Sampson's Sooners Meet With Media

NORMAN, Okla. - Kelvin Sampson's Oklahoma basketball team met with reporters Tuesday afternoon for its annual media day at Lloyd Noble Center. The 12th-year head coach and his players discussed the upcoming season, which begins with a home exhibition game against Northeastern State on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Season tickets are still available at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (405-325-2424 or 800-456-4668) and online here at SoonerSports.com. Prices start as low as $225. A very limited number of lower-level season tickets are also on sale. Season tickets for OU students are still available for $120.

Watch Free Video of 2005 Men's Basketball Media Day

Additionally, the Ticket Office is selling “Family Packs” to each of the team's exhibition and home non-conference games. For $10, fans get a game ticket, hot dog, soda and a T-shirt. A minimum of four tickets is required for each “Family Pack” purchase. Call the Ticket Office for details.

HEAD COACH KELVIN SAMPSON
On the team:
Terrell is just a good guard. He's a good point guard. A lot of our big wins last year, Terrell was the point guard down the stretch. I think he's a better guard than he is a point guard, whereas I think Chris Walker is a better point guard than he is a guard. Terrell can do what you want him to do. David Godbold has gotten a lot better. You can tell when some kids just don't have the ability to improve, they are what they are. But David's gotten a lot better. Michael Neal can really shoot it. He can make baskets. With guys like Kevin (Bookout) and Taj (Gray), they are a lot more comfortable this year with double teams. Last year the first time Taj got double-teamed I thought we were going to have to put him in therapy. He had about 20 turnovers in the first half against Texas Tech and I said, 'Taj, that's a double-team, it's not bacterial warfare or anything. It's a double-team."

A key for us is going to be making outside shots. You have to shoot the ball well because that's important. But our guard situation is solid with David, Michael, Chris and Terrell. Nate Carter is not really a guard, but he's not really a post either, he's just a basketball player.

On if there are any stars on his team and the level that they can make it to:
We've been to that level. When I think about that (2001-02) team, we had three guys that could get 20 (points). Hollis (Price), Ebi (Ere), Aaron McGhee - those guys could get 20. I think we have three guys on this team that could get 20, too. Taj and Terrell certainly can. Kevin has a hard time getting 20 because of shot attempts and how unselfish he is. Michael Neal can make threes and Nate Carter can score.

There are so many things you have to have go your way. We've been to the Final Four, we've been to the Elite Eight and I felt last year's team, if we could have gotten out of Arizona, we could have played with those teams. Michigan State came out of that regional and I thought we could have played with Michigan State. But this team, if we keep improving, could play with a lot of people.

I think our defensive rebounding level has been pretty solid over the years, but where we struggle is if we have enough guys to score points. The more guys that you have who can make baskets, the less likely you are to go through stretches where you don't score.

On junior guard Michael Neal:
He's a good shooter, a better basketball player than he is an athlete. Because you're a great athlete that doesn't necessarily mean you're a good basketball player, and to be a good basketball player you have to be athletic. Michael is good without the ball in his hands. Some guys are never open and you always wonder why. There are certain things you can't teach, you just have to have.

On junior guard/forward Nate Carter:
Nate's a 6-6, 6-6 inside-outside guy. He's a really good free throw shooter, a good medium range shooter who can make a three.

Taylor Griffin and Austin Johnson are freshmen who you can tell are going to be good and there are a couple of reasons why. One, they are both high-level character kids which means they've got good work ethic, they understand coaching and how to improve. Taylor is such a big strong physical kid and every day he gets to go against Kevin and Taj.

On Big 12 Preseason Player of the year Taj Gray:
Taj was inconsistent at times last year. People have selective memory. If they are a negative person they are going to remember the bad games, if they're a fair person they will remember both. I remember both. When he was good he was good.

He starts his own engine, you don't have to start it (for him). But Taj has to be on the floor more because of decisions. You can't foul somebody 90 feet away, you can't go after an offensive rebound when you know you can't get it. So he's got to quit picking up silly fouls and I think that is where he will be better. I think he will play more minutes because he will be smarter and more judicious than his aggressor.

On senior Kevin Bookout:
Kevin is playing the best he has played since the end of his freshman year. The best basketball Kevin Bookout has played at OU was in Costa Rica (during the 2003 Labor Day Weekend). If only we could have film from that. He was going to have a monster sophomore year and now he is back to playing that way.

I love the way Kevin is playing. He's comfortable, he's healthy, he's a senior, there aren't a lot of initial fears. He just goes and plays. I think he is an excellent college basketball player. The three things he brings to you every night are brains, body and hands.

On if big men Bookout and Gray will have an advantage against everybody this year:
This league is full of challenges. The boys down in Texas have a few big ones, too. Everybody in our league does it differently. You don't have to be big to be effective. Coach Knight's motion offense, O-State's so athletic - everybody is different. But I wouldn't trade this team for anybody's.

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SENIOR FORWARD TAJ GRAY
On meeting Coach Sampson's expectations:
This past summer he's given me a chance to play a lot more basketball and travel. He's given me a better idea of things to work on, how to be a lot smarter on the court and being able to stay on the floor so I can help my team out.

On what he's done to improve his game:
Learning, trying to pick up things, going to camps, doing workouts and trying to do things to try and make my game a lot better and help these guys on the floor. I think I have a better knowledge of the game, a better understanding of hard work. And being on the court is probably the most important thing I've learned.

On being the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year:
I try not to concentrate on stuff like that. Playing with these guys, you can't focus on individual accolades like that.

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SENIOR FORWARD KEVIN BOOKOUT
On expectations for the season:
I want to go to the Final Four. Since I've been here we've won the Big 12 Tournament, we've won a Big 12 championship and have gone to the Elite Eight. We were so close my freshman year and (I have) that bad taste when we lost to Syracuse in Albany. Just being 40 minutes away, I think about that every day. But with these guys I think we have a great opportunity to go back to the Final Four.

On being the best he's been in a long time:
It seems like my confidence level is really high right now. I've had a lot of time to think in the past two months because I haven't really been able to do anything. I had my tonsils taken out in August and then my elbow surgery (in mid September). All I've really thought about is basketball and how I can improve and it seems like the game is coming a lot slower than it has in the past. Getting to spots quicker, reading Taj better, reading Terrell better - it seems like the game is getting easier for me.

On his injuries:
God puts stuff in your way every day. He's got a plan for me and I don't get down about anything. As long as I can come out and have a good year I'll be just fine.

On Taj Gray:
Taj takes a lot of pressure (off me). Whenever I'm down there on that low block and I turn around and shoot it, I don't care if it goes in or not because I know Taj is going to be there with the offensive rebound. I wouldn't trade Taj for anyone in the nation. If I'm not playing hard then he will get me going. Having a guy like Taj is great. I love playing with him.

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