Norman North star commits to OU
How Trae Young’s decision impacts Oklahoma basketball.
Wins have been hard to come by for Oklahoma basketball this season.
In a transition year coming off a Final Four season and with a young team, the Sooners pulled off perhaps their biggest victory since last spring’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday, when Norman North five-star point guard Trae Young committed to the Sooners.
In picking OU over Big 12 rivals Kansas and Oklahoma State, the future for the Sooners looks better now than it did just a few days ago.
Young is Oklahoma’s highest-rated recruit since Tiny Gallon signed with the Sooners in 2009.
OU has struggled at point guard this season with Jordan Woodard missing time, slumping offensively and then suffering a season-ending knee injury last week that ended his college career.
Woodard’s backups, Darrion Strong-Moore and Jordan Shepherd, have had their moments, but neither has offered much in the way of scoring punch.
Young, who averages better than 40 points per game in Class 6A, figures to immediately make it easier for players such as Kameron McGusty, Rashard Odomes and Kristian Doolittle — all young starters on this year’s team — to find room to work.
Likewise, Young isn’t likely to see junk defenses designed to slow down only him when he gets on the floor with a group of players who can also score consistently.
“The playing style really fit well, and with them being young, I feel like I can come in and with them having a year or two experience in the Big 12, I feel it will help me as much as I can help them,” Young said.
Sooners coach Lon Kruger has allowed his point guards freedom to assert themselves offensively in recent years.
Woodard was averaging better than 17 points per game early in the season before things turned sour.
Last season, Isaiah Cousins averaged 12.6 points per game during his season on the point.
“He lets his guards play the way I want to play,” Young said of Kruger. “I know he’s going to give me a lot of freedom, but he’s also going to teach me the game and expand my knowledge of the game.”
Going into Saturday’s Bedlam game, Oklahoma is 9-16 overall and 3-10 in Big 12 play. Nine of its losses have come by fewer than 10 points. Seven of those were by five or fewer points or in overtime.
“They’re right there,” Young said. “They’re just a young team this year, and it hurts to watch because you want to be out there helping those guys. But I feel like this year will really help them get ready for next year, and they have a lot of talent and I can’t wait to work with those guys.”
The ability to win certainly played into Young’s decision, even if the Sooners are struggling.
“I feel like this is just a learning year,” Young said. “And I don’t see it being like this next year.”