Seasoned sophomore Jordan Woodard ready
to lead ranked Sooners into 2014-15.
So much went right for Oklahoma point guard Jordan Woodard during his freshman season, but how the year ended went so wrong. The 2013-14 campaign ended suddenly. Then again, that's how life works in single-elimination postseason basketball tournaments. Win, and you get to keep playing. Lose, and you're done.
The Sooners closed out the regular season by winning five of their last six games, which included a victory at rival Oklahoma State to complete a Bedlam sweep. The lone setback was an eight-point road loss to eventual conference champion Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, where OU held the lead with nine minutes remaining.
Heading into the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, the Sooners were 23-8 overall and 12-6 in Big 12 Conference play. By finishing as conference runner-up, OU earned a first-round bye as the No. 2 tournament seed and faced No. 7 seed Baylor in the second round. The Bears jumped out to a double-digit lead and led by as many as many as 21 early in the second half. Woodard buried a 3-pointer with four seconds left to pull OU to within three, but the Bears converted two free throws to clinch a 78-73 victory.
Even with the setback, the Sooners were No. 21 in the final Associated Press poll and given a No. 5 seed in their 28th NCAA Tournament appearance. OU was shipped to Spokane, Wash., for an opening-round game against No. 12-seeded North Dakota State. Done in by cold shooting (34.7 percent from the field), the Sooners missed three attempts on their final possession of regulation and wound end up losing 80-75 in overtime.
"So much went wrong," Woodard said, shaking his head.
Woodard was referring to the end of the season, not what had transpired to get to that point. As far as OU coach Lon Kruger was concerned, very much went right last season, particularly with Woodard.
Woodard led all Big 12 freshmen in assists and finished just two shy of the school's freshman record of 154 set by Tommy Mason-Griffin in 2009-10.
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Among Big 12 freshmen last season, Woodard ranked first in assists (4.6), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), second in free throws made per game (4.4), second in free-throw percentage (.777), third in 3-point field-goal percentage (.370), fourth in steals (1.0) and fifth in scoring (10.3).
That about covers it.
Though much was expected of Woodard his rookie season, he exceeded those expectations with a fearless transition from high school ball to college.
"We didn't know he would be as cerebral as he was. We didn't exactly know how much he could take, but he gravitated to it all and just took it all in. He was really, really good."
OU Assistant Coach Chris Crutchfield
"We didn't know he would be as cerebral as he was," said OU assistant coach Chris Crutchfield, who recruited Woodard. "We didn't exactly know how much he could take, but he gravitated to it all and just took it all in. He was really, really good."
Woodard helped lead Edmond Memorial High School to three straight Oklahoma Class 6A state championship games, winning the title as a sophomore and senior. He played his first two seasons alongside older brother, James, now a 6-foot-3 junior shooting guard at the University of Tulsa, where he led the Golden Hurricane in scoring (15.5), rebounding (5.9) and 3-point shooting (.387) last year.
Coming out of high school, Jordan wanted to rejoin his brother at Tulsa, but the Golden Hurricane was in a coaching transition with the arrival of Danny Manning, who left last spring for Wake Forest. Stanford also showed an interest in Jordan Woodard who, after delaying his decision, finally committed to the Sooners. Crutchfield admitted he became extremely anxious while recruiting Woodard.
"We really, really liked him," Crutchfield said. "We knew from the minute we got the job here (prior to the 2011-12 season) how talented he was. He was definitely playing at a high level. We just stayed in there and worked it. Coach Kruger really saw something in him. I thought he was going to Tulsa, but he kept moving his decision back and back. I was getting frustrated."
Woodard was the local kid Kruger didn't want to get away. "We knew we were a good fit for him, the way we play, the personalities on our staff, the proximity. We knew all that was a good fit," Kruger said.
The Woodard brothers will reunite on the court Dec. 13 when OU plays a 1:30 p.m. game against the Golden Hurricane at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa. The Sooners beat Tulsa 101-91 last season in Norman. Jordan had a career-high 24 points, plus eight assists and three rebounds. James had 19 points and six boards.
Brotherly love has now become a rivalry. "And it's about to build up this year because I think they're going to have a good ballclub," said a stone-faced Jordan.
"It was fun playing against him, but not too fun because we lost," James said. "OU was on him since he was a sophomore in high school. Coach Kruger showed him the most love, so I think he (Jordan) made the right decision going there. I tried to keep up with him as much as I could last season, and I thought he did pretty good. He achieved a lot for a freshman. I love watching my brother play."
Crutchfield said Jordan Woodard's speed is what made him particularly appealing to the Sooners. "The way we played was great for him because he didn't play that fast in high school," Crutchfield said. "He is so fast with the ball. From Point A to Point B, he might be one of the fastest I've seen. He's not just fast, he's explosive and can get to the basket."
There seems to be some confusion on exactly how fast Woodard is, however.
"His speed is so smooth," said personable OU junior shooting guard Buddy Hield, a preseason All-Big 12 selection. "His pace is hard to read. Even me, when I first played with him, I was thinking, 'Eh, he's not that fast,' but he's quick, you know. He's got that sneaky speed nobody knows about until it's too late."
Woodard is one of those players who might be faster with the basketball than without it, much like Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook. "He is very fast with the ball," Kruger said of the 6-foot, 189-pound Woodard. "He's a combination of fast and strong. He's got a stockiness to him and if he gets his body on you, he can go by you."
