Oklahoma men's basketball: Sooners go back to the future

Now, the sneakers of Oklahoma's Romero Osby and Amath M'Baye will make the noise that fills the newly renovated McCasland Field House in Oklahoma's second exhibition game when the Sooners play Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

There isn't a player on the roster that was around when Oklahoma last played basketball on the floor of the field house, but Lon Kruger does have a history with the “small” and “cozy” hall of hoops.

Oklahoma's second-year coach played twice in the field house as a guard for Kansas State. His only win at McCasland for the Wildcats came in 1972, when he led his team with 18 points and nine rebounds to a 80-71 win.

“It was a tough place to play,” Kruger said. “It was a great crowd and Oklahoma's teams were good.”

While the current players are a little more focused on the upcoming games than ones played in the past, Osby said it's exciting to have basketball alumni come back and watch the new team play in the old arena.

In Oklahoma's first exhibition game, the Sooners beat Washburn 83-66. Kruger said for the second exhibition, he's looking for the same thing from his team: another step forward ... except this step will be historical.

“To run out and see the old pictures of how it used to be, it's cool,” Osby said.