Friday, March 29, 2002
Oklahoma loads up on JUCO's
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — On the surface, Oklahoma's roster conjures thoughts of renegade programs, players with problems and teams looking for a quick fix. These Sooners don't fit that mold.
They are succeeding with six junior college transfers. It's a lineup that has raised eyebrows of skeptics who believe teams can't win — and run a clean program — with so much turnover, and so few high school recruits.
“We're in the Final Four,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I couldn't care less about what the perception is.”
Ebi Ere. Quannas White. Jason Detrick. Aaron McGhee. Daryan Selvy. Jozsef Szendrei. All came to Oklahoma via somewhere other than high school.
So far, the only baggage these JUCO transfers carry is what they've packed to bring to the Final Four, where they play Indiana in the semifinals Saturday.
The Sooners arrived at their hotel Thursday to very little fanfare. They're a group of relative unknowns in a field where Kansas, Indiana and Maryland are dominating the headlines.
Those other three schools boast a combined total of five JUCO transfers and no fewer than five NBA prospects.
At Oklahoma, the numbers are much different. Maybe one Sooner — Aaron McGhee — has surefire NBA potential. Most have chosen to play some junior college ball — whether to work on grades, polish their skills or avoid having to go on a season's hiatus after choosing to transfer from another Division I program.
“I like having JUCOs,” Sampson said. “They handle adversity better.”
Sampson said he never planned to rely on as many JUCO transfers as the Sooners do this season. Still, the formula has worked. The coach looks at all the Dukes, Michigan States and Floridas that recruit from high schools, and sees their players leaving early for the NBA.
“Sometimes I wonder, what's the difference between a high school kid and a JUCO kid?” Sampson said. “The really, really great programs get a high school kid for one year, maybe two. I'm getting a JUCO kid for two years. So, what's the difference?”
Looking to the junior-college ranks became the pattern at Oklahoma in the days of Billy Tubbs. In 1988, the effervescent coach took the Sooners to the Final Four with the help of JUCO transfers Mookie Blaylock, Ricky Grace and Harvey Grant.
When he arrived in 1981, Tubbs quickly realized the Sooners would never become a huge success recruiting high schools in Oklahoma, a state of 3 million that normally produces only two or three major-college players a year.
He always bristled at the notion that teams were primed for trouble if they relied too heavily on the JUCO ranks.
“I don't think there's any question, it's unfair,” Tubbs said. “You look at what you're up against. If you want to compete at a place like Oklahoma, you've got to get the best players available, whether they're high school or JUCO.”
While Tubbs turned Oklahoma into a place for JUCO transfers to look, Sampson took it to extremes this year.
Five of Oklahoma's top seven scorers this year came from JUCOs. Another, Jabahri Brown, transferred from Florida International after sitting out a year.
The JUCO rush began when Sampson found himself with holes to fill after Ryan Humphrey transferred to Notre Dame following the 1999 season. Last year, the Sooners dismissed one of their best players, J.R. Raymond, after he tested positive for drugs.
“Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention,” Sampson said.
The coach sees a day when he can recruit out of high schools more frequently. In fact, he has already signed De'Angelo Alexander and received an oral commitment from Kevin Bookout. They are two of the top players in Oklahoma's high school system.
“I'd like a balance,” Sampson said. “But this area is prime hunting ground for junior college players. For you to come in here and make this a high school-dominant program, you're missing out on a valuable resource.”
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Oklahoma loads up on JUCO's 
