Check-Up With Freshmen James, Odomes

SoonerSports.com recently caught up with Oklahoma men's basketball freshmen Christian James and Rashard Odomes. OU head coach Lon Kruger expects the duo to receive immediate playing time as the season commences, improving the overall depth of the team from a season ago.

CHRISTIAN JAMES

On how he's adjusting to being a freshman in college:
“It's a tough transition, being my first semester with the time management and all the hard practices. You have to get your rest and work on your studies. So it's tough the first semester, but I'm adjusting pretty well.”

On what he does in his free time:
“Sleep. I would say I try to get as much rest as possible, knowing I have plenty of tutoring, classes and practices.”

On what his daily routine is like:
“In the mornings I have class or tutoring. I have three classes in the morning so I try to get a meal in between classes. After class I come straight to the gym and get ready.”

On how practices are going and how they differ from high school:
“I would say the strength and speed of the guys here is different from high school. The speed of the transition [drills] is also different and trying to keep up with my teammates and learn the sets and system from Coach Kruger. I feel like I am doing pretty well. I'm adjusting, learning and learning how to play with these guys because the speed is different.”

On Coach Kruger's coaching style:
“I love the way he coaches. He's always positive, never negative. He's more of a teacher than a coach sometimes. He says to always stay aggressive and to never take any plays off. He really has taken me under his wing and has taught me the game the best possible way he can.”

On joining a veteran group as a freshman and his expectations for the team this year:
“I expect us to fly around on the defensive end. I know we are going to be pretty good defensively. Good defense leads to good offense. Ryan (Spangler), Isaiah (Cousins) and Buddy (Hield) have really taught me a lot. I try to really follow them and let them help me as much as they can.”

On how he sees his game and how he can fit into the team:
“I'm a playmaker, but not necessarily a scorer. I'll do anything to win: rebounding, scoring, making the right plays for my teammates.”

As a native Texan, his overall experience living in Oklahoma:
“I love it. The people here are different; they're very kind and genuine. It's almost weird how nice people are. I love it up here.”

On his favorite part about being on the OU basketball team:
“Being around these guys. They're funny but they also keep me motivated. They give me a reason to get up every morning and have something to look forward to.”

RASHARD ODOMES

On the school year:
“It's been really good. I am trying to prepare myself a lot better, with studying and things like that. It's a lot different than high school, but I feel like I have been adjusting well. Probably just a lot more studying and putting more time and effort into all the work. I'm getting used to it.”

On his daily routine:
“I wake up around 8:30 a.m. Sometimes I get out of class at 1:30 p.m. and come right to the Lloyd Noble [Center]. Some days, I have an hour break between class and practice. After practice, I go home and it will be about 6 p.m. I come home and shower and take a long nap until about 10 p.m. I wake up and I get all my work done, then after that I go back to sleep.”

On how practices are going:
“It's been really good. I am starting to adjust to the pace of the game and learn the plays, but we have a lot of people that are helping us out like Spang (Spangler), Buddy, Isaiah and Jordan (Woodard). They really help us (freshmen) out and help us through it all.”

On the biggest difference between high school and college basketball:
“Executing plays, really. In high school we just really did what we wanted to – we didn't really have to do too much. [We had] more skills than [other teams] and we were just better than everyone. Now, everyone has the greatest skills in the world, so you really have to execute plays.

On what his expectations are for the team this season:
“My expectations for the team are for us to make it back to where they were last year [Sweet 16] or do even better. I think anything less will be a disappointment for us.”

On his game and playing at OU:
“My game is real up-tempo. I'm like a nice motor and I feel like everyone on the team brings that. I really get going after the defense does well. We are a really big defensive team and it just gets us all going.”

On his favorite part of being a student-athlete at OU:
“The fans. Also everyone is really supportive anywhere you go around campus and in Norman. We have people who attend practice daily that are just real supportive of everything.”

On what he's learned from Coach Kruger:
“I've learned a lot of things. He's a smart guy, he gives me tips about everything. Most coaches you think would really get on you, but when you mess up he will help you continue to do the right things. He doesn't make you feel bad about the mistakes that you make as long as you make them going hard. I don't like to make mistakes, but he makes it to where if I make one I am not really scared to talk him about it because he just helps me out and makes me correct it.”

On why he decided to attend OU:
“The feeling I got from everything when I came up. I liked the coaching and playing style and stuff like that. My mom [also helped]. For some reason she always seems to be right and she just has a real feel for people. She'd be like 'nah or yeah' and it kind of persuades me. She really liked the coaching staff at Oklahoma from top to bottom and I did too. I liked the playing style and everything about it.”

HEAD COACH LON KRUGER

On the development of James and Odomes so far in practice:
“Really pleased so far with both. They have good size and good strength, especially for freshmen. Their bodies aren't such where they have to add strength and add weight. They are already there. Both have good skill, good instincts. We're really excited about their future and their upside. Especially the opportunity for them to work with Buddy and Isaiah. The senior leadership those guys provide is very healthy for Rashard and Christian to follow in their footsteps.”

On if the duo will play an important role on this year's team:
“Very much so. Both are ready to step in and play, there is no question about that. Again, they are doing it in a support role of Isaiah and Buddy here initially. But that's valuable experience. The quality depth off the bench is really important. That's one thing that we lacked last year, in terms of production. As a group, we should be much deeper and much more capable off the bench.”

On challenges freshmen can face during their first year on campus:
“Typically for freshmen, the pace of everything. From academics, to basketball and other responsibilities. It can be a little bit overwhelming. They feel kind of 'snowed' sometimes and it takes a little time to get that rhythm and time management going. They get the knack of it pretty quickly. The older guys can help with that a great deal, too.”