Summer Break with Longar Longar

June 29, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- Throughout the summer, SoonerSports.com will feature interviews with players on the OU men's basketball team. Fans will get to know how the student-athletes are spending their summers, what they like to do for fun off the court and what to expect for the 2007-08 season. This week's subject is Longar Longar.

The 6-11, 232-pound center is one of two seniors on the team (guard David Godbold is the other) and is coming off a junior season in which he blossomed. Longar was OU's second-leading scorer last year and leading rebounder and shot-blocker, averaging 10.4 points, 7.1 boards and 1.4 rejections a game. He also averaged 1.1 assists while shooting a team-high .553 from the field in 26.2 minutes a contest.

For his efforts, Longar was named to the Big 12's All-Improved Team by a panel of sportswriters who cover the conference.

Longar Bio | Summer Break with David Godbold

How are you spending your summer outside of basketball?
"After workouts I just go home and get on the Internet and check my E-mail. Then I usually get online and play some video games against some friends back home. I am also taking a math class right now."

If you could choose one place to go for vacation this summer where would it be?
"I would go to the Caribbean Islands."

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being 6'11"?
"You draw people's attention and everyone is looking at you. I don't mind, it's cool. Some disadvantages are people always ask you how tall you are, if I am a basketball player and where I play. Especially if I am out somewhere with friends trying to have to good time, it happens. I enjoy being tall for the most part."

What are you trying to improve on during this off-season?
"I think I have to improve on shooting the ball better on the perimeter. I have to score better and be consistent with my game."

What are your thoughts on the newcomers so far?
"I like the class we have coming in. They work really hard. They are a young group and they are good guys who are fun to be around. The good thing about it is they look up to us."

David Godbold said last week that Blake Griffin has been giving you a workout in pick-up games. Is that true?
"It is tough going against him. He is a freshman, but he is strong and really good. It is good for me to be around him, but I also think it's good for him to go against me. It will help us when we are playing real games against other big guys."

Godbold also said you two have a four-year-old video game rivalry. Who wins more often?
"Last time I checked, he probably has me by one win so far. We go at it. We play two different systems. He plays the PlayStation 3 and I play the Xbox 360. So when we go at it one of us has to adjust to the other's system. It is close, but I think he has me by one game."

What were your thoughts on Coach Capel's first season as your coach?
"We didn't expect the year to go like that. There were a lot of games we should have won, and we didn't have an identity. Coach Capel really didn't know us that well, so he was just having to work with the guys that he had and tried to get us to adapt to his system. We were trying to do the same thing. We were trying to learn Coach Capel's system, but we were playing a different system and all of a sudden it was a totally different thing. We had to learn and we stuck with it."

Would you rather win a slam dunk contest or register a game-saving block?
"Save a game by a block. I am a team guy, I want to win. As long as you have the 'W,' that is what people are going to remember."

What is your favorite song on your iPod right now, and how many songs are on it?
"I think it is a Lil Wayne song called 'The Mob.' It's a two-gig Nano, and I would say I have about 480 songs on it."

What are your thoughts on being a projected draft choice next year?
"It is there, but I really don't think about it much. I just kind of let all of that fall into place by just working. I have to get in the gym and work out every day. My coaches do a good job by telling me to just continue to work. I don't let it distract me and try not to think about it, but at the same time you know what you are working towards. I keep it in the back of my mind."

As a senior, what are some of the goals you want to help lead this team to achieve next year?
"Our goal as a team is to be one of the top three teams in the conference, and possibly win the conference. There are a lot of good teams, but we have a lot of talented guys. I think if we just buy in to what our coaches are trying to tell us and play as hard as we can and understand the game like we should, then we have a chance to do some big things this year. Individually, I want to be all-conference and try to be an All-American, too."

Have you ever had any desires to go back and visit Sudan?
"Oh, definitely I do. Right after I finish here, the first thing I want to do is go back and visit. I have a lot of family I want to go visit back home."

Have you thought about what you would like to do when your playing career is over?
"I am majoring in human relations, so I am probably going to do a lot of different things. I might try to do something with business management or try to go into broadcasting or something like that. Those are some of the things I have in mind."

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