Message-ID: <28512465.1075861956017.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 06:36:04 -0800 (PST) From: rgrindstaff@home.com To: mark.mcconnell@enron.com, bennett.d.a.@enron.com, watson.brad@enron.com, o'brien.josh@enron.com, dial.greg@enron.com, wiles.will@enron.com, ringer.brian@enron.com, culbertson.david@enron.com, shannon.ed@enron.com, duke.kyle@enron.com Subject: Sooner Recruiting News - James Hale Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Rob Grindstaff X-To: McConnell, Mark , D.A. Bennett , Brad Watson , Josh O'Brien , Greg Dial , Will Wiles , Brian Ringer , David Culbertson , Ed Shannon , Kyle Duke X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \MMCCONNE (Non-Privileged)\McConnell, Mark\Deleted Items X-Origin: McConnell-M X-FileName: MMCCONNE (Non-Privileged).pst RECRUITING: JUCO LB says OU will be tough to beat By James Hale Date: Nov 26, 2001 The latest on San Francisco junior college linebacker Lance Mitchell's visit to Norman LANCE MITCHELL, MLB, 6'3, 243, 4.5, SAN FRANCISCO C.C, CALIFORNIA: JH: How did your visit to OU this weekend go? LM: Oklahoma was real good and I had a great time. Oklahoma has a need for linebackers and that is important to me. The people were great and the town was super. Being from LA, many people told me that I wouldn't like a small town like Norman, but that wasn't true. Norman seems to be a great town and a great town that I could live in. My host was Roy Williams and he is a great guy. He showed us a little Cali love! JH: What did you think of the OU defense? LM: I loved the defensive scheme. I loved the people that were on the field that would be back if I went to Oklahoma. I liked the coaches and how they went about their business. I think I would fit in real well with them. JH: What did you think of the way OU plays it's middle linebacker? LM: It is designed for that player in the middle to make the plays. Either you do or you don't, but you have every opportunity to make the plays. JH: Roy Williams was the host, how did you enjoy our visit with him? LM: Roy was pretty depressed about the game, but I was pretty mad to. We went to a party that night and just hung out. We didn't do all that much, but we had a great time, because he was such a great guy and all the players we met were super. Roy is a super person and so are the rest of the guys as well. JH: Did you come close to committing to OU? LM: I promised my mom I wouldn't commit and I didn't, but I really enjoyed the visit. However, if signing day was tomorrow I would sign with OU. OU is out in front of the schools that I have visited thus far. I was supposed to visit Texas this weekend, but that changed, because they will play for the Big 12 title. However, I don't know if I am going to visit Texas or not, because I am finding out they have a lot more depth and commitments than they have been telling me about. I will visit Florida on December 14th. JH: What did you think of the game? LM: Being a fellow football player I can tell when the better team isn't winning. That is what happened Saturday. The offense never really got it going and that happens sometimes. You can't leave your defense on the field for the whole game. If OU played them 10 times I am not sure OU wouldn't win the next ten. I my opinion, OU played a bunch of cheerleaders and lost, but it won't happen again. JH: What did you think of the atmosphere? LM: It's was great and I would love to play in front of that. JH: Would it take a super visit from one of the teams ahead for you not to come to OU? LM: I am a shy guy, yet I had so much fun there. The people were just so nice to me and made me relax and be myself. That is so important to me and OU has that naturally. can't see anybody beating OU at this point. --------------------------------------------------- RECRUITING: Jackson enjoys visit to Norman By James Hale Date: Nov 26, 2001 Junior college linebacker Pasha Jackson talks about his trip to Norman this weekend PASHA JACKSON, SLB, 6'3, 235, 4.5, SAN FRANCISCO C.C., CALIFORNIA: JH: How was your trip to OU? PJ: The trip was excellent, even though they had a tough game. The chemistry between players and coaches was excellent. I loved everything about the trip, except for the game, because I was wanting Oklahoma to win. I really enjoyed watching Coach (Brent) Venables because he is a very intense, positive guy and I like that. I could tell he is a great coach, which means a lot to me, because I will be spending most of my time with him. JH: Did Lance like the trip as well? PJ: Lance and I talked about the trip all the way back on the plane. He had nothing but positive things to say about OU as well. We both feel that we both can see nothing but positives about both us going to OU. JH: Did you almost commit to OU on the trip? PJ: OU made committing more tempting that any other visit thus far. We were close to committing, but I feel I need to take my other visits so that I know for sure who my best school is going to be. I am not committing, but OU is looking pretty good. Without question they are the best school that we have visited thus far. JH: What did you think of the OU defense? PJ: I like OU's defense. I feel I would fit in at the SLB position when they are in their standard defense, but I can also play in their nickel. Because I can play in the nickel and have a linebacker type body on the field, that would help their run support, which is important in a conference like the Big 12. It would enhance the defense, because I am a bigger and stronger player, yet I can easily help in pass coverage. JH: What did you think of Norman? PJ: A lot of my people are from Louisiana and the surrounding area, so I know about that part of the country. Granted, Norman is not like Los Angeles, but it is not small town either. You can have a lot of fun in Norman and have a good quality of life. The people are real down to earth and are very nice. When Lance and I went to your radio show the people were so down to earth that it touched us, because they were so kind to two total strangers. I could easily live in Norman. JH: What is up next for you in recruiting? PJ: I am going to visit my next two schools, which are Arizona and South Carolina, but going into those visits OU is way out in front. --------------------------------------------------------- BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Kevin Bookout update By James Hale Date: Nov 25, 2001 The latest on six-foot-seven Stroud power forward Kevin Bookout KEVIN BOOKOUT, 6'7, STROUD, OKLAHOMA: There is still nothing official to report on whether Bookout signed with OU or not. Bookout told me tonight he will make an official statement on the subject Wednesday or Thursday. Here are my thoughts from what I have been able to gather as facts. 1) I have no doubts that Bookout is going to be a Sooner. The question is in which sport ? basketball or track ? or both? I believe that Bookout has singed with the OU basketball program, but what I don't know is if OU has turned in the papers or not. 2) The reason that I am not sure if the papers are in or not is because Bookout is struggling with the question of just competing in track or playing both basketball and track in college. Plus, there has been no official announcement. If OU never turns in the papers, then it is just like he didn't sign. 3) If Bookout just decides to pursue track and field at OU then he needs to sign a scholarship with the OU track program, because you must participate with the program you sign with your freshman season. If he is going to play both sports at OU then OU hoops will turn in those scholarship papers if they can, or they will resign him in the spring. 4) The U.S.A. Olympic committee is putting a lot of pressure on Bookout to just compete in track and field. They don't care if he goes to OU or not, but they want him to just concentrate on the shot and discus. They certainly have Bookout's ear at the moment. However, he has told the OU basketball coaches several times over the past few days that he wants to play basketball and then he talks to U.S.A. Track and gets confused. 5) I believe when this is all said and done that Bookout will play both sports at OU. It may mean that he has to resign with OU hoops again in the spring, but then again maybe the fact he has already signed in the fall will count in some way. So, this isn't totally in the books yet, except that I know Bookout is going to OU. I just don't know if it is to play both basketball and track-and-field or just participate in track.