It’s time to start looking at Oklahoma as a basketball school instead of a football powerhouse. After all, this is the season for the Sooners to win the Big 12. Yes, still talking about Oklahoma basketball here.
How can a team that already has three losses before conference play be considered a favorite to not only win the Big 12, but also be a real factor come March? The answer is quite simple: depth, balance and one of the most underrated rosters in all of college basketball.
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Quick, name the leading scorer for Oklahoma. It’s Buddy Hield, who is averaging a shade under 16 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field. Not eye-popping numbers, but that’s a testament to the balance the Sooners have this season. KenPom has Oklahoma ranked as the 30th best offense in the country this season, a number that is much lower than their fourth rated defense.
The defense automatically eliminates contention from Iowa State, a team many believed to be a team better than Oklahoma this season in the Big 12 despite the Cyclones’ refusal to play defense.
In its most recent game, Oklahoma went to rival Texas and dismantled the Longhorns 70-49 thanks to the balance that was mentioned. Five different players scored in double digits for the Sooners with Hield leading the way with 13. After that head-to-head win on the road, cross Texas off the list as a team that will upend Oklahoma to win the Big 12.
Want to talk about Kansas and its fancy 10-year streak of winning the conference? Sure, that’s nice and all, but Kansas has something Oklahoma doesn’t and that’s a strength for the Sooners. See, Kansas has Bill Self, who is a liability this season. As previously discussed, his inability to change Kansas’ offense will hurt the Jayhawks in conference play.
Oklahoma instead has Lon Kruger, who is becoming one of the best coaches in the country despite making just one Final Four over 20 years ago. Kruger has turned his experience in the NBA into rejuvenating his college basketball career and drawing more talent to Norman than anyone ever expected.
With a roster this deep, three players are projected to be drafted in the next two NBA drafts, Oklahoma has the depth to play with anyone in the country. Yes, even Kentucky and Duke. In fact the Sooners rebound better than Kentucky, as Oklahoma is the best rebounding team in the country by grabbing 30 rebounds per game.
One of the most important factors for Oklahoma winning the conference though comes to intangibles. Looking at advanced stats and records are nice, but what about when you watch Oklahoma play? There’s one player who should stand out.
It’s junior forward Ryan Spangler who is the stereotypical glue player on this team. He does a little bit of everything, scoring over nine points and grabbing eight boards per game. Outside of that, he’s not afraid to play physical in the post and dive after loose balls. He’s the player that does all the things that don’t end up on a stat sheet.
Just remember, it’s not football season in Norman anymore.