Parting words from Jeff Capel
Published: 4/15/2009 7:27 AM
Last Modified: 4/15/2009 7:27 AM
The three Oklahoma basketball beat writers sat down with Jeff Capel Tuesday afternoon. Before we shut off our tape recorders, Capel gave us a soundbite that should carry well into the offseason...
"We need Tony Crocker to be more consistent. We need Cade Davis to be more consistent. Both of those kids have had very good moments during their time here, but we need them to be more consistent next year. 'Crock' is going to be a senior, Cade's going to be a junior. So it's about time that they become more consistent.
"We need Willie Warren to blossom into what I think he can blossom into, which is one of the best guards in the country. I think Willie can be a guy that leads our league in scoring.
"We need Ryan Wright and Orlando Allen to really have big summers and to understand and appreciate the opportunity that they have, and to be ready for it, and to use all the things they learned this year playing with and behind the best player in the country, having a chance to go against him every day.
"We need Ray Willis to make the jump. I think that can be a great story, a kid that really didn't play at all, all of a sudden in his second year starts having success. I think that can happen, but it will only happen if he learns to work the right way. That's been his learning process this year. He's had some different things happen. I hope, I think he does, but I really hope he finally gets that. It's not like high school. It's not easy. It's not a joke. You've got to work for it. You've got to compete.
"If those guys can do it, then it helps our younger guys coming in to understand how things are done. I think that's how you build a program, when you can have your older guys teaching your younger guys about success, how to have success. Not just on the floor, but in the classroom and everywhere. Hopefully we're in the process of doing that."
It will be interesting to see how carefully the Sooners lived by those words when they get back together next fall.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
