NORMAN — If Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger wanders into the wrong locker room today, it shouldn’t be considered a “senior moment.” Personal history always tugs people in certain directions.
Kruger’s history at Kansas State runs so deep it barely has a bottom.
“I have a lot of great memories there and still have a lot of great friends there,” he said.
A lot of that will come flooding back when OU (12-7, 2-5 Big 12) faces the Wildcats (15-4, 4-3) at 6 tonight at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.
The memories are impossible to block out and Kruger isn’t trying. It would be a futile effort.
His No. 12 jersey hangs from the rafters. The two-time Big Eight Conference player of the year is still regarded as one of the best players in the program’s rich history.
The head coach’s seat on the Kansas State bench was his for four seasons. When he looks down his Oklahoma bench, he sees Steve Henson, who was his point guard at Kansas State. Director of operations Mike Shepherd was a student manager on some of those teams.
They admit being the visitor at Kansas State is going to be unnatural.
“It’s going to be a little different. I haven’t been back there for a game in a long time,” Henson said.
Tonight’s game is the final barrier Kruger hasn’t broken since he left the school for Florida in 1990. Facing the Wildcats was never an issue. At UNLV, the previous two seasons included games against Kansas State.
When the Wildcats came to Lloyd Noble Center two weeks ago, it didn’t cause much of a stir. It was the fifth time Kruger had faced the Wildcats as a head coach. The Sooners’ 82-72 victory over the Wildcats lifted Kruger’s record against his alma mater to 3-2.
None of those games, however, have been at Bramlage Coliseum. None of those games were true homecomings.
Henson knew it would change when Kruger accepted the OU job back in April. It’s easy to leave those Kansas State memories in the past when you never have to go back and try to beat it. Coming to OU meant that was going to be the case. When the Big 12 Conference went to a round-robin schedule, it meant that would be the case every year.
“As soon as we took the job here we knew we would be going back on a regular basis. Since that day it’s kinda been circled on the calendar,” Henson said.
Henson’s still the Wildcats’ all-time leader in assists (582), starts (118) and consecutive games played (127).
Kansas State isn’t going to make it easy to block out. It’s hosting an alumni weekend that culminates with tonight’s game. Kruger and Henson are a huge part of that history.
Neither, however, are concerned with their emotions heading into tonight’s game. The Sooners are trying to avoid a three-game losing streak and the Wildcats have rolled off three straight victories since falling at Lloyd Noble Center.
Kruger, Henson and Shepherd will travel to a familiar place. There will likely be a warm ovation during introductions. But the purple-clad crowd they last saw at Bramlage won’t be in their corner tonight.
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
