MEN'S HOOPS HOLDS ANNUAL MEDIA DAY

NORMAN – The eighth-ranked University of Oklahoma men's basketball team met with local reporters during the program's annual media day Monday afternoon inside Lloyd Noble Center, just four days prior to its exhibition opener.

Head coach Lon Kruger, who begins his fifth season in Norman, and many players provided updates on practice and previewed the upcoming season. The squad opened official practice on Oct. 6, exactly one month prior to hosting Washburn.

“It's a great time of year,” Kruger said. “It's hard to believe we're into November and guys are anxious to go, anxious to play. We've had three or four good weeks of practice. As you might imagine, really good effort, good enthusiasm early on, like on every college campus right now.

"We're anxious to go. It's a veteran group that's done a lot of good things over their careers, but now the expectations are a little bit different. We expect them to handle it well with the leadership of our senior group. We're anxious to line-up for our first exhibition game on Friday.”

Oklahoma tips off the 2015-16 season with exhibition games against Washburn and Mid-America Christian on Nov. 6 and 12, respectively, at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners begin the regular season Nov. 17 on the road against Memphis.

Here's more from Monday's media day session:

HEIGHTENED EXPECTATIONS

The Sooners are ranked No. 8 in the initial USA Today Coaches and AP polls. Additionally, the team was picked second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.

Each of Kruger's first four Oklahoma teams finished higher than where they were picked in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. The squad returns 75 percent of its scoring, 69 percent of its rebounding and 83 percent of its assists from a year ago.

“The expectations are a little bit different,” Kruger said. “You work to get to that point and you really can't change what you do every day in preparation. The guys have done a really good job of focusing on making progress consistently throughout the year and making good plays for each other. Certainly, we don't want to change all that, we just have to do it a little bit better.

"It's an older group and we should be able to take that up a notch and make progress in all those areas. We'll have to cover a little bit better on the defensive end than we did last year. We'll have to rebound a little bit better. Just across the board, we hope to do things a little bit better.”

A major reason for the optimism in Norman is four returning starters – including three seniors – from last year's NCAA Sweet 16 squad. Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard will aim to navigate this team through an extremely challenging preseason and conference slate.

“I expect big things this season,” Spangler said. “I think we've all been through it all. We've lost some easy games, we've lost some hard games. I think we know what it takes to win. I think this group will be willing to do whatever we have to do to win.”

QUOTABLE

HEAD COACH LON KRUGER

On Hield's growth:
“Buddy's game, since March, across the board, has improved. He's gotten bigger. He's gotten stronger. The way he's carried himself as a leader, more secure, more confident. He's really anxious to get his senior year underway. Buddy's just a hard worker. He's a really, really good leader. He works as hard as anyone in the country. He's improved across the board.”

On his expectations from redshirt freshmen Dante Buford and Jamuni McNeace:
“They're different types of players. They both redshirted last year. They made big strides during that year. I thought they took full advantage of that opportunity to work on their games and not have to worry about getting ready to play in a ball game. Dante has really stepped in. He's a mobile four-man. He shoots the ball well. He fundamentally does things well. Jamuni is very active, very long, very athletic five-man. He's made big strides. Both of them have. We're excited about that.”

On the depth of the team and the options he has:
“We have a lot of versatility. We have lots of ways to go. We can go big, we can go smaller. This group, from a mismatch standpoint, will provide more options than clubs have the last couple years. I think mismatches are always something we look for and kind of what the game comes down to sometimes. We like that option.”

On selling out the student section this year:
“The student section was terrific last year, especially late in the year. They made a big impact on the atmosphere, the environment in the Lloyd Noble Center. The students are always the cornerstone for affecting the crowd, the attitude, the atmosphere. Having sold out this year early is great. Hopefully that's an indication they want to come to games early and have an impact on the game. We expect that. This is a fun group to watch. It's an easy group to cheer for. I think students appreciate that. I know our players really appreciate what our student section, the Boom Squad, did for us last year. They were great and had a big impact on the games.”

On advancing in the NCAA tournament last season and what the team learned:
“The guys were disappointed last year when it ended, like anyone who loses that last ball game. I think it really served as motivation for them in the spring, the summer and now fall to try to get better. They had a very good year last year as a group, but still everyone's goal was to win one more and take a next step and that's not going to change. They've worked hard. That's been a motivating factor for sure.”

