Up Close with Kevin Bookout

NORMAN, Okla. -- Senior forward Kevin Bookout has been an OU fan favorite from the moment he signed his national letter of intent to play for Kelvin Sampson's Sooners in April 2002. He has endured a rollercoaster ride of a career with numerous team and individual accomplishments representing the highs, and several injuries representing the lows.

Through it all, Bookout, who is also a two-time All-American in the shot put, has created memories that will never be erased - for him or for the thousands of OU fans who are proud he's a Sooner. Recently named a third-team Academic All-American, the 6-8, 270-pounder from Stroud ranks second in school history in field goal percentage and is one of 34 players to score 1,000 career points at OU.

As Oklahoma embarks on the 2006 postseason, here are some of Bookout's reflections on his storied four-year basketball career.

You've had a lot of success since arriving at OU in 2002. How does it feel to be considered one of the better Sooner basketball players of all-time?
"It feels good. I wanted to come here and follow in the footsteps of Hollis (Price) and Edjuardo (Najera). I wanted to help keep the program on the right track and now this year's seniors can pass it on to (freshmen) Taylor (Griffin) and Austin (Johnson)."

What has been your most memorable moment over the last four years?
"Going to the Elite Eight my freshman year. Being 40 minutes from the Final Four is incredible. To know there are only two games played that day, and we were given the chance to play in one of the premier games in the country, was special."

You have faced so many physical hardships over the last three seasons. What's been the biggest key for you as you've battled the shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries?
"My coaches and teammates have been the key. They have been there for me and I know I can lean on them for whatever I need."

What was it like joining the Sooners after they had made a Final Four appearance the previous year? What kind of expectations did you have of the program?
"That was one of the reasons I chose to come to the University of Oklahoma. They had great success and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to go to a school with a winning program and OU definitely has one."

As a captain, how do you show the new players what the OU program is about?
"I try to set an example by working hard every day. I try to do the little things right and not take anything for granted."

How has working with Taj Gray changed the dynamics of the frontcourt the last two years? How would you describe the chemistry you two have?
"Taj has been a big help, for me especially. He does a lot of stuff that I'm not very good at doing. Having Taj here with me has helped my game and I feel like I can help him out, too. Our chemistry has grown a lot the last two seasons. We're really lucky to have him around."

What are your goals coming down the stretch of your final college basketball season?
"Win as many games as we can and go as deep as we can in the NCAA Tournament. That's what we work for every day."

How do you see the future of OU Basketball? Who do you see impacting the team the most over the next couple of years?
"Michael Neal is obviously going to have a huge impact next year. And Taylor (Griffin) and Austin (Johnson) are going to really develop into solid players."

What are your plans for next year?
"I'm going to be in graduate school working on my master's degree and I will continue to throw the shot put and discus."

You're a two-time All-American in the shot put. What are your chances of competing in the Olympics?
"I've heard my chances are pretty good. If I can keep throwing more than two months a year and see how far I can really throw, I'll have a better idea. I've heard good things from coaches so far and I can't wait to experiment with it."

What was going through your mind when you made that tip-in to win at Texas Tech on Feb. 20? Describe what you were thinking during that last play, waiting for Terrell Everett to shoot the jumper.
"I was thinking I needed to get close to the rim to have a chance, if the ball did come my way, to tip it back in. I knew if my guy went to help I would have a wide-open chance to tip it back. But I thought the ball was going in. It looked like it was going to drop. Once it came off, I knew I had to get off the ground quickly. I'm not the quickest jumper but I knew if I got up I'd have a chance to tip it in."

How did the senior night ceremony go for you before the Oklahoma State game and was it tough to overcome the emotions at the start of the game?
"It was definitely emotional, knowing that I've been going to OU games since I was a kid and that that would be my last as a player at Lloyd Noble. Getting over those emotions was pretty easy, though, because it was Bedlam. It would have been tougher if it wasn't such a big rivalry game."

Talk about your dunk in the closing moments of that game against OSU.
"I was surprised that I was able to get in front of everybody down court. Mike Neal made a great pass and I was able to get the dunk. The crowd was going crazy and that was definitely one of the highlights of my career. It was a great feeling."

What will you miss most about your OU basketball career?
"The family atmosphere. My coaches and teammates are great people, I love being around them every day. I'm going to miss them a whole lot."

By Katie Moon, OU Athletics Media Relations

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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