No. 7 Iowa State | No. 9 Villanova | Full List
No. 8: OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Last Season: 24-11, 12-6 Big 12
If there is a team that personifies its coach, it is the Sooners. They, like Lon Kruger, are sort of unassuming killers, a team that no one thinks about until the final buzzer sounds and another win is in the books.
Last season, Oklahoma sidled all the way to the Sweet 16 before losing to Michigan State. From that group -- one of just six in the nation that started the same five players the entire season -- all but TaShawn Thomas return. High-volume scorer and high-octane performer Buddy Hield (he does not personify his coach) anchors a team that includes Ryan Spangler and Isaiah Cousins. But the Sooners' bread and butter is their defense. They allowed just 62.7 points per game and held opponents to an anemic 38.6 percent from the floor. Whether that translates this year will hinge significantly on junior college transfer Akolda Manyang. If he's an able replacement for Thomas, then Oklahoma figures to be as mildly lethal as ever.-- Dana O'Neil
Best Case: The Sooners have gotten better each season under Lon Kruger, and will continue that trend this season. When the Sooners were running and scoring, defense was the sticking point. Then, last season, Oklahoma decided collectively to lock down and guard people with more vigor. The Sooners had the sixth-best defense on a per-play basis last season, and if that trend continues, Oklahoma can do something special. Buddy Hield returns as the top scorer, and Kruger has a group of really hard workers, including six of last year's top eight scorers, who have tasted success and want more.
Worst Case: The Sooners are really good, but not great on the defensive end and fall short of the top tier in the game. That's what happened last season, and the feeling the Sooners had during the trophy presentation at the Battle 4 Atlantis is the feeling that would stick with them if they fell short this season. Taking that next step is difficult, but Oklahoma is poised to do it.
"Their strength is in their guard play, which is anchored by Buddy Hield. They do a great job isolating mismatches and have a strong sense of identity. They'll be in the top four in the Big 12 again, but I worry about their frontcourt experience besides Spangler."
No. 7 Iowa State | No. 9 Villanova | Full List
