Woodard Embracing Season of High Hopes

Jordan Woodard is set to begin his junior season as a Sooner. The Arcadia, Okla., native started every game his first two seasons in Norman (68 combined) and is currently on pace to finish in the top three in OU history in assists. Last season, the point guard averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and team highs of 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.

Woodard recently caught up with SoonerSports.com to preview the upcoming season and explain how far the program has come since he stepped foot on campus.

On the team's mindset heading into the season:
“As a team, I think we're highly motivated and that's dangerous. We have a tough non-conference schedule, and that will keep us motivated the whole year. As a team at practice, we have high energy. We have high hopes this year.”

On his individual goals for the season:
“For myself, I plan to make the defensive team for the Big 12. I want to turn up my defensive skills for this team. I think I can bring a lot of energy, and I have to keep these guys involved and get them shots, but I want to turn up defensively this year.”

On the transformation of the program since he arrived on campus as a freshman:
“It's crazy to see where we are now from where we came from. We had hopes of going to the Sweet 16 (last year) and now the Final Four and a couple of years ago we were just happy to make the tournament. Now we expect to. When I got here we were just trying to win games, and now we're aiming to compete for championships.”

On what he worked on in the offseason to improve:
“I was working on a lot of shooting. I had to improve my shooting and my decision-making a lot. I just worked on my overall shape, too, so I could play 30-plus minutes a game.”

On how much depth the freshman class can provide:
“They bring in a lot of size. They (Christian James and Dante Buford) came in at 6-4 and 6-7 and have great athletic ability. They're already ahead of their time. They have the work ethic, so they'll be great. You will have to catch them a few years down the road, but they're going to be great adding depth to our team this season.”

On what role he needs to play this season for the team to be successful:
“I have to keep everybody involved. We have so much experience with our three seniors, so I have to make sure they're getting the ball. I have to do my part to knock down open shots and play defense, too. I need to use my quickness on defense because it provides energy.”

On the importance of a great atmosphere by the fans at the LNC:
“The fans helped us win a lot of games last year, especially those like Iowa State and when we beat Kansas. I think the fans played a big part in that. It would be great to see them hopefully out for our non-conference games as well this year. They've been supporting us more and more as we win games and it's great. We really appreciate that.”