Lon Kruger One Win From No. 500

The Oklahoman

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-mens-basketball-sooners-coach-lon-kruger-one-victory-shy-of-500/article/3733115

When Lon Kruger got his first career win as a men’s head basketball coach, in 1982 over Air Force, Oklahoma’s current senior forward Romero Osby was eight years from being born.

Osby started laughing with junior Tyler Neal when the two realized just how long their coach really has been at the helm of college basketball programs.

That first win is so long ago that Kruger, now at Oklahoma, said he doesn’t remember a thing about it.

“I wish I could, Kruger said. That was a long time ago.”

Kruger does remember his first loss, though. That came at the hands of The Mailman, when Kruger’s Texas-Pan American team lost to future NBA great Karl Malone and Louisiana Tech. In his opening season, Kruger’s first team went 7-21. His teams have hit double-digits in the win column ever since.

On Friday, Kruger and his Sooners have a chance for win No. 500, when Oklahoma plays Northwestern State (La.) at the Lloyd Noble Center.

There aren’t many of those 499 victories that Kruger can talk about individually.

The second-year OU coach did say if he sat down and thought about it, he could probably make a top 5 list of his best victories.

Lon Kruger One Win From No. 500

The Oklahoman

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-mens-basketball-sooners-coach-lon-kruger-one-victory-shy-of-500/article/3733115

When Lon Kruger got his first career win as a men’s head basketball coach, in 1982 over Air Force, Oklahoma’s current senior forward Romero Osby was eight years from being born.

Osby started laughing with junior Tyler Neal when the two realized just how long their coach really has been at the helm of college basketball programs.

That first win is so long ago that Kruger, now at Oklahoma, said he doesn’t remember a thing about it.

“I wish I could, Kruger said. That was a long time ago.”

Kruger does remember his first loss, though. That came at the hands of The Mailman, when Kruger’s Texas-Pan American team lost to future NBA great Karl Malone and Louisiana Tech. In his opening season, Kruger’s first team went 7-21. His teams have hit double-digits in the win column ever since.

On Friday, Kruger and his Sooners have a chance for win No. 500, when Oklahoma plays Northwestern State (La.) at the Lloyd Noble Center.

There aren’t many of those 499 victories that Kruger can talk about individually.

The second-year OU coach did say if he sat down and thought about it, he could probably make a top 5 list of his best victories.