Breakout for Bookout: finally healthy—well, almost—Kevin Bookout is putting the boom back in Sooners basketball

Kara Yorio

Kevin Bookout bores easily. But after shoulder surgery last February, he was forced to sit idly and recuperate. With nothing to do in the moment, he looked ahead to what needed to be done when rest turned into rehabilitation, and thoughts moved from a season lost to the next season's possibilities. He made a list.

"I wrote down some stuff that I needed to improve on--my outside shooting, my left hand, more confidence shooting free throws," says Bookout. "It was a lot of little stuff I never had time to break down."

Bookout wasn't going to spend his time feeling sorry for himself after a disappointing sophomore season, when his severely sprained right shoulder kept him from practicing with the team even once and allowed him to play in only 13 games. As it turned out, the surgery--which also forced the All-American shot putter to skip the spring track season--has been a blessing in disguise for a slimmer and quicker Bookout, who's leading a resurgence for the Sooners. Getting into better shape wasn't on Bookout's list, but someone else was ready to add to his things to do. A couple of months after surgery, the Sooners brought in Darby Rich, a basketball-only strength and conditioning coach. Coach Kelvin Sampson wanted his 6-8 center to have more stamina.

Bookout first weighed in for Rich at 278 pounds. With Bookout's activity limited because of the healing shoulder, his diet was the first thing Rich changed. No more sweets, fried foods or sugary drinks, including Gatorade. No more white breads or dinner rolls, which was one of the hardest things for Bookout to put aside. "He's a big country boy," Rich says. "He just likes to eat. Pretty much anything you pulled out (of his diet) would be something he likes to eat."

Then came the workouts--whatever Bookout could do while the shoulder was healing. He worked on hand-eye coordination and basketball-specific conditioning drills. He was on the treadmill or elliptical machine twice a day before the shoulder could handle the impact of running. Then--finally--Bookout was off and running, something he never had done during track and field season because he had to save his legs to throw during meets. Unable to compete in the shot put last spring, he could work on his legs and concentrate on the coming basketball season.

Bookout dropped to 256 pounds at one point, and Rich says he now is staying around 262. More important, Bookout's body fat dropped from 19.7 to 12.2 percent. Any weight he has gained back is muscle.

Although Bookout has slimmed down, his body isn't the chiseled type that graces the covers of athletic magazines. Bookout's best attribute, according to Sampson, is his mental game--playing smart and within himself. And though Rich agrees Bookout is not as gifted athletically as someone who can run a 4.3 40 or has a 40-inch vertical, he credits Bookout with some other important athletic skills.

"He's a high-caliber athlete in terms of hand-eye coordination and muscle memory that are just unbelievable," says Rich. "You can show him something one time, and he can turn right around and mirror what you're doing. You put him on a path, and he'll follow that path exactly.... He's the type of kid who will run through walls for you, so you have to make sure you've got him headed in the right direction."

Bookout has the Sooners going in the right direction--up in the polls and toward an NCAA berth after missing the tournament last season. He's playing through a minor ulnar nerve injury that's sensitive when his right elbow is hit. Ten days off would allow it to heal completely, but that's not an option for Bookout. He's not going to take a break while the Sooners are rolling--a loss to Iowa State last Saturday snapped a 10-game winning streak--and playing through a tough conference schedule.

"He's clearly a better player than when he got hurt," Oklahoma State assistant coach Sean Sutton says. "He's worked hard to be in the best shape of his life. He's got unbelievable hands around the basket. He gets his hand on every rebound when he's close and just pulls it in."

And the rebounds late in the game are coming as easily as those early. Bookout is playing more than 30 minutes per game and not tiring as he did in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

"I had fatigue last year and my freshman year; now I feel I can play a lot harder a lot longer. I'm much more effective," says Bookout.

With junior college transfer Taj Gray and Bookout, the Sooners have been able to play a high-low post game. The two give Oklahoma a powerful game-changing inside combination that is pushing the team back into the Big 12 elite. The chemistry between Gray and Bookout is building--they had 45 points and 14 rebounds combined against the Cowboys--and Bookout's conditioning and confidence are at high levels.

Plus, he has been able to check everything off his list. That left hand is better, his shooting has improved, his free throw percentage is up. He's seeing the results from working out more and in a different way than ever before.

Says Bookout, "I feel like it's starting to pay off right now."

Sooners fans hope to reap the rewards through March and straight into April.

RELATED ARTICLE: What a pain.

Kevin Bookout's elbow injury hasn't hindered him or the Sooners. Other frequently injured players and their teams haven't been as fortunate.

B.J. Elder, SG, Georgia Tech, hamstring. Elder, who has been out since January 1, reinjured his left hamstring two weeks ago, pushing back his return until at least this week. Without Elder's contagious energy level and much-needed outside shooting, the Yellow Jackets started 3-3 in the ACC.

Jason Fraser, F/C, Villanova, broken right hand. Nobody has worse luck with injuries than Fraser, who has yet to make it through a full season. His cast was removed last week, and he saw some action last Saturday. The Wildcats beat Kansas with their thinned rotation, but they also might have won a couple of close Big East games with Fraser in the lineup. Villanova can't afford to lose those types of games if it wants to challenge the conference's elite teams.

Shavlik Randolph, PF, Duke, mononucleosis. Randolph is back on the court after missing four games and slowly is regaining his conditioning. Shelden Williams played well in his absence, but the Blue Devils will need Randolph at full strength come tournament time.

Wayne Simien, PF, Kansas, sprained left thumb. Simien's injury and three-week absence might have had a positive impact on the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self used younger players when Simien was out, giving them experience and confidence they'll be able to draw from later in the season. Simien returned January 12 and will play with a soft cast for another couple of weeks. The cast makes it difficult for him to catch and dribble, but he can shoot and expects little adjustment will be necessary when it comes off.--K.Y.

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