SENIOR GUARD BUDDY HIELD

On improving his ball-handling skills during the offseason:
“I worked on it a lot. Isaiah (Cousins) leads the ball-handling group, so I've been following him and watching what he does. I want to be sharper than I was last year.”

On his excitement level for the season:
“I'm very excited and anxious. I can't wait for the first preseason game on Friday (vs. Washburn). I can barely sleep, and am looking forward to basketball being here again.”

On expectations growing each season while he's been at OU:
“It's been fun. Our goals have gone from making the NCAA tournament my freshman year to reaching Houston (for the Final Four) this year. It will be easier said than done and nothing is guaranteed, but we will work for it, take one practice at a time and when it comes to our first game at Memphis, we'll compete as hard as we can.”

On what the newcomers will bring to the table this season:
“Dante (Buford) is going to spread the floor a lot. He's going to attack on the dribble and make a lot of shots, which is what he's been doing all year in practice. He's going to be a key part of this team, and playing a team like Iowa State, he can spread the floor with them and keep teams honest. It will be fun to see what he and Jamuni (McNeace) do this year. They both bring a different dimension to the game. Rashard (Odomes) and Christian (James) too, they are both physical, aggressive guards who like to attack.”

SENIOR GUARD ISAIAH COUSINS

On the relationship between him and Buddy:
“We're like brothers. We're kind of like a family. We're just real close and we have fun together.”

On how their games complement each other:
“We both kind of understand each other and we both know how to play off each other, find each other. We build off each other's momentum.”

SENIOR FORWARD RYAN SPANGLER

On the challenge of the team's non-conference slate this season:
“Memphis will be a big one. We're all ready for that and we've been practicing hard for that. Then after that, we've got some great games, including home games with Wisconsin and Creighton. This non-conference is set up for us to get better every game and see how many wins we can get.”

SOPHOMORE FORWARD KHADEEM LATTIN

On his offseason work and what he's looking forward to most this season:
“Really, just finding a better flow offensively. That's kind of an area I lacked last year. It wasn't always natural to me. I was always kind of hesitant and I was always taking it kind of a step slower than I should be. So just getting ready, thinking about it faster, knowing where I should be offensively and keeping the same defensive tenacity that I always have.”

On the team's depth:
“Early last year, when I started playing so many minutes, you could see how it kind of warned them (coaching staff) later on. It was just a problem because a lot of the subs weren't really ready at that point to step in. Then, when we got ready to step in, you could see us elevate as a team. So for our bench players to come off the bench and be ready to do that early on in the year, that'll help our growth and progression really fast.”

JUNIOR GUARD JORDAN WOODARD

On expectations for the season:
“We have high expectations and our goals are set really high. We're back working at it again. Last year, making it to the Sweet 16 was something new, but this year we're trying to go further than that.”

On what aspects of his game he aimed to improve on over the offseason:
“I improved my jump-shooting and decision-making. I worked a lot to get better chemistry-wise with the new guys. I think I improved my conditioning because we have a new strength coach and he's just been helping the team get stronger. So I guess you could say I got stronger.”

On being a leader for this team:
“I've started to be more vocal, but basically I just lead by example. I think that's one of my strong suits because I'm not the loudest. I just try and go out, whether it's in workouts or in practice. Just lead by example.”

SENIOR GUARD DINJIYL WALKER

On his excitement of getting the season started:
“Definitely ready to get the season started. I'm still coming with the energy and whatever I need to in order to help win games. But as for myself, I'm just ready to help Buddy, Isaiah, Jordan and Ryan get some wins. Because you always need somebody else you can use as a team. I already know what they can do and it's time for me to step up.”

FRESHMAN GUARD RASHARD ODOMES

On Hield and Cousins' work ethics:
“Their work ethic is just crazy. It makes the freshmen want to come in and work even harder. Every time I come in, Buddy is already in the gym and Isaiah is right beside him. They're either working out together or working out by themselves. It really pushes the team and helps the team out when they put in that type of effort and that type of tempo to the team. The freshmen try to follow right behind them. It's something different because usually I was the hardest working person on my team and then I come here and Buddy is working out three or four times a day. I'm trying to step it up to that level.”

On the depth of the team off of the bench:
“We have a lot of depth to the team. Everyone that's coming off of the bench knows their role and knows what they have to do in the game. We have people coming off of the bench that can score and pick up quick buckets, people that can rebound and people that can go to the basket strong. There won't be much of a drop-off if you have the second team come in.”

HEIGHTENED EXPECTATIONS