Bookout Returns from NIT All-Star Trip in Bahamas

OU men's basketball player Kevin Bookout recently returned from a trip to the Bahamas where he helped lead the NIT All-Star squad to a perfect 7-0 record against the Bahamas national and junior national teams, as well as area club squads. Bookout averaged 7.6 points, a team-high 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting .615 from the field.

The 6-8, 260-pound Stroud native scored in double figures his first two games (combined to make 9-of-12 field goal attempts) and posted a pair of double-digit rebounding efforts, including a 14-carom game.

"It was fun and I'm really glad I got to go," said Bookout. "I had been competing in track since after the basketball season ended, so this kind of allowed me to get back into the basketball mindset. I really hadn't played much ball and just getting back out there against good competition is going to benefit me."

Bookout added, "I tried to focus on rebounding. I couldn't control my scoring that much because I didn't get the ball inside that often our team took a lot of threes. I think I played pretty well and the experience helped me quite a bit."

Competing with Bookout on the 11-member all-star team were John Blackgrove (Fordham), Taliek Brown (Connecticut), Keydren Clark (St. Peter's), Tim Frost (Utah), Greg Jenkins (Iona), Mike Konovelchick (Manhattan), J.C. Mathis (Michigan), Peter Mulligan (Manhattan), Sean Munson (Wagner) and Kirk Snyder (Nevada). The NIT All-Stars were coached by George Bucci, former Manhattan College and New Jersey Nets (ABA) player. He has now guided NIT All-Star squads to a 36-5 record as head coach since 1998.

Bookout will aim to improve on a stellar freshman campaign that saw him average 9.4 points and an OU-high 5.9 rebounds per game, and lead the Big 12 Conference with a .587 field goal percentage. The forward started in 33 of OU's 34 games and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Bookout also earned All-America honors in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.

Oklahoma, which will participate in a foreign tour of Costa Rica over Labor Day weekend, begins practice on Monday in preparation for the trip. The Sooners will play a pair of games on Saturday, Aug. 30, and two more the next day before returning on Labor Day.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Bookout Returns from NIT All-Star Trip in Bahamas

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