After spending last season as a virtual life-support system for mesmerizing, long-range-bombing guard Trae Young, the Sooners entered this season as a team without a clear identity. Now that the tourney dawns, it's still tough to describe OU's personality. Is it the squad that bumped off Kansas in early March to secure its bid or the one that dropped five straight Big 12 games in a two-week span?
Oklahoma is good, but it's not near great. It enters the tournament with a losing conference record and, other than the win over the Jayhawks, no signature triumphs. Will Coach Lon Kruger's Sooners find their identity, along with some tournament wins, this March?
ESPN Insider has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel, and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.
TOURNEY PROFILE
Best wins: vs. Kansas, vs. Texas
Worst loss: at West Virginia
Regular-season conference finish: T-7th Big 12
Polls and metrics: The BPI ranks the Sooners 31st. KenPom has a lower opinion of them and has them at 36.
All-time tourney record: 41-30
Coach's tourney record: Lon Kruger, 20-18
Bracketology chart | BPI information
PERSONNEL
(Note: Player statistics are through games of March 4.)
STARTING LINEUP
F Kristian Doolittle (11.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG)
F Brady Manek (11.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG)
G Christian James (14.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
G Rashard Odomes (6.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG)
G Jamal Bieniemy (4.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
Key bench players
G Aaron Calixte (7.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG)
G Miles Reynolds (6.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
G/C Jamuni McNeace (5.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
Biggest strength: The Sooners aren't going to have many games in which they erupt offensively, so it's a good thing that they can shut teams down. OU is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense, and it has the ability to keep things close with strong play at that end. The Sooners minimize opponents' possessions and are able to prevent rivals from getting comfortable, either in the open court or in more confined spaces.
Biggest weakness: This team isn't very deep. Although Kruger goes with a nine-man rotation, only three Sooners score in double figures, and once he goes to the bench, there isn't a whole lot of production coming. If James, Manek and Doolittle aren't all firing away successfully, there won't be a lot of points.
Best player: James is capable of doing a lot of things for the Sooners. Although his overall shooting percentage dropped this season, thanks to the added responsibility he assumed in Young's absence, he can score from beyond the arc and off the dribble. He is a good defensive rebounder, a serviceable passer and a productive defender who is second on the team in steals. He isn't an all-league wonder, but any opposing game plan will begin with James.
X factor: The 3-point shooting. The Sooners have five players who can shoot the 3-pointer well enough to make opposing teams worry about them around the arc. This isn't a team that will dazzle with its long-range accuracy, but it has some players who can drain it, led by 6-foot-9 sophomore Manek, who is not just an elongated gunner but also a solid inside-outside threat. Calixte and James are also accomplished long-distance operators.
SCOUTING REPORT
How they beat you: It is rare that Oklahoma is going to trounce an opposing team with a scoring eruption, so the Sooners have to make rivals work hard in their half-court sets and minimize possessions. If they do that, there isn't too much pressure on the OU attack, which is capable but not overwhelming. That said, the Sooners' ability to hit 3-pointers can create some room and force rivals to play more quickly -- never a good idea against a stout defense.
How you beat them: Crowd the 3-point line, and force Oklahoma to work off the dribble. This is not a great passing team, and it doesn't collect many offensive rebounds, so if the Sooners can't hit long shots, they are in trouble. Get to the boards often, and get out on the break, the better to prevent OU from setting up its half-court defense.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
(Note: All statistics in this section are courtesy of kenpom.com and are accurate through games of March 4.)
NATIONAL RANKS
Offensive efficiency, 67th (109.7)
Defensive efficiency, 23rd (93.8)
3-point percentage, 176th (34.3)
3-point percentage D, 118th (33.5)
Free throw rate, 220th (31.8)
Free throw rate D, 8th (24.3)
TO percentage, 106th (17.6)
TO percentage D, 236th (17.7)
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
Best-case scenario: Round of 16
The Sooners get a couple of first-weekend opponents who want to play fast, giddy-up basketball and get strangled by the OU half-court defense. Meanwhile, the long shots fall, and James, Manek and Doolittle get comfortable scoring all over the court. That's the ticket to the second weekend.
Worst-case scenario: Opening round loss
The Sooners have trouble executing their offense and find no success from the outside. They struggle on the boards against a taller, more athletic opponent and can't get any easy baskets. Worse, those one-and-done possessions lead to fast-break buckets the other way, and things get out of hand quickly.