Kruger Goes In-Depth in Hoops Q&A

NORMAN, Okla. -- No matter how you slice it, Lon Kruger has been masterful in quickly reversing the fortunes of the Oklahoma men's basketball program. OU went 27-36 (.429) in the two years prior to Kruger's arrival, but he has guided the Sooners to a 58-38 (.604) mark in his three seasons in Norman, including a 43-22 (.662) record and NCAA Tournament appearances the last two seasons.

And the 2014 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year has plenty of reasons to be excited about the 2014-15 campaign. OU, which went 23-10 last year and finished in sole possession of second place in the Big 12 (12-6), returns four starters from a squad that ranked seventh out of 345 Division I teams in scoring (81.9 ppg).

In the following in-depth Q&A, Kruger reflects on last year's success, addresses this year's roster and reveals areas in which he'd like to see improvement.

kruger team

Q: You finished in sole possession of second place in the Big 12 last year after being picked to finish in a tie for fifth. How would you assess last season?

A: "We had a young team and a lot was unknown going in. Coming out of the August trip to Belgium and France, we felt pretty good about our work ethic, the players' attitudes and desire to get better. I think that was pretty consistent throughout the season and they did make progress from start to finish. We maybe hit a little bit of a wall late in the year but we played pretty consistently well in late January and February."

Q: Did you expect to see the surge in scoring last year or to rank seventh in the country with 81.9 points per game?

A: "We wanted to move in that direction but don't think we fully expected it to jump that much. I think it did jump simply because the guys put in the time and made the effort to improve. When you think about the improvement of the guys taking the majority of our shots, Cam (Clark) shot the ball much better, Buddy (Hield) shot a lot a better, Isaiah shot a lot better. When the individuals that are taking shots make a higher percentage, then good things happen. That was a big part of it, but we did push it more aggressively with Jordan (Woodard) coming out of the backcourt with a little more pace and tempo, which contributed to all the other guys getting more good shots."

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Q: Your teams have taken pretty big steps forward every year at OU. Where do you see the improvement coming this season? What will be your biggest area of focus as the head coach?

A: "We've got a big opportunity on the defensive end. Offensively we'll push the pace again and will be able to score. I think we've got the ability to play much better defensively. Last year -- it's hard sometimes when you can score to convince yourself to genuinely put in great effort to get stops. Not that we didn't want to or that we didn't work hard, but we just didn't sincerely believe that was the most important thing. This year we'll really work on that -- our mentality defensively; not giving up shots, not giving up buckets. And then hopefully maintain the progress offensively."

Q: This year's group will be facing expectations not seen at OU in a handful of seasons. How do you think this team is equipped to handle those expectations?

A: "Given that they've not been in this position before, there's no way to know for sure, and yet that's one of the things we'll go in preparing for; challenging them to get better today and not worry about long range. In that way it's not a lot different than what we've done in the past. Just the starting point and the expectations are a little bit different. But that's a good thing. That's what you're working for and what you hope happens. Now in our fourth year, we need to take that next step and continue to make those jumps."

Q: The team's backcourt might be one of the better groups on paper in the country, certainly in the Big 12. What do you like most about your guards?

A: "They've got quite a bit of experience, but still they're not an old group with Jordan just a sophomore and Buddy and Isaiah (Cousins) juniors. So it's a good combination. Even though it's not a senior-laden group, it's a pretty experienced group and they've been through it. They took that big step last year yet know they want to do more. I like their attitude and approach going into the season with regard to us not yet really accomplishing what we want to and that we have a long way to go. That's healthy."

(Hield) has gotten bigger and stronger and has continued to work as hard as anyone can work.
- Lon Kruger

Q: Buddy Hield had an extremely busy summer on the court. In what areas has he improved the most since last year?

A: "Buddy really had a good summer. From Kevin Durant's camp to LeBron James' camp to the Bahamian national team, he distinguished himself as being one of the better players at each of those events. He's gotten bigger and stronger and has continued to work as hard as anyone can work. That's paying off. He'll continue making that progress and I would expect him to have a really outstanding year.

"His freshman year he was more of a slasher, an attacker and a very good offensive rebounder. Last year he shot it much better but relied on that almost exclusively. So I think we'll see a combination of the two in his junior year. He likes playing that way and we'll emphasize that from the beginning."

Q: How has Isaiah Cousins responded to being struck by a stray bullet in late May?

A: "We really don't see any negative results coming from that at all. He seems 100 percent healthy; full speed mentally and emotionally. Obviously it was traumatic to go through at the time but I don't think that will cause any setbacks for him at all. He's continued to work very hard, put in the time and continue to improve his shooting. I think he'll have a terrific junior year, too."

Q: What has been behind Cousins' dramatic offensive improvement since his freshman season?

A: "He changed the mechanics of his shot after his freshman year and embraced that challenge. Because he does put so much time into it, he's able to make it pay off. It's hard to change your shot to the degree he did when you're 19 or 20. He changed almost everything about his shot. A lot of times kids will fight that, but he embraced it and put so much time in on his own. Now he shoots it very well mechanically and that provides for more consistency. The results speak for themselves."

woodard hield
Jordan Woodard and Buddy Hield celebrate after a come-from-behind victory over Seton Hall last season.

Q: Jordan Woodard played a huge role as a freshman point guard last year. Where is he as he starts year No. 2?

A: "Usually a player makes the most progress between his freshman and sophomore year. Jordan had a really good freshman year, but I think as he got into the season he realized that this (level) is even more and even bigger than maybe what he was expecting. Being a point guard and a starter, everything was thrown at him right away. Coming out of that freshman year, he had a great spring and summer, and he'll have a good fall in preparation for doing more in terms of leading the team, taking charge and being the player he wants to be.

