The Oklahoma Sooners are in a situation somewhat akin to the spot inhabited by the Texas Longhorns entering the new college basketball season. The main difference is that Oklahoma experienced a much more dramatic decline a year ago than Texas, since it reached the 2016 Final Four. Texas merely lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016. Nevertheless, Oklahoma and Texas both fell to the bottom tier of the Big 12 but have since picked up one of the elite recruits in the country to bolster hopes of a rebound this season.
The Sooners hope to exceed Texas and perhaps then some – is this basic goal rooted in reason, or just wishful thinking?
Offseason Changes
Trae Young, a five-star point guard and McDonald’s All-American from Norman, Oklahoma, is on the scene… because he never left it. Young will play his college ball in the same town where he played high school basketball. That is something the Sooners have to feel good about – not just that they landed a great recruit, but a hometown kid who will still be able to sleep in the same bed and not have to make a dramatic transition to college.
He won’t even have to make a long commute to campus. Young is staying at home and should be able to relate really well to all the coaches and players. He knows what it means to be a star athlete at the University of Oklahoma. He saw Buddy Hield carry the program to the Final Four, and now he gets a chance to make a mark. The Sooners are not being unrealistic if they think Young is in the best position to succeed and be a happy, positive influence on everyone else in the program.
Will Succeed If…
The hype about Young is validated. What is unique about Young compared to Mohamed Bamba at Texas is that Young will have the ball all the time as the point guard. Bamba is a player who will influence games based on the other team NOT taking shots. Young will influence a game primarily with the shots he himself takes, or which he creates for others. Bamba’s impact is partially dependent on what other players and teams do, but Young’s impact will be a lot more direct and up front. It is up to him to create good scoring chances, break down defenders to cause other opposing players to help. It is up to Young to destroy a defense’s positioning and floor balance so that his Oklahoma teammates can feast. Even more than Bamba, Young holds the key to his team’s season in his hands.
Won’t Succeed If…
The role players don’t do their share – Kameron McGusty, veteran big man Khadeem Lattin, and guards Jordan Shepherd and Christian James all need to pitch in to make sure Young’s impact is fully felt. McGusty shows promise as a scorer. He could be the primary beneficiary of Young’s presence, but he still needs to put in the work to make it happen. Lattin is a veteran of the 2016 Final Four team who just has to be a dependable blue-collar rebounder and defender. If he can do those two things well, Oklahoma will be satisfied with his production. Shepherd and James are the wild cards whose performances might make the difference between the first round of the NCAA Tournament and a possible Sweet 16.
Roster
Christian James
Rashard Odomes
Chris Giles
Khadeem Lattin
Jamuni McNeace
Matt Freeman
Trae Young
Jordan Shepherd
Ty Lazenby
Kameron McGusty
Patrick Geha
Marshall Thorpe
Read Streller
Brady Manek
Hannes Polla
Outlook
The Sooners, even more than Texas, are likely to bounce back this season. Young should come close to expectations at the very least, which means an NCAA Tournament bid. How dramatically he can help the role players is the open question. In a best-case scenario, this team can make the Sweet 16, maybe the Elite Eight if something crazy happens in its March Madness bracket.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
