Bookout Having Breakout Season for Sooners

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kevin Bookout is slimmed down, healed up and throwing a big scare into everyone who opposes No. 13 Oklahoma.

Heading into Monday night's game against No. 9 Oklahoma State, the Sooners' husky junior looked like he might even contend with Kansas' Wayne Simien for honors as the Big 12's top big man.

The 6-foot-8 Bookout weighed 285 pounds as a freshman. As a sophomore, he hurt his shoulder in October 2003, had surgery in February 2004 and was out for the rest of the season.

Now he's trimmed 15 pounds off his frame and feeling healthy for the first time in more than a year.

"It's given him a lot more bounce in his step," said Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson.

Bookout averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds in victories over Texas A&M and Texas last week and was named the Big 12's player of the week on Monday. He leads the Big 12 with a .630 field goal percentage.

"Kevin is never going to be on the cover of Athlete's Magazine," Sampson said. "Don't get him confused with LeBron James. Kevin does a good job of playing within himself. He refuses to take a bad shot. If they double him, he's not going to force it unless he's inside the paint."

As a hobbled, never-practicing sophomore, Bookout played in only 13 games before electing to have shoulder surgery. His numbers for the season: 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. This season, he's bumped those averages up to 13.5 and 7.1.

"He's clearly a better player than when he got hurt," said Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State's head coach-designate. "He's worked hard to be in the best shape of his life.

"He's got unbelievable hands around the basket. He gets his hand on every rebound when he's close and just pulls it in."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Bookout Having Breakout Season for Sooners

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