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Preseason Sweet 16: Oklahoma Sooners

clark kellogg

Editor's note: With the men's college basketball season starting to ramp back up, Yahoo! Sports analyst Clark Kellogg picks the teams he thinks have the best shot at making it to the Sweet 16 in 2006.

Each pick is listed alphabetically. Check back during the week for his latest selections.


Other Sweet 16 teams: Arizona | Boston College | Connecticut | Duke | Gonzaga | Iowa | Kentucky
Louisville | Michigan State | Nevada | Stanford | Texas | Villanova | Wake Forest | West Virginia

THE REST OF THE BIG 12

BAYLOR
From just six scholarship players the last two seasons to 10 now is a positive step for the Bears.

COLORADO
All five starters return for the Buffaloes – including sophomore Richard Roby, who averaged 16 ppg as a freshman.

IOWA STATE
The senior guard tandem of Will Blalock and Curtis Stinson must lead a team that lacks a proven presence inside.

KANSAS
The freshman class is hyped as one of the nation's best, but holdovers Christian Moody and Jeff Hawkins will be the difference-makers.

KANSAS STATE
Jim Woolridge is implementing a motion offense to provide more balanced scoring opportunities for a roster full of newcomers.

MISSOURI
Better team chemistry and more unselfishness will be the focus for the Tigers this year.

NEBRASKA
With leading scorer Joe McCray returning along with six other letter winners, the Huskers could be one of the league's most improved teams.

OKLAHOMA STATE
Like Kansas, the Cowboys welcome and will rely heavily on a highly touted incoming class.

TEXAS
The return of Brad Buckman, P.J. Tucker and a healthy LaMarcus Aldridge gives Texas a potentially potent front line.

TEXAS A&M
Despite the loss of leading scorer Antoine Wright, the Aggies return three starters and will battle for an upper-half finish in the conference.

TEXAS TECH
There are no seniors on the roster, but the trio of sophomore Martin Zeno and juniors Darryl Dora and Jarrius Jackson give Bob Knight talent and leadership.

Oklahoma Sooners
News | Schedule | Roster

Last season was a good one for the Sooners. They tied Kansas for the Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Utah. A good offensive team, they used a balanced attack to average 75 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. Five players averaged between 10 and 15 ppg, and all three leading scorers from last year return for their senior seasons.

Two of these players, Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout, combined to average 26 points and 15 rebounds per game. The third, Terrell Everett, led the team in assists and steals while averaging 12 ppg. In these three, coach Kelvin Sampson will have the leadership and offensive output necessary to make it a winning season.

Sampson will also have Longar Longar on the floor, who, at 6 feet 10 inches, is Oklahoma's tallest player. An athletic sophomore, he improved significantly during his freshman year and showed flashes of being a consistent contributor for the Sooners at both ends of the floor. David Godbold, also a sophomore, started the last 11 games of Oklahoma's season and, with his strong body and nice shooting stroke, was very productive as a small forward.

These two relative youngsters – combined with a couple of talented, though unproven, newcomers – should figure prominently into the playing rotation this season.

Under Sampson, the Sooners typically have been a team that holds opponents to around 40 percent shooting – though last year that percentage inched up a bit. They also excel at three-point D, and last season was no exception as they held opposing marksmen to 29 percent.

This season, I expect the perimeter defense again to be strong. Down low, Longar could be a force with his shot-blocking potential. I say "could," but he's going to have to be a force and step up because Oklahoma is not very tall or deep along the front line.

A possible weakness might be at the free-throw line. The Sooners averaged only 20 free-throw attempts per game last year, and with Taj Gray shooting just 65 percent from the line, the team shot less than 70 percent overall. I'm sure Sampson would like to see those numbers improve.

An even greater concern for the Sooners will be at the point guard position. Terrell Everett is a competent point guard, but he also is valuable at the two-guard spot. Having another reliable player at the point would allow Everett some time off the ball which could make Oklahoma a more potent offensive team (the Sooners think they may have found that player in junior-college transfer Chris Walker).

But overall, Oklahoma looks strong. I expect the Sooners to be a very efficient offensive team, and I'm almost certain they will be better defensively than they were a year ago. Everett, Godbold, Gray and Longar all have experience under their belts and that should translate to increased confidence and competence on the floor.

So, despite the aforementioned concerns, with three solid seniors – and Kelvin Sampson at the helm – this should be another very good season for the Sooners.