Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Auburn on February 24, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 79
Final
Men's Basketball
91
vs Auburn
79
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Men's Basketball Summer Preview
August 23, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 23, 2010
NORMAN, Okla. -- It's not going out on a limb to say the Oklahoma men's basketball team endured a disappointing 2009-10 season. A Sooners team ranked No. 17 in the preseason AP poll and picked by Big 12 Conference coaches to finish third in the league posted a 13-18 overall record and tied for ninth place in the Big 12.
A combination of injuries (leading scorer Willie Warren missed 10 games), a reliance on young talent (47 percent of the team's scoring came from freshmen) and a lack of strong veteran leadership all contributed to the falling short of expectations.
Considering head coach Jeff Capel lost his top four scorers from that team, returns just three players who averaged more than 2.0 minutes per game and welcomes nine newcomers, preseason prognosticators will not have OU pegged nearly as high for 2010-11 as they did last year.
For two reasons, Capel can live with that.
One, as last year showed, predictions can be worth a hill of beans. But also comforting Capel is the fact that members of his new squad have infused the program with a strong work ethic, upbeat attitude and drive to succeed -- traits not often displayed by last year's team.
 2010 Summer Prospectus (PDF) | 2010-11 OU Men's Hoops Blog |
Capel said his players learned a valuable lesson since this time a year ago.
"Winning isn't necessarily a birthright," said Capel, who is starting his fifth year at OU. "It's something you have to earn. You earn it by how you work leading up to the season. You can't just turn it on when the games start. It begins with your summer preparation -- mentally and physically. That's when you start to form your team.
"I think because of how we performed last season, our returning players have a hunger. They have a desire to not let that happen again. I think maybe they've worked harder (since the end of last season) than they've ever worked."
Capel said he hopes that self-realization and the resulting disciplined off-season approach will yield in-season success.
"There's been a different energy around here and I'm excited about it," said Capel. "I'm excited to see what we become. We still have expectations. We want to become the best team we can be -- hopefully vie for one of the top spots in the Big 12 and make the NCAA Tournament."
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Backcourt |
The player charged with the large task of leading OU's band of youngsters is lone senior Cade Davis. The 6-5, 206-pound shooting guard made big strides last year after seeing moderate court time his first two seasons. As a junior, the western Oklahoma product started 27 games and averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.5 steals per contest. He was especially productive down the stretch, making 31 3-pointers and averaging 12.5 points over the season's final 12 games.
Capel will demand a lot from Davis this season. Not all of the expectations are court related.
"We need his leadership," said Capel. "We need him to be 100 percent invested in our team and to be the leader of our team. Cade has a tremendous opportunity because I think he has guys who will follow him. He has guys who will work, will get in here and do extra stuff, who want to be a part of it.
"He has to work at a very high level every day. He has to get to know all of these guys, know what buttons to push and when to push them. He has to learn how to get the most out of everyone."
As far as the tangibles, Capel said Davis had a good junior season but knows he can do more.
"At times last year he was really, really good. One of the things we're hoping for from Cade is that he can be consistently good. He can be a more consistent shooter. We want him to improve other aspects of his game like ball handling, driving the ball more off of shot fakes and getting to the foul line. He's going to have to rebound at a high level for us this year. We really hope he can have a great senior season."
Joining Davis as the only other returning guard with significant game experience is sophomore shooter Steven Pledger. Like Davis, Pledger can get incredibly hot from behind the 3-point line. At times last year, the 6-4, 206-pounder was equally as cold. He scored 21 points in the season opener by going 4-for-5 from long range, and four games later against Houston scored 20 points in the first half. He was 19-for-40 (.475) on 3-point attempts over the first six outings, but over the next 14 games was 9-for-53 (.170).
Pledger, from Chesapeake, Va., rebounded nicely at the end of the season by draining nine treys over the final two games. He finished the year with averages of 6.2 points and 1.5 boards in 18.9 minutes a contest.
"I don't know if I've seen any freshman ever shoot it like he did to start his career," remarked Capel. "And then he went through a spell where he couldn't make shots. Down the stretch I thought he got his confidence back and had some really good moments for us late in the year."
Capel likes what Pledger's done since the end of last season.
"He's really worked hard on his body. He was around 220 or 225 last year and is down to about 210 now. We'd like to get him down to between 205 and 210. Hopefully he can become more consistent with his shooting, can get better at using pump fakes and can improve his ball handling and defense."
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A candidate to run the point, Carl Blair is an OU newcomer but has a year of Division I experience. The 6-2, 214-pounder from Houston, Texas, transferred from the University of New Orleans where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.4 boards and 3.7 assists last year as a freshman. He started in 29 games and over the last eight outings upped his averages to 13.8 points and 4.6 assists. Blair was one of nine players in the country last year to record a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a Dec. 5 win over Houston Baptist).
Since UNO has begun the process of reclassifying to Division III status, Blair will be allowed to play at OU without sitting out a year. That's great news for Capel.
