SEASON OUTLOOK defensively — especially the older guys. They’re all a year better, a year stronger and a year more aware and experienced. “That’s the biggest difference between this year and last year — the experience and the understanding of what it takes. Everyone knows what challenges lie ahead and how difficult they are. There’s an eagerness to genuinely embrace those. That will help a lot.”
u BACKCOURT Steven Pledger (6-4, 219, Sr., Guard) Sam Grooms (6-1, 203, Sr., Guard) Cameron Clark (6-6, 208, Jr., Guard) James Fraschilla (5-10, 150, So., Guard) Jarrod Kruger (6-1, 181, So., Guard) Buddy Hield (6-3, 199, Fr., Guard) Isaiah Cousins (6-3, 182, Fr., Guard) Je’lon Hornbeak (6-3, 180, Fr., Guard) The Sooners’ backcourt will feature a combination of experience and youth, with three returning starters and three freshman guards who figure to play prominent roles right from the start. Heading the guard charge will be Steven Pledger, the Big 12’s leading returning scorer. The 6-4, 219-pound senior earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last year after averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in a team-high 32.9 minutes a game. He started each of his 30 games as a junior and shot career highs of .459 from the field and .416 from 3-point range. He ranked fourth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage and treys per game (2.4), and sixth in scoring, field goal percentage and free throw percentage (.833).
Pledger, who already stands in sixth place in school history with 178 3-pointers (the record is 259) and 34th with 1,022 points, has topped the 30-point mark three times over the past two years. He plans to finish his career with a bang. “Steven’s a terrific shooter, probably as good of a shooter as there is in the Big 12,” Kruger said. “He shot it well last year and I think he’ll have a very good senior year. He’ll also rebound the ball well for us and has a good feel defensively.” Sam Grooms, a starter in all 31 games last year in his first season in Norman, returns at point guard. The 6-1, 203-pound senior averaged 6.7 points, a team-high 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game. His 185 assists ranked second among Big 12 players while his 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio paced the league and ranked eighth nationally. Grooms, who shot just .350 from the field and .200 from 3-point range, spent a good chunk of the offseason working to improve his jumper. “Sam did a very good job taking care of the ball last year, getting it where it needed to go,” Kruger said. “I think he’ll continue to get experience at the point guard spot and will be invaluable going into the season.” Junior Cameron Clark returns on the wing after starting in 28 of 31 games last season and all 32 games the year before. Standing at 6-6 and weighing 208 pounds, Clark averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.2 minutes a contest last season. Kruger expects Clark, who worked to retool his jumpshot in the summer, to make a big impact on both ends of the court. “Cameron has the ability to not only score, but rebound the ball very aggressively and be an outstanding defender. We have to work on consistently bringing that to the court every day, and he has been doing that this fall.” Also returning at guard are sophomore walk-ons James Fraschilla and Jarrod Kruger. Fraschilla is a 5-10, 150-pounder who played in 10 games last season, totaling 12 minutes and three points. The 6-1, 181 Kruger sat out last year after spending the 2010 fall semester on the Kansas State team. What the pair lacks in size they make up for in work ethic and team-first attitude, finding ways to contribute to the cause every day. The three freshmen who will vie for significant playing time are shooting guard Buddy Hield and point guards Isaiah Cousins and Je’lon Hornbeak. “Buddy, Isaiah and Je’lon are rangy and athletic and possess great enthusiasm, great passion and great energy,” Kruger said. “They’ll be a good complement to our returning guards and provide for a deep group.”
u Senior guard Steven Pledger is the Big 12’s leading returning scorer (16.2 ppg). He made 72 3-pointers last year (.416). 8
2012-13 OKLAHOMA BASKETBALL
Hield is a 6-3, 199-pounder from Freeport, Bahamas, who starred two years at Sunrise Christian Academy outside of Wichita, Kan. The four-star recruit was ranked 86th nationally by Rivals.com after averaging 22.7 points on .491 shooting in 21.0 minutes a game as a senior. Over the season’s final five games, Hield averaged 29.8 points and shot .478 (22-for-46) from 3-point range.