Sooners sign shooting threat in Booker

Oklahoma men's basketball signed the first incoming freshman of its 2013 class during the late signing period in Frank Booker, the school announced Friday.

OU lost two starters from last season's back court in senior point guard Sam Grooms and senior shooting guard Steven Pledger. An outside shooting threat was a need the Sooners had to fill during this signing period, and men's basketball coach Lon Kruger has addressed that need with the signing of Booker.

"Frank's reputation is as a 3-point shooter, but he's really just a good all-around basketball player who loves to work," said Kruger in an OU release. "He has a great desire to make progress every day and his attitude about working hard and being a gym rat will fit in perfectly with the guys already in our program."

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound prep senior averaged 27.9 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 made 3-pointers per game last season at Augusta Westside (Ga.) High School. Booker made 99 3-pointers, shot 81 percent from the foul line during the 2012-13 season and led his team to a 22-3 record.

Westside coach Marvin Fields likened Booker's shooting skills to an NBA talent and gave Booker carte blanche to shoot whenever he was in possession of the basketball.

"The closest thing I've seen to him in terms of shooting the basketball is that NBA kid, Stephen Curry," Fields said. "Frank had the green light here to do what he can do. Two steps across the half-court circle, if he feels it, it can drop."

Booker will join Sooner signee Jordan Woodard as the only freshmen Kruger has signed in the 2013 class. He is the second athlete to sign a letter of intent with Oklahoma during the late signing period following Edson Avila.

Fields believes Booker will perform well for Oklahoma on the court and in the class room.

"Off the court, he's a guy who will do what he's supposed to do," Fields said. "He'll go to class, he's very humble. He's a kid who has goals set for himself and he's going to try to reach them."