Oklahoma Sooners
Big 12 (20-12, 11-7)
The Sooners had some bumps in the road this season, but all in all it was a pretty successful year, with possibly more to come. This is a team that has some great shooters and quite a few young players who have improved throughout the season. On a team that likes to get up and down the floor, Oklahoma does have some issues with turnovers, but when their shot is falling, they can beat just about anybody.
Big Wins: 1/17 at Kansas State (65-57), 2/15 Kansas State (68-62), 2/21 Texas A&M (64-55)
Bad Losses: 12/8 at Fresno State (66-69), 1/14 at Oklahoma State (63-66), 2/25 at Texas (62-87)
Coach: Sherri Coale (16 seasons at Oklahoma)
Why They Can Surprise:
Aaryn Ellenberg shoots 37 percent from beyond the arc and leads the team with 15.4 points per game. The sophomore has really picked up her game this season and her skills on both sides of the floor will be needed if OU is to make a run in March. Morgan Hook, a 5-10 sophomore, is another solid outside shooter. Hook does a good job attacking the basket and creating for her teammates, but her ability to also knock down the long ball can really open up the defense. Speaking of opening up the defense, having a post player like Joanna McFarland, who can knock down the long ball with consistency, is a great weapon to have. McFarland missed some time in January with a jaw injury and it made a huge difference when she was on the bench. At 6-3, McFarland has little trouble shooting over most opposing defenders.
Why They Can Disappoint:
But when the outside shot is not falling, this is a team that can struggle to put points on the board. Center Nicole Griffin is a superb defender, but her offense is mostly limited to easy put-back buckets. McFarland is more of a shooter than a true post player and that allows the opposition to defend the perimeter and hope Ellenberg and Hook cannot knock down too many shots. The x-factor for OU is Whitney Hand. The 6-1 guard is a superb rebounder and helps the Sooners stay above water in rebounding margin. She has the size and the strength to attack the basket and is more than capable of taking the ball to the hoop off of the dribble. Hand is the consistent upperclassman on this team that can collapse the defense and kick out and find an open shooter. However, the development of a true post scorer, where freshman Kaylon Williams and senior Jelen Cerina have gotten some opportunities due to the injury to McFarland, will make all the difference.
Probable Starters:
Morgan Hook, Sophomore, Guard, 10.9 ppg, 3.5 apg
Aaryn Ellenberg, Sophomore, Guard, 15.4 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.8 spg
Whitney Hand, Junior, Guard, 13.2 ppg, 4.0 apg, 7 rpg
Joanna McFarland, Junior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Nicole Griffin, Sophomore, Center, 5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Sharane Campbell, Freshman, Guard, 9.2 ppg
Jelena Cerina, Senior, Center, 3.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
DaShawn Harden, Freshman, Guard, 3.6 ppg
Kaylon Williams, Freshman, Forward, 4.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.2 (41st in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.7 (231, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.3 (39, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 36.3 (54, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (71, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.3 (21, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.0 (40, 1)
Rebound Margin: 2.8 (95, 5)
Assists Per Game: 14.3 (55, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 17.8 (201, 10)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
Oklahoma 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over James Madison
Oklahoma 2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Miami
Oklahoma 2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Notre Dame
Oklahoma 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over South Dakota State
Oklahoma 2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Arkansas Little Rock
Oklahoma 2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Notre Dame
Oklahoma 2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Kentucky
Oklahoma 2010 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Stanford
Oklahoma 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View
Oklahoma 2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgia Tech
Oklahoma 2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Pittsburg
Oklahoma 2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Purdue
Oklahoma 2009 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Louisville
Oklahoma 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Illinois State
Oklahoma 2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Notre Dame
Oklahoma 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Southeast Missouri State
Oklahoma 2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Marquette
Oklahoma 2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Mississippi
*all team stats through 3/1
