Back to School, Back to Work

NORMAN -- As we approach 50 days until the tip of the 2015-16 men's basketball season, the Sooner squad is already in full preparation mode for what is aiming to be a year full of potential in Norman.

With four starters back and a host of talent off the bench – both returning and new – these student-athletes realize the countless hours of hard work they dedicate this time of year is a direct correlation to regular season and postseason success.

Leading the Crimson and Cream in the weight room throughout the summer was Bryce Daub, who was hired in June as the director of strength and performance for the program. Now that the academic year has begun, the team has transitioned its workouts with the upcoming season in mind.

“All summer, these guys were lifting four days a week with additional conditioning on two of those days,” Daub said. “Now, we are starting to cut lifting back to three days a week and conditioning to two days. The movements in the weight room and during conditioning are beginning to be more sport-specific as we prepare for the start of the season.”

A PHOTO GALLERY YOU CAN CHECK OUT HERE, the team gathers together in the weight room under the direction of Daub at the LNC, with each student-athlete carefully following his personalized plan.

“The goal of these transition workouts is to maintain the strength gains and improvements that were made throughout the summer and begin to train more specifically for the start of fall practice,” Daub said.

Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield said that summer workouts have been better than expected, and the hard work will pay dividends once the season tips off.

“I feel like everybody got better,” Hield said. “The new guys were really watching the older guys, like me, Ryan (Spangler) and Isaiah (Cousins). We were setting the tone for them. We just went into the gym every day and competed as hard as we could.”

Hield said he can already see the benefits of working under Daub's guidance.

“We are getting more explosive and guys are getting stronger,” Hield said. “We need to take that next step, and he's really helped us develop and create strength more than ever before.”

Fellow team leader Ryan Spangler described his offseason regimen and how the workouts have benefited him heading into his final season in a Sooner uniform.

We are getting more explosive and guys are getting stronger. We need to take that next step, and (Coach Daub) really helped us develop and create strength more than ever before.
— Buddy Hield

“Individually, I just made sure I came up here every day to get about an hour shooting in,” the native Oklahoman said. “I'm just trying to get better with my all-around game. In the weight room, the biggest thing is just getting our bodies into shape. Once the Big 12 comes around it's a pretty long season, so this allows us to keep our stamina all year.”

With big man TaShawn Thomas departing from last year's team, sophomore Khadeem Lattin is prepared for an expanded role in 2015-16. That next step in his development starts now.

“I feel like I've become more comfortable with the team and I've stepped up into a bigger role now,” Lattin said. “I want to get stronger with Coach Daubs, and I've definitely done that. He's intense, and it works. Just with strength, stability and balance, those are three things I really struggled with last year. This year I have really focused on those areas and I've gotten so much better now.”

Lattin has also seen the offseason diligence pay off when it comes to his teammates.

“We are a more competitive team now,” he said. “We are tougher, we're more mentally prepared and we have more confidence in one another now. It's just a really good feeling every time we all step foot into the locker room.”

Daub praised this group for its dedication and willingness to 'buy in' to the summer grind.

"This is the hardest working group I have been around,” Daub said. “The veterans are the ones setting the tone, 100 percent. The new guys see that and follow."