"I like the position of our group because when you talk about Jordan, about Buddy, about Isaiah, about Ryan (Spangler), I think they can all have considerably better years than last season. That's exciting. And I say that because they've got such fresh attitudes about working. No one thinks they've arrived, no one's content, no one's celebrating without investing. From a coach's perspective, it's a nice combination to see."

Q: The team's 3-point shooting last year was an unexpected success story with a school-record 8.6 makes per game. Do you expect that to be a strength again?

A: "We do, we do. We'll continue to push the ball and this group willingly passes it to each other, so they make that extra pass which creates higher-percentage shots and more good opportunities. That'll be an identity of this club, without question."

Q: What would the addition of TaShawn Thomas to the frontcourt mean if he were to be granted eligibility this season?

A: "TaShawn brings another big body, which is important given that we weren't a real big team last year. And he brings a maturity as a player in his approach, in practice, with his consistency. In the summer you could see that he just brings the same thing day after day after day; not a lot of highs or lows. I think that comes with the maturity of understanding your game, what you need to do to be effective and how you contribute to the team. He's going to score and rebound in addition to bringing the intangibles."

As good as Ryan's year was, he can really improve this season... We really want Ryan to think confidently about being a scorer.
- Lon Kruger

Q: How did you think Ryan Spangler performed in his first season as a Sooner and what are you expecting from him in 2014-15?

A: "As good as Ryan's year was, he can really improve this season. When you think about the leadership of Ryan and Buddy and Isaiah, especially, because they've been in the program a little bit longer, it's as good as it can get. Not only do they want it very badly, but just by example they are three of the hardest workers we've had in our 30-some years of coaching. They're in the gym as much if not more than anyone else. Those three, along with Trey Slate, are probably in the gym more than anyone else. So when the other guys watch that and when the freshmen see that, that's so good. That's what leadership is about -- impacting the younger guys in a way that helps them become better players."

Q: Spangler seemed more aggressive offensively in the summer in terms of looking to score. Is that something you've talked to him about?

A: "That's a part of his game he needs to expand. We wanted him to be aggressive in shooting the basketball this summer and will again in the fall. It's been a while since Ryan's played that role, but we want him to think like that. We want him to think like a scorer, think like a shooter. If you don't think like that, you're not going to just line up in Big 12 games and start making shots. And the things we do are designed to promote confidence in almost every way. We really want Ryan to think confidently about being a scorer."

Q: What can fans expect from senior forward D.J. Bennett this season?

A: "D.J.'s had a good offseason. The key for him is to do what he's comfortable doing. He's a shot blocker. He needs to go after every shot defensively and try to block it or alter it. He needs to be a rebounder for us and a guy who's around the paint and around the rim all the time. Offensively, we want him going after every board that's available and we want him running the floor. And he can do those things. He's a guy who works hard and likes to play."

Q: How did the newcomers perform this summer and what do they bring to the table for this season?

A: "They performed very well. It's an exciting group. It's a raw group in a lot of ways offensively, and yet it has tremendous upside. Dante (Buford), Khadeem (Lattin) and Jamuni (McNeace) are all long and athletic, have high motors, high energy, are fun-loving and like to compete. We really think that group can leave a huge mark on the program."

The newcomers for 2014-15 left to right: Jamuni McNeace, Khadeem Lattin, TaShawn Thomas (top), Dinjiyl Walker, Bola Alade, Dante Buford.

Q: Is it possible any of the newcomers will redshirt?

A: "It's possible. We never determine that until we go through practice a bit and kind of see how things unfold from a role standpoint and how others are playing. Obviously, TaShawn's ruling might affect that. You never know. What we say or think today really doesn't mean much because we'll see what happens come Nov. 1 and really start honing in on that."

Q: Dinjiyl Walker is a junior college guy you signed late. Is he viewed as a replacement for transfer Je'lon Hornbeak?

A: "That kind of sums it up right there. And that's not to say that Dinjiyl's going to come in and just play backup minutes, because he's going to compete like crazy just like Je'lon would have done. I think Dinjiyl had a good summer. He came in kind of expecting to play a significant role right away and I think the summer was great in that he realized what he can do and what he needs to work on. But we're excited about him and the impact he'll have on the program.

"He's kind of a combo guard; very similar to Je'lon. Dinjiyl's probably a little more penetration-minded, but he shoots it well, too. We'll find out a lot more about him over the next few months, but we were very pleased with what he did in the summer."

Q: The Big 12 lost a lot of individual talent, but has a lot quality players returning and coming in. What's your assessment of the league this year?

A: "It's hard to tell. Last year the league was so deep. You look at Oklahoma State, a really good basketball team that was expected to finish near the top of the league and it finished eighth. So that's how deep the league was. We had seven NCAA Tournament teams and that was great. Every night you lined up you knew it was going to be tough. This year, I think the top half will be as strong, maybe stronger than last year. Maybe the depth, just through graduation and loss of individuals, won't be as strong. That's not to say that all games won't be tough. But that would be the projection. Rarely do you see a league get seven teams in the NCAA Tournament."

Q: What are your thoughts on the non-conference schedule?

A: "Really tough, but good for us from the standpoint that it will prepare us for Big 12 play. We play Missouri here in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, play Washington in Las Vegas in a Coaches vs. Cancer event, go head to head with UCLA in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. And we play at Creighton and Tulsa. Road games like that are really tough and really huge in terms of developing as a team. George Mason, another good program, comes here. So you can go down the line a long way and recognize how tough it's going to be."

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Players Mentioned

Bola Alade

D.J. Bennett

Isaiah Cousins

Buddy Hield

Je'lon Hornbeak

Khadeem Lattin

Jamuni McNeace

Trey Slate

Ryan Spangler

TaShawn Thomas

Dinjiyl Walker

Jordan Woodard

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