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When Casey Arent visited Norman last week on spring break he felt like he was home.
Sierra College basketball player Casey Arent. Photo courtesy Sierra College
OU commitment Casey Arent feels at home in Norman A 6-foot-10 center from Sierra (Calif.) College, Arent committed to Oklahoma over the weekend and is expected to officially sign with coach Lon Kruger and the Sooners this week.
“It's actually kind of funny,” Arent said. “If you put the University of Oklahoma in the middle of my hometown that's what it felt like. I've lived in more of a country atmosphere.”
Arent played at Del Oro High School in Loomis, just north of Sacramento. Sierra College coach John Fusano said Arent is more of a Midwest kid.
“He comes from a blue collar family, carpenters and pipe fitters,” Fusano said. “In a lot of ways he's a tough country boy. But he's very, very skilled.”
An All-State California Junior College selection, Arent averaged 19.1 points and 11.4 rebounds his sophomore season for the Wolverines.
Hired three weeks ago at OU, Kruger made a late push to sign Arent, a much needed big man on a roster that started four guards last season. If Arent can carve out a key role it would allow Andrew Fitzgerald to play power forward, his natural position.
“He'll provide a nice long presence defensively right away,” Fusano said. “I'm not saying he's a big-time shot blocker. But he is long. He's not a big-time athlete. But he's not a slow-footed plodder, either.”
Fusano said Arent can handle the ball and is a good shooter with range. But Fusano said Arent's best intangible is he's a great passer that will benefit from playing against bigger bodies in the Big 12.
“In California, unlike the national jucos, the players out here are smaller,” Fusano said. “Sometimes he would be guarding 6-3 jets. When he's banging against another 6-9 or 6-10 guy it's going to be better for him.”
This wasn't Arent's first trip to Oklahoma. Last summer he was one of 125 players that participated in the Mullens junior college All-Star classic at Oral Roberts that thrust him onto the national radar.
“Playing against kids my height was fun,” Arent said. “I feel I play better when I play against players my height. During the season I didn't get that chance very often ... I'm looking forward to it, maybe be part of something special at this beginning with coach Kruger.”
Arent will stay at Sierra College to complete his degree this summer. He plans to report to OU in August. He will have two years eligibility remaining, starting with the upcoming season.
Washington State heavily recruited Arent. Virginia, California and Colorado and several mid-majors showed interest. But after Arent turned down WSU last fall the Cougars slow played him after the season.
“The last month or so they've been keeping me on a string to see if this one guy might sign, that if he didn't I'd be the first guy on the list,” Arent said. “I really like coach Kruger. And they need a big man. It's a good fit for me.”
One variable in the Sooners favor was Sierra assistant coach Chris Walker played at OU for two seasons from 2005-07. Walker also is from the Sacramento area.
“All year long coach Walker wore OU gear and talked about OU,” Arent said. “It kind of went in one ear and out the other. But once Oklahoma popped up he thought it would be a good fit for me. After talking with so many coaches about coach Kruger, everybody has the utmost respect for him.”
OU now has 14 scholarship players one over the limit but it appears Robert Goff, a junior college forward who signed last fall, might not meet eligibility standards.
Kruger might still sign another player or add another transfer like Amath M'Baye, a forward who transferred to OU from Wyoming and will sit out the upcoming season.
If the Sooners add another player, a roster spot could open up if forward Nick Thompson leaves or Kyle Hardrick doesn't return. Hardrick sat out the winter semester to concentrate on academics.
Read more: http://newsok.com/ou-commitment-casey-arent-feels-at-home-in-norman/article/3562290#ixzz1Kinq8gvv
Sierra College basketball player Casey Arent. Photo courtesy Sierra College
OU commitment Casey Arent feels at home in Norman A 6-foot-10 center from Sierra (Calif.) College, Arent committed to Oklahoma over the weekend and is expected to officially sign with coach Lon Kruger and the Sooners this week.
“It's actually kind of funny,” Arent said. “If you put the University of Oklahoma in the middle of my hometown that's what it felt like. I've lived in more of a country atmosphere.”
Arent played at Del Oro High School in Loomis, just north of Sacramento. Sierra College coach John Fusano said Arent is more of a Midwest kid.
“He comes from a blue collar family, carpenters and pipe fitters,” Fusano said. “In a lot of ways he's a tough country boy. But he's very, very skilled.”
An All-State California Junior College selection, Arent averaged 19.1 points and 11.4 rebounds his sophomore season for the Wolverines.
Hired three weeks ago at OU, Kruger made a late push to sign Arent, a much needed big man on a roster that started four guards last season. If Arent can carve out a key role it would allow Andrew Fitzgerald to play power forward, his natural position.
“He'll provide a nice long presence defensively right away,” Fusano said. “I'm not saying he's a big-time shot blocker. But he is long. He's not a big-time athlete. But he's not a slow-footed plodder, either.”
Fusano said Arent can handle the ball and is a good shooter with range. But Fusano said Arent's best intangible is he's a great passer that will benefit from playing against bigger bodies in the Big 12.
“In California, unlike the national jucos, the players out here are smaller,” Fusano said. “Sometimes he would be guarding 6-3 jets. When he's banging against another 6-9 or 6-10 guy it's going to be better for him.”
This wasn't Arent's first trip to Oklahoma. Last summer he was one of 125 players that participated in the Mullens junior college All-Star classic at Oral Roberts that thrust him onto the national radar.
“Playing against kids my height was fun,” Arent said. “I feel I play better when I play against players my height. During the season I didn't get that chance very often ... I'm looking forward to it, maybe be part of something special at this beginning with coach Kruger.”
Arent will stay at Sierra College to complete his degree this summer. He plans to report to OU in August. He will have two years eligibility remaining, starting with the upcoming season.
Washington State heavily recruited Arent. Virginia, California and Colorado and several mid-majors showed interest. But after Arent turned down WSU last fall the Cougars slow played him after the season.
“The last month or so they've been keeping me on a string to see if this one guy might sign, that if he didn't I'd be the first guy on the list,” Arent said. “I really like coach Kruger. And they need a big man. It's a good fit for me.”
One variable in the Sooners favor was Sierra assistant coach Chris Walker played at OU for two seasons from 2005-07. Walker also is from the Sacramento area.
“All year long coach Walker wore OU gear and talked about OU,” Arent said. “It kind of went in one ear and out the other. But once Oklahoma popped up he thought it would be a good fit for me. After talking with so many coaches about coach Kruger, everybody has the utmost respect for him.”
OU now has 14 scholarship players one over the limit but it appears Robert Goff, a junior college forward who signed last fall, might not meet eligibility standards.
Kruger might still sign another player or add another transfer like Amath M'Baye, a forward who transferred to OU from Wyoming and will sit out the upcoming season.
If the Sooners add another player, a roster spot could open up if forward Nick Thompson leaves or Kyle Hardrick doesn't return. Hardrick sat out the winter semester to concentrate on academics.
Read more: http://newsok.com/ou-commitment-casey-arent-feels-at-home-in-norman/article/3562290#ixzz1Kinq8gvv
