SAM GROOMS u QUICKLY A junior college product who started every game for OU last year and ranked second on team in minutes ... An excellent ball-handler who ranked among nation’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio ... Lauded by head coach Lon Kruger for his vocal leadership ... Voted by teammates as squad’s smartest player on the court.
u 2011-12 (JUNIOR)
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SENIOR GUARD 6-1 203 GREENSBORO, N.C. CHIPOLA COLLEGE (FLA.)
Started all 31 games at point guard and averaged 6.7 points, a team-high 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 31.5 minutes a contest ... Recorded 185 assists against 65 turnovers for a Big 12-best 2.8 ratio ... Ranked second in the Big 12 in assists ... Averaged 6.4 assists (ranked second in league) and posted a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio (ranked first) in conference play ... Led team in assists in 24 games (including 15 of the final 16 outings) ... Registered at least seven assists 14 times (including three games of 10) ... Recorded more than three turnovers only three times ... Committed two or fewer turnovers in 11 of final 15 games ... Scored in double figures eight times ... Scored a season-high 17 points and handed out 10 assists in 71-68 loss to No. 4 Missouri (Feb. 6) ... Netted 13 points in season finale vs. Texas A&M in Big 12 Championship first round (March 7).
u JUNIOR COLLEGE Rated as nation’s third-best junior college player in 2010-11 by JucoRecruiting.com and 11th-best by JucoJunction.com ... Started 50 games in his two seasons at Chipola College (located Marianna, Fla.) ... Averaged 11.1 points, 5.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore when he earned first-team All-Panhandle Conference honors ... Shot .382 from 3-point range (26-for-68) and .720 from free throw line (77-for-107) ... Led team to 25-6 record, a league title and NJCAA Region VIII championship game ... Coached by Jake Headrick ... Other Division I signees from 2010-11 team included Shamarr Bowden (East Carolina), Keith DeWitt (Southern Miss) and Marcos Knight (Middle Tennessee State).
u HIGH SCHOOL Played at Smith and Northeast Guilford High Schools in Greensboro, N.C., before transferring to Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C.
u MISCELLANEOUS Born in Washington, D.C., and moved to Greensboro, N.C. at age 10 ... Parents are Ora and Samuel Grooms ... Originally signed with South Florida before going to junior college ... Chose OU over Baylor, Illinois, North Carolina and Oklahoma State ... Major is multidisciplinary studies.
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2012-13 OKLAHOMA BASKETBALL