"Getting Carl Blair was really important for us because he brings the experience of playing college basketball. The level will be different, but the fact he was a Division I player last year and played against high-major teams won't be new to him."
Added Capel, "Usually, you have peaks and valleys as a freshman. But Carl averaged more points in conference play than he did in pre-conference play. His last 10 games, his numbers went up even more. That's a good sign. He wants to work and will play with a chip on his shoulder. Our guys love playing with him. He's been one of our hardest workers this summer from what our guys tell me."
The most ballyhooed member of OU's 2010 recruiting class is 6-6, 195-pound wing Cameron Clark. Ranked as the nation's No. 32 recruit by ESPN, No. 34 by Rivals.com and No. 39 by Scout.com, the Texas native was a two-time first-team all-state pick and last year averaged 23.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Capel says Clark has the size, athletic ability and work ethic to make an immediate impact.
"We identified Cameron very early in the recruiting process as a guy we had to have. He will be as athletic as anyone in our league at the wing spot. He also brings size and very good talent to the position. He comes from a great family and I think he will really embrace the culture of work here. He wants to be good and I don't think he'll be afraid of the work that it takes to achieve that."
Another freshman rated as one of last year's top-100 high school seniors is combo guard T.J. Taylor. At 6-3 and 217 pounds, the left-handed Taylor can do a little bit of everything. He thrived at Denison (Texas) High School, finishing his four-year varsity career with averages of 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The three-time all-state selection was named MVP of the 2010 Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game and should vie for immediate playing time.
"T.J. is very talented. I think he can provide some versatility for us. Like so many of our guys, he feels like he has a lot to prove. He didn't get a chance to play summer basketball a year ago because he broke his ankle. He didn't get to go out on the (AAU) circuit, and so a lot of people haven't seen him. We think he's talented; think he has a toughness and a willingness to work and compete. That's going to serve him well in helping him become a really good college basketball player."
Perhaps the most prolific scorer among OU's newcomers is fellow combo guard Calvin Newell. The 6-1, 201-pounder hails from Philadelphia, Pa., and spent last year in prep school in Charlotte, N.C. There he averaged 26.1 points and 7.0 assists. As a high school senior in Pennsylvania, Newell earned first-team all-state honors after averaging 29.4 points and leading his squad to its first state playoffs appearance in nine years. Capel said he loves Newell's grit.
"Calvin is a scoring guard," started the OU head coach. "He can really score the ball. I love him because I think he has a huge chip on his shoulder, in a good way. I think he can become a very good defensive player. He can score in a lot of different ways. He's athletic, he's strong, he can shoot it. He has really good speed. I love his Philly toughness. He's seen a lot, has endured a lot of adversity and he's come out on top. We think he can help us and will provide some quality depth in the backcourt."
Completing the backcourt is a pair of walk-ons in junior T.J. Franklin and redshirt freshman Ryan Randolph.
Franklin is a lively 5-11, 174-pound point guard who goes all out each day in practice. He appeared in 15 of OU's 31 games last year, averaging 1.7 minutes. Franklin has made considerable improvement since stepping on campus two years ago and his work ethic is the chief reason. He could be on the verge of playing a more pivotal role on game days.
Said Capel, "Our guys respect T.J. so much because of how hard he works. He's been a great practice player for us. At times late last year we had the confidence to put him in the game. There may be situations this year that he'll have to play for us. We feel confident he can come in and give us quality minutes."
Randolph, who starred on the court and on the football field in high school (he led Bishop McGuinness High School to an Oklahoma state title as a quarterback), is a 6-4, 201-pound wing who decided to redshirt last year to help him adapt to the collegiate level.
"Ryan felt like that would be the best thing for him so he could really work in practice and get used to the speed of the game," explained Capel. "He's been great to have on our team for so many different reasons. He's a great kid, a competitive kid. We think a year of practicing against our guys has helped him become a better basketball player."
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Frontcourt |
While OU's backcourt is comprised of mostly inexperienced talent, the frontcourt is even less seasoned with the return of just one big man who played regular minutes last year. Rare is the occasion that a sophomore who played less than 20 minutes per game as a freshman is looked upon as one of his team's leaders. But that's exactly the spot in which forward Andrew Fitzgerald finds himself entering 2010-11.
Fitzgerald, who stands 6-8 and was a top-75 national recruit out of prep school, averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting .511 from the floor in 15.7 minutes a contest for the Sooners last year. The modest numbers don't reflect the improvement he made as the season wore on - he averaged 13.0 points over a three-game February stretch that included a game at No. 1 Kansas in which he recorded career highs of 16 points and six boards - or the work he's put in since it ended. Capel explained.
"I think Andrew has had as good a summer as anyone in our program the last couple of years. He came in last year as a freshman at almost 270 pounds and he's down to 237 now. He's really reshaped his body. He's made a commitment to it with exercise and diet, and he's really worked on his game. If you look at our final 10 games last year, he really played well. You saw improvement. I think that gave him confidence to work even harder in the summer. We're hoping he can make a big jump for us and become one of the better post guys in the Big 12."