Woodard had two remarkable stats last season:
1. He shot a higher percentage from 3-point range (.370) than from 2-point range (.352).
"He's got that sneaky speed nobody knows about until it's too late."
OU Guard Buddy Hield
2. He attempted 64 more free throws than his closest teammate and set a school freshman record for made free throws, converting 146 of his 188 attempts. In that victory against Tulsa and his brother, Woodard made 17 free throws and tied a single-game school record with 22 attempts.
Both stats are easily explained. Woodard loves to penetrate the lane, which often results in (1) drawing a shooting foul or (2) getting his shot altered or blocked.
"Sometimes you get in the paint and you're not used to the size you're shooting over," Kruger said. "That's something he's worked on this offseason."
Hield shook his head and said, "Yeah, but that's still a lot of free throws for a point guard ... and for a freshman."
When Kruger and Woodard chatted after last season, shooting practice led the offseason to-do list. "To take that next step, you've got to become a great shooter," Kruger told Woodard. "I think he'll shoot it consistently better this season, make overall better decisions running the ballclub. Having gone through a Big 12 season once, his perspective is a little different, and it shows with regard to how hard he worked in the summer and fall. He's got good skills, good talent."
In Woodard's eyes, his work doesn't stop at shooting. "I think everything I did last year could be improved upon," Woodard said. "It's not going to be easy, but it's just made me want to work harder."
Being a freshman and being a point guard is a combustible combination. It becomes even more dangerous when your coach is someone like Kruger, a standout point guard himself and two-time Big Eight Player of the Year (1973-74) at Kansas State who makes no apologies for what he demands of Woodard.
"We do ask a lot of him because he has a lot to give," Kruger said.
"We do ask a lot of him because he has a lot to give."
Head Coach Lon Kruger
Woodard playfully was asked if he ever tries to read Kruger's mind. "Yeah, all the time," Woodard said, "but his basketball mind is on a way different level. His mind is great. He just craves basketball, all day, every day. I'm trying to get there."
Woodard's greatest asset is his supporting cast. Amazingly, the Sooners used the same starting lineup every game last season - something only six other Division I teams accomplished.
Senior swingman Cameron Clark is gone, but four starters return in Woodard, Hield (16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, .386 on 3-pointers), junior guard Isaiah Cousins (11.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.2 spg, .404 on 3-pointers) and junior center Ryan Spangler (9.6 ppg, league-high 9.3 rpg, .584 FG percentage).
The Sooners were ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches' preseason poll and third in the Big 12 poll. However, the potential addition of former University of Houston forward TaShawn Thomas (15.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.7 blocks, .591 FG percentage), who is awaiting word from the NCAA on a transfer waiver, would make OU a genuine threat to snap Kansas' 10-year reign as Big 12 champs and possibly could make the Sooners a Final Four contender.
As the youngest starter on a talented team for a second straight season, Woodard runs the risk of publicly being the forgotten Sooner, but certainly not inside his own locker room. "No, never that," Woodard said, shaking his head. "My teammates never boast about any of the attention they're getting. They're humble. We just keep it all as a team effort."
Hield nodded in Woodard's direction and said, "We know we can't run the show without Jordan. This team would not be complete without Jordan."
What made the Sooners particularly dangerous in tight situations last season was not knowing which player would take (and frequently make) the next big shot. Players took turns being the go-to guy. Every OU starter last season led the team in scoring at least twice.
Kruger prefers to spread the wealth, and Woodard is the key distributor. "It starts with Jordan being able to create opportunities for others and being able to make decisions to where the ball goes," Kruger said. "A lot of times it's getting the ball in Jordan's hands and allowing him to go make a play."
Basketball players tend to make their biggest improvement from their first year to their second, a point in time where Woodard stands right now.
"He won't stop until he gets to where he wants to get. I see it in him."
OU Guard Buddy Hield
An insightful Hield, who more than doubled his scoring average from his freshman (7.8) to sophomore (16.5) seasons, shared his theory on why the second-year jump occurs. "You have that factor of wanting to get better," Hield said. "You don't want to be the same player. You want to be in the gym because you're a competitor. He (Woodard) won't stop until he gets to where he wants to get. I see it in him. When we go against each other one-on-one, we talk trash and stuff like that and he comes right back at me. I like that competitive nature."
Crutchfield anxiously awaits a more experienced Woodard playing the point. "It took about a month last year for it to sink in with him that the ball travels much faster with a pass on a break than trying to dribble to your destination," Crutchfield said, dribbling an invisible basketball with his right hand. "Typical high school point guard. They want to dribble it. Jordan didn't realize, 'If I (pass) it rather than taking two dribbles, I might eventually get the ball back, then I can go."
It's no coincidence OU's leader on the basketball court is majoring in administrative leadership. Woodard said he has tried to play the role his entire life.
"Definitely. My family raised me to be a leader, not a follower," said a smiling Woodard. "I'm going to carry that with me as far as I go. I like being in charge."
A Special Presentation of SoonerSports.com. Photography by Ty Russell and Josh Gateley. Written by John Rohde, a respected name on the Oklahoma sports scene who provides regular features for SoonerSports.com. Voted Oklahoma Sportswriter of the Year five times, he can be heard on 107.7 The Franchise, the flagship station for OU Athletics weekdays from 5:30-9 a.m..
