By John Shinn
Transcript Sports Writer
Dealing with losses is something Oklahoma's become all too familiar with. Monday's to UTEP in the All-College Classic was its fourth in 12 games.
The difference between the loss to the Miners and the previous defeats? This loss seemed to bring things to a head.
Lackluster play on the defensive end was the root cause. That was nothing new. The Sooners have struggled to stop any of the teams they've lost to.
"We're not going to be able to win games if we can't defend," OU guard Willie Warren said. "It's just going to get tougher."
But coach Jeff Capel sees a bigger problem. When asked if OU had a consistent leader on the floor, he admitted that hasn't developed as he hoped.
"We have some guys that step up at times, but not a consistent voice, not a consistent leader," Capel said. "You have some guys that do it by the way they play. For instance, Tony Crocker plays hard and gives you everything he has. He's just not a vocal guy. Crock's a guy that even if things aren't necessarily going well for him, he's still going to give you pretty good effort.
"A leader is person that's consistent. It doesn't mean they play well all the time. But their voice is consistent. They're positive. They can get on guys. You can only get on guys when you're doing it yourself, when you're giving good effort. No, we don't have a consistent leader."
Obviously, Capel hoped Willie Warren would have embraced or at least accepted the challenge. With the exception of a couple games, he hasn't.
OU needs him to do more than score points. If that were all that mattered, Warren, who scored 26 points Monday night, would be fine.
But the Sooners are a young team that starts true freshmen at point guard (Tommy Mason-Griffin) and power forward (Tiny Gallon). When things aren't going well, they need someone they can lean on.
Warren has struggled there. Halfway through the first half against UTEP, OU went off track. It struggled to make baskets and lacked any defensive intensity. Warren, like all of the team with the exception of Crocker, let offensive struggles weigh down everything else.
Capel wouldn't use Warren's name, but left no doubt who he needed to step up.
"You know who it is. Everyone in this room knows who it is," he told a room full of reporters.
Warren said all the right things following the loss. He talked about the lack of defense. He talked about the bad habits that have been part of all four of the Sooners' losses. He talked about the frustration of having four losses before conference season even beings.
The Sooners have a couple days off with Christmas coming up. Warren suggested where that time should be spent.
"We need practice. We don't even need a break to be honest with you," he said. "Our break needs to be in Norman in the gym."
OU will take its break. But all eyes will be on Warren when it returns to the gym. This was supposed to be a breakout season for the sophomore guard. He was supposed to be able to lead the Sooners through a very competitive Big 12 Conference schedule and into the NCAA Tournament.
It's not an easy job. Most aren't cut out for it. But it is the difference between really talented basketball players and the ones who can truly carry a team through talent, demeanor, enthusiasm and respect.
Warren's teammates could do more, too, and that hasn't gone unnoticed. Those defensive breakdowns have been team wide.
The cues, however, come from Warren.
He's OU's best scorer. Until he becomes its best player, it's going to get tougher.
