The Oklahoma Sooners started the season 12-0, and they racked up some really impressive wins in that time period, including a blowout victory over Villanova. Oklahoma did not suffer their first loss of the season until they went to Allen Fieldhouse and lost in a classic three-overtime game against the Kansas Jayhawks. Even after that loss, many people, including myself, feltthat they had proven they were one of the best teams in the country.
Oklahoma's resume heading into tournament time is still extremely impressive, but during Big 12 play, they have shown that they are a very beatable team. The Sooners have an 11-6 record in the Big 12 and have lost four of their last eight games. To be fair to the Sooners, the Big 12 is likely the best conference in the country, and they are still likely to be a number one or two seed in the NCAA tournament, but their flaws have been magnified recently.
Oklahoma's most recent game was on Tuesday night when they defeated 19th ranked Baylor, but even in a win over a top 25 foe, there was cause for concern. The Sooners dominated the first half of the game and led by as many as 24 points in the second half, but that lead evaporated quickly. At one point, Baylor even took the lead before Oklahoma eventually squeaked out a win.
The biggest concerns regarding Oklahoma entering tournament time are their lack of depth and their reliance on the three-point shot. The lack of depth isn't as big a concern as the reliance on shooting the three pointer, but combined, they could be a big problem. Last year's Duke team that won the National Championship only regularly played seven guys and still was able to have success, but they had a dominant inside presence in Jahlil Okafor.
Oklahoma is a great three-point shooting team for the most part, as they are fourth in the nation with 10.6 made threes per game. They also make 43 percent of their attempts, but their reliance on the long ball leaves them vulnerable to long scoring droughts, and it makes them susceptible to an upset in the NCAA tournament.
When you are filling out your bracket in a couple of weeks, it would be completely understandable if you have the Sooners making a deep run, as they have had a very impressive season. Keep in mind, though, that teams that rely on the three so much haven't had all that much success in the tournament in the past. Oklahoma is a very good team, but they are certainly a major risk to have advance far when you are filling out your bracket.
