Big 12 Basketball: What is the ceiling for each program for 2018-19?
By Chris Kern
Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners bring back a lot of key guys. For a team normally in their situation, you’d say they should get back to the NCAA tournament.
They relied so heavily on Trae Young last year though, it’s gonna be a huge adjustment for them offensively. They’re going from running the offense through Trae Young every play to now they’ll be playing much more team ball.
This team is gonna have a few seniors that they will be able to lean on. Christian James, Rashard Odomes, and Jamuni McNeace all played big minutes as juniors.
Sophomore Brady Manek and junior Kameron McGusty will likely join those three in the starting lineup. Manek’s ability to stretch the floor is going to be key for this Oklahoma offense.
He shot 38% from deep on 4.8 attempts per game. That number will only increase as there will be many more shots to go around.
They also return a few guys who played some last season who will be ready to step in as key guys off the bench. Big man Matt Freeman played sparingly last season but he played well. He’s more than capable of being a solid first big off of the bench.
Kristian Doolittle and Jordan Shepard provide some depth in the backcourt. They are both prepared to play more meaningful minutes this season.
The Oklahoma Sooners are going to be better than people think. They bring back a lot of quality players which will give them an advantage early on.
This team is going to be a tournament contender. If they play well and get this offense going they will be playing in the NCAA tournament as a 9 or 10 seed with a chance to do a little bit of damage.