his goal is to become an NBA head coach. According to reports in Houston, Sampson is interviewing Tuesday for the Houston Rockets vacancy.
Because of his five-year NCAA ban following infractions at OU and Indiana, Sampson has little choice but to stay in the NBA.
Could he succeed as an NBA head coach? It’s impossible to answer.
Most college coaches, including Lon Kruger, recently hired at OU, haven’t fared well. Rick Pitino and John Calipari proved in the NBA that they do their best work on campuses.
But there have been a handful over the years that have won at both levels, the most obvious being Larry Brown and Chuck Daly.
Anyone who followed the Sooners knows Sampson should fare well in his interview. Sampson has a knack for pursuading people to see things from his point of view.
One factor in his favor is most candidates being mentioned are assistants. Sampson’s head coaching experience, even though it’s on the college level, should help. Having a couple of years NBA experience also is a plus.
Sampson is in a good situation in Milwaukee. The Bucks have been competetive with a sub-par roster. Star players are mandatory to win in the NBA but Scott Skiles and his staff have shown solid coaching can make a difference.
Don’t expect any revelation after Sampson’s interview. The Rockets are expected to take their time. Sampson might be first candidate to interview but Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is expected to talk to several coaches.
Reports indicate Rockets assistant Jack Sikma and former Rocket player Mario Elie will interview on Wednesday. Two former head coaches — Mike Woodson (Atlanta) and Mike Brown (Cleveland) — might be candidates.
Other coaches, including some assistants currently in the playoffs, will be interviewed, possibly Memphis’ Dave Joeger, Dallas’ Dwane Casey, Boston’s Lawrence Frank and San Antonio’s Mike Budenholzer.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Sampson make the first cut. But will he land the job? Probably not. But simply being interviewed by the Rockets gets his name out. If Houston doesn’t hire him he might get a shot somewhere else.
Arent to sign on Tuesday
Casey Arent, a 6-foot-10 California junior college center, is expected to officially sign with the Sooners on Tuesday.
Arent visited Norman last week during his spring break at Sierra College in Sacramento. He verbally committed to OU over the weekend.
An All-State California Junior College selection, Arent averaged 19.1 points and 11.4 rebounds his sophomore season for the Wolverines.
Hired three weeks ago at OU, Lon Kruger made a late push to sign Arent, a much needed big man on a roster that started four guards last season. If Arent can carve out a key role it would allow Andrew Fitzgerald to play power forward, his natural position.
Arent is the third player Kruger has added. Kruger signed Chipola (Fla.) junior college point guard Sam Grooms and Amath M’Baye, a forward who is transferring from Wyoming. M’Baye will sit out the upcoming season.
Once Arent signs, OU will have 14 scholarship players, one over the limit but it appears Robert Goff, a junior college forward who signed last fall, might not meet eligibility standards.
Kruger might still sign another player or add another transfer. If the Sooners add another player, a roster spot could open up if forward Nick Thompson leaves or Kyle Hardrick doesn’t return. Hardrick sat out the winter semester to concentrate on academics.
Tech date revealed, rest to follow?
The Big 12 Conference granted Texas Tech the “authority” to announce its conference schedule dates Wednesday morning, suggesting the Sooner conference could be revealed soon, too.
Tech will travel to Norman on Oct. 22. Here’s the rest of their schedule:
Sept. 3 – Texas State
Sept. 10 – Open
Sept. 17 – at New Mexico
Sept. 24 – Nevada
Oct. 1 – at Kansas
Oct. 8 – Texas A&M
Oct. 15 – Kansas State
Oct. 22 – at Oklahoma
Oct. 29 – Iowa State
Nov. 5 – at Texas
Nov. 12 – Oklahoma State
Nov. 19 – at Missouri
Nov. 26 – vs. Baylor (Arlington)
As of now, Tech is the only conference school to release its schedule.
-JT
Sooners add another walk-on kicker
OU has added yet another preferred walk-on kicker.
Sherman (Texas) High School kicker Eric Hosek will be joining the Soooners this summer, the Sherman Herald Democrat reported.
Hosek’s mother, DeDe, told the Herald Democrat that an OU scout saw Hosek play against Texarkana High last fall and contacted Sherman coach Gary Kinne. Bob Stoops apparently reviewed Hosek’s highlight videos and extended him an invitation to join the program.
Hosek was also invited as a preferred walk-on by TCU and Tulsa .
Hosek received all-state, all-DFW area, Herald Democrat All-Texomaland and all-district honors for both the 2009 and 2010 football seasons.
-JT
