Norman — Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel hasn’t forgotten the first time he met Tony Crocker. It’s hard not to, given the circumstances.
Capel had just accepted the job back in the spring of 2006. The Sooners had a great recruiting class already signed, but it was crumbling quickly.
In the span of one day, he’d gone to meet with Scottie Reynolds, Damion James and Jeremy Mayfield. All were top 50 players in the country. All wanted to look elsewhere after Capel was hired to replace Kelvin Sampson.
The last meeting was with Crocker and a different tone was struck.
“He assured me he was still on board and still coming,” Capel recalled.
“It was what I wanted to do. Growing up in Oklahoma, I always wanted to come to OU. When I got the chance, I was going to take it,” Crocker said.
A bond was created. But it wasn’t just one between coach and player. Sooner fans have always had an affinity for the 6-foot-6 guard. Kind of hard not to, since there’s been few players who wore the Sooner uniform in more games than Crocker.
He’s started the last 94 games of his four-year career. He’s currently the 16th leading scorer (1,338 points) in the program’s history, fifth in games played (130) and fourth in minutes (3,740).
But it’s how he’s played that counts more than the amount.
“Playing hard and playing well are very important to him,” OU junior guard Cade Davis said.
Those kind of things don’t always show up in the boxscore. They’re better distinguished by dives into the scorer’s table, twisted ankles where he was only out long enough to get the injury re-tape and dives on the floor to come up with a steal.
Crocker did those things over the last four years. He’ll do them for the final time at Lloyd Noble Center when the Sooners (13-16, 4-11 Big 12) face No. 23 Texas A&M (21-8, 10-5) at 11 a.m. today.
He, along with forwards Ryan Wright and Beau Gerber, will play in OU’s home arena for the final time and take part in “Senior Day” activities prior to the game.
Each player hopes he will leave some kind of legacy behind. Doesn’t matter how small the ego (and Crocker’s has never been noticeable), all players want to be remembered after they are gone.
Crocker’s had some memorable moments and played on some of OU’s best teams.
“Playing last year in the (NCAA) Tournament and getting to the Elite Eight. There’s nothing like it. Not a lot of people can say they played in the Elite Eight in college basketball,” he said.
Obviously, he would like to get that feeling again this year. Odds are that won’t happen. The only way OU will get involved in March Madness is by winning next week’s Big 12 tournament. It will be trying to snap a seven-game losing streak today against the Aggies.
Crocker still has hope that both will happen.
“There’s a chance,” he said.
If the Sooners could consistently get five players on the floor who mirrored Crocker’s passion for the game, it might happen. That passion is the legacy he’ll leave behind.
“How he competes when he’s out on the floor playing. I felt like just about every game he’s played, he’s competed. He does that in practice,” Capel said. “If there’s a trait he leaves behind and young guys take from him, it’s that.”
Capel freely admits he knew nothing about Crocker the first time they met back in the spring of 2006. The fact that he still wanted to be a Sooner when Reynolds bolted for Villanova, James took off for Texas and Mayfield chose Alabama-Birmingham was good enough.
Four years later, there’s no regrets.
“You have to stick with decisions and take the ups and downs and roll with it,” Crocker said. “I’ve had a lot of fun here. I wouldn’t trade if for anything.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
