Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 25-7 (12-6 Big 12)
Head Coach: Lon Kruger (5th season)
Season Recap: Led by two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and National Player of the Year candidate Buddy Hield, Oklahoma burst onto the national scene by routing Villanova and Wisconsin en route to a 12-0 start to the season. Hield—who averages 25.0 points per game—and fellow guards Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins all shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point range, but the Sooners are also only one of six teams ranked in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency by basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy.
Hield's dominance and the rebounding of Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Lattin led Oklahoma to two Big 12 wins apiece against top-6 seeds Iowa State, West Virginia and Baylor, but an inconsistent bench and reliance on jump shooting also led to the Sooners closing the season and Big 12 tournament with a 6-5 stretch.
How they make a run: The Sooner guards catch fire from 3-point range at the right time and Spangler and Lattin neutralize opposing frontcourts to send Oklahoma to the Final Four.
How they falter: Hield's supporting cast remains inconsistent at crucial junctures, leading to another early exit in the NCAA tournament.
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