If Oklahoma wins its first Big 12 basketball title since 2005, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The conference’s coaches have decided it’s the likely scenario for this coming season.
The Sooners received three first-place votes and a total of 109 points in the conference’s annual preseason poll to edge second-place Texas. The Longhorns captured four first-place votes and 107 total points. Teams received 12 points for a first-place vote, 11 points for a second-place vote, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote on the poll placement of their own team.
It marked the first time the Sooners will enter the season as the Big 12’s favorite. The league’s coaches have picked the Sooners to finish second four times (1997-98, 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2005-06).
Trailing OU and Texas in this year’s poll are Baylor (two first-place votes) and Kansas (three) with 103 points each, Texas A&M; (79 points), Oklahoma State (69), Missouri (51), Kansas State (50), Nebraska (49), Texas Tech (39), Iowa State (20) and Colorado (13).
“It’s going to be a very tight Big 12 race this season,” OU coach Jeff Capel said. “The coaches poll is a perfect example of the depth of our conference. We are looking forward to an exciting league race.”
OU, which starts practice Oct. 17, is coming off a 23-12 season in which it tied for fourth in the Big 12 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sooners return four starters from that team, including sophomore forward and preseason first-team All-American Blake Griffin.
Last year, Griffin averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds to become the first OU freshman in 25 seasons (Wayman Tisdale, 1983) to earn first-team all-conference honors. He will be joined by fellow returning starters Tony Crocker (11.4 ppg), Austin Johnson (8.6 ppg) and Taylor Griffin (6.5 ppg). Together, the Sooners return 69 percent of their scoring from last year, 68 percent of their rebounding and 72 percent of their assists.
OU has also brought in seven newcomers, including McDonald’s All-America guard Willie Warren.
“It’s nice to be recognized in October, but we’re much more interested in where we’re standing five months from now,” Blake Griffin said. “It will mean a lot more if we’re on top of the Big 12 when the season ends. We have a lot of talent, but we also have a lot of work to do.”
OU opens the regular season with a Nov. 14 home game against 2008 NCAA Tournament participant American. That contest will be preceded by a pair of home exhibition games on Nov. 5 against Panhandle State and Nov. 8 against Cameron.
OU Sports
Coaches like Sooners on top
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners make winning look easy
As Oklahoma’s players locked arms around the pitching circle, coming together for what passed as a celebration following Saturday’s 7-1 NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Arizona, three gloves remained near second base....
-
There are no easy outs in the lineup
Looking for a gameplan to stop Oklahoma? Well, one may or may not be available, but walking two of the first three Sooners you face certainly isn’t part of it. Just ask Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler....
-
Sooners will play for Big 12 championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, — It’s been 16 years since Oklahoma won the Big 12 tournament. It’s closer now than its ever been to ending the streak. The Sooners rolled through Baylor, 7-2, on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark to advance to the tournament’s ...
-
Sooners send five more to nationals
AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma track and field teams had five more individuals qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. The men’s 4x100-meter relay team also advanced to the national semifinals....
-
OU sophomore Jao-Javanil wins NCAA golf title
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil made Oklahoma golf history Friday, becoming the first Sooner, man or woman, to win an individual NCAA national championship....
-
Pitching staff is exactly where Golloway wants it to be
When the Big 12 tournament began, Oklahoma felt like it had the pitching staff to make a deep run. Dillon Overton, Jordan John, Jonathan Gray and Damien Magnifico gave them four quality starters and a closer — Steven Okert — capable of ...
-
Sooners shut out Wildcats, need one more win for WCWS entry
Oklahoma might have scored more runs, not committed an error and starting pitcher Keilani Ricketts could have been just a little more efficient along the way....
-
Sooners send 4 more to NCAAs
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma’s track and field teams added four individuals to the list of Sooners advancing to the NCAA championship Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary. In addition to the four new qualifiers, Brittany Borman advanced to the ...
-
Big 12, SEC deal breaks the mold
It is unclear what the on-the-field product of the game-for-which-there-is-not-yet-a-name will be. Indeed, all we really know is the Big 12 and SEC plan to play a game on Jan. 1, 2015 (and on every Jan. 1, thereafter) that will include ...
-
Rivalry helped shape program
For coach Patty Gasso, it goes all the way back to 1995, her first year at Oklahoma. That was when her Sooners played Arizona six times throughout the season. Those Sooners were “annihilated” in all six of those contests....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners make winning look easy
