Hooping it up With Blake Griffin

Oct. 12, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - Basketball is in Blake Griffin's blood. If it could be packaged and bottled, he would eat and drink it. And it would come as no shock if he one day revealed that he sleeps with a basketball in his bed, maybe two or three.

The son of a longtime, successful high school coach and the younger brother of Oklahoma forward Taylor Griffin, Blake Griffin is the most ballyhooed freshman to slap on an OU uniform since, well, probably Wayman Tisdale way back in 1982.

A five-star recruit, he was a McDonald's and Jordan Brand All-American last year after averaging 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.9 blocked shots and 1.6 steals while shooting a staggering .718 from the field. He led Oklahoma Christian School to its fourth consecutive state championship.

He is already ranked as the country's No. 8 freshman by SI.com's Luke Winn.

So how will Blake Griffin fare when the Sooners' regular season rolls around Nov. 8 and 9 in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic? The OU coaching staff got a foretaste during a four-game exhibition trip to Canada over Labor Day weekend in which Griffin averaged team highs of 18.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in just 19.8 minutes a game. He shot .609 from the floor.

Griffin recently visited with SoonerSports.com about, among other things, adjusting to the college game and deciding on OU, and his thoughts on head coach Jeff Capel, his teammates and the season ahead.

Q: How do you like being a Sooner?
A: "I love it. It's great getting to be here with all of these guys and getting to play with them every day. I love the campus and the atmosphere. It's been a lot of fun so far."

Q: What aspects of the college game can you already tell are different from the high school game?
A: "Definitely the speed. Everybody you play against is so much better, so much stronger and more athletic that you have to change your game a little bit to get a shot off or get to the basket. You have to think a lot more and make quicker decisions."

Q: How much success can this year's team have?
A: "I really think that it depends on how well we work together. I feel like if we work together and play like we should and like Coach Capel is teaching us to play, then the sky is the limit for us."

Q: What is it like to play with your brother, Taylor?
A: "I love it. I haven't done it in two years so I forgot how fun it is. We know each other because we have been playing basketball with each other for so long. I am really looking forward to playing more games with him out there with me."

Q: Can you talk about your recruitment and what factored into your decision of selecting OU?
A: "Basically, it was my relationship with Coach Capel and the whole coaching staff. It also had to do a little bit with the guys that were already here and the guys that were going to be my teammates. I was going to get to play with my brother again, that was something I really wanted to do. Also, playing in my home state and all of my family and friends getting to come to the games was a big factor in coming here. The more I think about it, being from Oklahoma and playing here in the state is a huge advantage because I am surrounded by people I grew up around. And this is my state. I also know a lot about the tradition of OU basketball, so things have a little bit deeper meaning."

Q: What work ethic does it take in the weight room and on the practice court to be successful?
A: "You have to set aside any injuries that you think you might have that could keep you from practicing or working out. You have to come in and work as hard as you can with no excuses. The harder you work, the easier it is going to make things down the road."

Q: How much time do you spend in the gym outside of team workouts?
A: "I come in and practice every day outside of team practice. I normally take Saturday off, but I am here every other day for an extra hour, two hours before or after practice."

Q: What is it like playing for a younger coach in Jeff Capel?
A: "I love it just because he can relate to us so much better because he went through this not too long ago. I feel like he understands how we feel and what we are going through. He definitely knows what it is going to take to win. He can relate to us so much better than an older coach would be able to."

Q: You are a highly touted player and your teammates have raved about your game so far. What's it like entering the season with high expectations from fans and your teammates?
A: "It's something I don't mind because it makes me work extra hard. I think it makes me want to push to be better and better, just to do my best all of the time. I really don't feel a lot of pressure with it, just because we have so many good guys around me. I am not going to have to do anything incredible. We have so many guys that can score from anywhere on the floor. To me, it's going to be fun."

Q: What were you thoughts on the Canada trip and how the team played?
A: "I think it went really well. We found out some things that we need to work on and found out some things we do well. Some games we played defense really well. We got the ball inside and moved it around well. We need to work better on running the floor and getting back on transition defense. I really think it was great because we got those 10 practices under our belts. It really helped the new guys get the hang of what is going on around here with the extra practice, which will make things go smoother when we start for real."

Q: What is your biggest strength as a basketball player and what is an aspect that needs work.
A: "I think finishing down low and rebounding are my strengths right now. I'm working on my shot and being able to run up and down the floor the whole game. Free throw shooting and outside shooting are also some things I'm really working on."

Q: What is your favorite hobby?
A: "I love to just hang out with friends when we're not doing much and goofing off."

Q: What is your major and do you have any early plans for after you finish playing basketball?
A: "My major is health and exercise science. I really haven't thought that far because I want to stay around the game of basketball for as long as I can. Maybe I could be a trainer or a strength coach or something like that."

Q: What's your favorite NBA team and who's your favorite player?
A: "I would have to go with Cleveland for my favorite team. LeBron (James) and Dwight Howard are my favorite players. I love how dominant Dwight Howard is inside because once he gets close it is hard to stop him. He dunks so hard, that's what I love to watch. LeBron, obviously, is so athletic and I like how he can do everything on the court."

Q: What's your favorite food?
A: "I would probably say steak."

Q: Is there one game that you're most anticipating this year?
A: "I am definitely looking forward to the games in New York if we can make it past the rounds here at home in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Also, I'm really looking forward to playing USC and a lot of the Big 12 games. I can't wait to play against Kansas, Texas and all of those teams."

Q: What can the fans expect to see from this year's newcomers?
A: "They will see a lot of guys who love to run and who love to work hard. Omar (Leary) is going to come in and push the ball and direct us on the court. He is going to get off some shots that some people didn't think were possible. Cade (Davis) can flat out shoot and fans are going to be really excited about him. Tony (Neysmith) can get to the rim and finish almost any shot as well as anyone I have ever seen. Ryan (Wright) can dunk and once he gets around the rim he is hard to stop. All of us are going to be contributing in a lot of ways."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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