NCAA Basketball: 5 sleepers for the Final Four in San Antonio
5. Oklahoma Sooners
Two words: Trae Young.
Before the season started, Oklahoma was expected to probably be a middle-of-the-pack team in a strong Big 12. Senior Khadeem Lattin was the only familiar face and was hard-pressed to take on the top dog role for the Sooners.
Hope for a program rested on a freshman from Norman, Oklahoma. Young has exceeded all expectations.
The freshman is averaging 28.8 points per game, far and away the best in the nation. He’s setting up shooters as well, averaging 8.8 assists per game.
If the season ended right now, there would be a case for him to be named National Player of the Year.
Oklahoma recorded their first win over a ranked opponent on Friday night, holding on to top No. 25 USC in Los Angeles. So the non-conference slate has left something to be desired.
That will change next Saturday, when the team travels to face a Top 10 team in Wichita State. If Oklahoma can pull that upset, they will spring right into the AP Top 25 and stop flying under the radar.
In the meantime, they could use so more passers outside of Young. While nine players average at least five points per game, nobody outside of Young averages more than 2.5 assists per game.