Sooner Basketball Names Captains For 2012-13 Season

Oklahoma head men's basketball coach Lon Kruger announced Tuesday that seniors Andrew Fitzgerald and Romero Osby and junior Amath M'Baye have been named team captains for the 2012-13 season, as a result of a players' vote.

"We've had a lot of guys step up and work hard in the offseason, but it's no surprise, as indicated by the vote of their teammates, that Romero, Andrew and Amath were selected as captains," Kruger said. "Those guys have done an excellent job consistently with workouts as well as on campus and in the community, and their teammates obviously respect that. They want what's best for the team and they're all about working to make each other better every day and representing well, and for those three it comes pretty naturally."

Fitzgerald, a forward, has started the last 64 games for the Sooners. The 2012 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree ranked third on the team in scoring (12.1) and second in rebounding (5.0) last season. From Baltimore, Md., Fitzgerald was an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick as a sophomore.

"I appreciate my wonderful teammates selecting me as a captain," Fitzgerald said. "I know Romero, Amath and I want to do the best we can to lead this team. I'm very grateful and am looking forward to this season."

Osby returns for his senior season after starting all 31 games in 2011-12, his first year playing for OU. An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, he averaged 12.9 points, a team-high 7.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot in 30.2 minutes per game. He also led the team with seven double-doubles. The forward from Meridian, Miss., came to OU in 2010 after transferring from Mississippi State. He is the Big 12's leading returning rebounder.

"It's an honor to be named a captain," Osby said. "I think I speak for Andrew and Amath when I say I appreciate our teammates trusting us to be captains and we'll do our best to lead every day."

M'Baye will be making his OU debut this year, having transferred from Wyoming in 2011. After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, the junior forward looks to make an immediate impact on the court this season after being named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year. He averaged 12.0 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game while starting all 31 games for Wyoming in 2010-11. M'Baye hails from Bordeaux, France.

"I truly think you're only as good as what your teammates and peers think you are," M'Baye said. "The fact that they selected the three of us to be captains and lead them every day means a lot. I had a big smile on my face for the two hours following the nomination and it's a great group of guys and I'm very glad and honored to lead them."

The Sooners returns their top six scorers from last season, including all five starters. They welcome back 88 percent of their scoring, 81 percent of their rebounding and 78 percent of their assists.

OU will host an intrasquad scrimmage this Saturday (Oct. 20) at 2 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House, prior to the Sooners' home football game vs. Kansas. The OU Men's Basketball Field House Scrimmage presented by Arvest Bank will be open to the public and free. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

Oklahoma begins its 2012-13 season with a home exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 2 against Washburn at 7 p.m. The Sooners will be back at McCasland Field House two more times to face outside competition as part of the Field House Series -- Nov. 7 against Central Oklahoma (exhibition) and Dec. 31 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.