OU's only other returning frontcourt player is fellow sophomore Kyle Hardrick, a 6-8, 219-pounder who played a total of four minutes in three games last year. Like Fitzgerald, Hardrick has focused on reshaping his body. With some question marks surrounding the Sooners' front line, he has to be ready if his number is called.
"Kyle has really worked. He didn't play much as a freshman, but he had a good attitude. He's continued to work to try to improve his game this summer and to put himself in a position to possibly contribute in games."
Junior college transfers C.J. Washington and Nick Thompson are two of the five newcomers in the OU frontcourt. Both players, who have two years of eligibility remaining, caught Capel's eye at the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., this past spring.
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Washington, a Stringtown, Okla., native who starred at Connors State Junior College for two years, earned first-team All-America honors last season after averaging 19.3 points and a school-record 13.0 rebounds. He was named the Region II junior college player of the year and led his squad to a 30-4 record. Possessing a nose for the ball, he recorded 25 double-doubles on the season (14 consecutively at one point) and ranked fifth nationally in rebounding. Capel thinks Washington, who is 6-7 and weighs 210 pounds, will find a niche at OU.
"Our guys have been impressed with C.J.'s energy and his rebounding prowess," said the OU head coach. "He has a reputation for that coming out of junior college. One of our big goals for C.J. this summer was getting him a little bigger. He's really making progress. We think he can be the ultimate role player for us - a very important player who does all the dirty work. Every team needs that."
Thompson is a skilled 6-9, 212-pound forward from the College of Eastern Utah who can dribble, pass and shoot. He helped his squad to a third-place national finish last year by averaging 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23.6 minutes per game. He shot .556 from the field and .399 from 3-point range (19-for-49). Capel likes Thompson's blue-collar approach and the fact he can do a little bit of everything.
"Nick's come in and already put on about eight pounds this summer. He's not afraid of work and wants to be really good. He wants to be a part of something really successful, which is probably just as important as anything. He's used to winning. His teams at Eastern Utah posted the best two records in school history. We think he can provide some versatility for us. He can be a good two-year player."
Freshmen Tyler Neal and Abdul ("Abdi") Ahmed bring depth to the frontcourt, and hopefully bright futures.
Neal was Oklahoma's Gatorade Player of the Year last season at Putnam City West High School. He led his team to a school-record 22 wins and its first appearance in the state tournament semifinals since 1977 by averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. A matchup problem, the 6-7, 209-pound forward can fill it up from outside. He drained 45 treys as a senior and shot .421 from behind the arc. Capel is excited about Neal's versatility.
"Tyler Neal is talented. I think once he understands how to work at a high level consistently and once he gets acclimated to the speed of the game, his confidence will grow. Once that happens, he has the chance to be a good four-year player for us. He's versatile, he's more athletic than you think, he can shoot the ball from the perimeter and I think he has a pretty good feel for the game. He comes from a great family, is a really good student and a high-character guy. I think he can help us over his four years here."
The 6-10, 207-pound Ahmed, who hails from London, England, is the tallest player on the roster and is relatively new to the sport. He spent 2009-10 at Canarias Basketball Academy in the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. There he averaged 18.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Admittedly, Capel is unsure of Ahmed's potential impact this season. One thing the OU boss does know is that his young pupil is driven to get better and will add bulk.
"I'm intrigued by Abdi," he said. "I haven't really seen him much. In fact, I've only seen him play on tape. He provides quality depth for us in the post. He plays extremely hard. Since he's been here, I know he's been in the gym a lot on his own. He has to get stronger. That's the first thing. He has to put on weight.
"One thing with Abdi is he's a very receptive learner. He wants to work, he wants to get better. He comes from a culture where work was required every day. And so he's not afraid of the effort it takes to become a good player. Also, he wants to be a part of something really successful. I think that's why he chose the University of Oklahoma. I think he'll help us."
Good news and bad news surrounds OU's final 2010-11 newcomer, Romero Osby. A transfer from Mississippi State with two years of eligibility remaining, the 6-8, 247-pound Osby is a big-body guy who can do damage from inside or out. From a talent standpoint, he's probably one of the top players on the team. Unfortunately for Capel, Osby has to sit out the season due to transfer rules.
"I wish Romero could play right now," said Capel of the forward who averaged 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes a game last year as a sophomore. "He's a very talented guy we recruited out of high school. He had some really good moments at Mississippi State but was never able to put it all together. I think his year out (from game competition) will be really good for him. It will allow him to get his confidence back by working on himself. It will also help us in practice, because we'll be playing against a very talented and hungry guy. I think being away from home and being here has already kind of reenergized him."
Osby's assets go beyond his on-court talents, added Capel.
"Romero's a very mature guy, a very smart guy, a very competitive guy. I think he has outstanding leadership qualities. He'll be able to help this team in so many ways this season, especially with the pride he'll bring to it."
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