'Man, this is just perfect': OU's Kelbie Washington savoring freshman experience heading into Bedlam
NORMAN — OU freshman Kelbie Washington was everywhere Jan. 26.
In her Bedlam basketball debut, Washington controlled both ends of the floor.
On the offensive end, she created plenty of scoring opportunities for her teammates, with seven assists to six different players.
Defensively, she was a pest to Oklahoma State, with four steals and creating plenty of other chaos as the Sooners forced 23 turnovers in an 84-58 dismantling of OSU.
It was a moment that Washington had been waiting for — and preparing for — for years.
“When I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be like those players,” Washington said. “I was like, ‘Man, this looks so cool,' playing OSU, a rival, just the feeling and the emotion that I thought that they felt.
“I always knew that I wanted to feel that.”
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Wednesday, Washington gets the chance once again when the No. 19-ranked Sooners take on Oklahoma State at 6:30 p.m. in Stillwater.
Washington grew up just up the road from OU in Moore. She starred in high school even closer by at Norman High.
She was in elementary school when she started dreaming of playing college basketball. It took a few years, but she finally zeroed in on playing at OU, even before the recruiting process began.
“I always knew I wanted to stay home,” Washington said. “I wanted to play for my hometown and be the hometown girl, just to be close to family and have my support system.”
She expected to play for Sherri Coale and was surprised when Coale stepped down and Jennie Baranczyk took over.
But Washington never wavered on her decision to come to OU, even before Baranczyk was hired.
“I knew I always wanted to be at OU,” Washington said. “So my decision never changed. ‘Maybe I should leave? Maybe I should look at other options?’ No. I always knew what I wanted to do, and I always had good faith in Jennie before I even met her.”
Washington remembers being struck by Baranczyk immediately, from the first conversation they had.
“I was like, ‘Man, this is someone that I kind of want to spend my next four years with,’” Washington said. “And it was just very obvious.”
In addition to the personal connection they developed, Washington liked Baranczyk’s aggressive style of play.
“Jennie’s philosophy is fast tempo, freedom and just playing your game and doing you thing,” Washington said. “That’s how I’ve always been. … When I found out about Coach Jennie and her offense and defense, I thought, ‘Man, this is just perfect.’ I like to use my aggressiveness, competitiveness and my speed to beat people.”
Then it got even easier when her high school coach, Michael Neal, joined Baranczyk’s staff as an assistant coach.
Neal’s presence helped ease the transition for Washington.
“It’s awesome to have a familiar face,” Washington said. “It was just a big blessing, seeing him every day.”
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Their relationship has evolved plenty, from her first interactions with Neal before high school, to his helping her become The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Player of the Year last season to now, coaching her in college.
“I’m not a little girl anymore,” Washington said. “That’s different. But I’m just happy he’s here and that he’s doing his thing as an assistant coach at the collegiate level.”
It hasn’t been completely smooth for Washington.
There are still moments where she shows her youth on the court. But as the season has gone on, those moments have become rarer while the good moments become more frequent.
“When she makes a mistake, at the beginning of the year she’d get really hard on herself,” Baranczyk said. “And you can still tell she is, but she’s able to get to the next flight.
“She works really hard on her game. … She’s fast, she’s crafty, she’s fun, she can score at the rim. At the beginning of the year, she was going in to shoot it, then she went in to pass it. Now, she’s going in to make the read. That progression, I think, has been really good.”
Washington has been rewarded by her unwavering desire to play at OU. So have the Sooners, who come into Wednesday’s game with their most wins since the 2016-17 season, and still with the opportunity for quite a bit more.
“Look at us now,” Washington said. “We’re just all doing amazing things.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kelbie Washington savoring freshman year with OU women's basketball
