Oklahoma Sooners

There's no question that Lon Kruger has done wonders with the Oklahoma basketball team. But could the Sooners be an NCAA tournament team? ESPN.com college basketball writer Jason King thinks so. Here's what he wrote about Kruger's team:

One of the better coaching jobs in the country thus far has been turned in by Kruger, who is in his first season at Oklahoma. Saturday's 15-point victory over Arkansas upped the Sooners' record to 7-1, which includes a surprise appearance in the 76 Classic final. OU should win at least three of its final four nonconference games -- and the fourth is at Cincinnati, which will be without Yancy Gates, among others. If Oklahoma keeps this up, it could find itself on the NCAA tournament bubble come March. No one could've predicted that.

What do you think? Under Jeff Capel last season, OU finished 14-18 and missed postseason play. Has Kruger turned them into a tournament team?

From preseason No. 1 to the Insight Bowl, the Sooners have had a disappointing season. The SoonerNation staff takes a look at what the Sooners need to improve upon the most to be better next season. What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Call it chemistry. Call it attitude. Call it leadership. Call it whatever you want. There was something intangibly missing from this club the second half of the season.

Injuries were a big part of Oklahoma’s demise. Wide receiver Ryan Broyles and running back Dominique Whaley were missed, and others like safety Tony Jefferson, linebackers Travis Lewis and wide receiver Kenny Stills played injured for much of the season.

But when key players are getting suspended the final three weeks of the season, something is clearly amiss. It’s paramount the Sooners resolve these issues before next season, else it will be another disappointing one.

The class of ’10 – Jefferson, Stills, Trey Millard, Aaron Colvin, Corey Nelson – must fill the leadership vacuum. That group still needs to mature, but they also are equipped with the magnetic personalities to erase the dissension that popped up in October. They also will be OU’s best players next season, and if they set the example, the younger players will follow.

The Sooners have other areas of concern. The defensive line is lacking a difference-maker, and the secondary has holes. The offense also has to figure out a way to score points again without Broyles in the lineup. Yet the talent is there for OU to reclaim its supremacy in the conference, and possibly sneak into becoming a national title contender. Chemistry, attitude, leadership –- that will be the difference in whether any of it comes to fruition.
- Jake Trotter

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The top priority for Oklahoma heading into the 2012 season should be developing better depth on the roster.

Accomplishing this goal will require better evaluation and recruiting, particularly in the next two months as this recruiting cycle winds down, as well as more of a focus on developing the young players already on campus.

Injuries crippled the Sooners’ season with several starters missing games and playing injured. OU must prepare for and expect injuries in 2012. OU has a talented roster but some of those players seemed unprepared when called upon this season.

Developing depth should be OU’s No. 1 goal heading into 2012.
- Brandon Chatmon

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Team unity. Maybe it’s not fair to say, but it sure felt like the camaraderie for this 2011 team was more forced than in recent years. It just didn’t feel natural. Everything appeared OK out in public, but there were a lot of head-scratching moments throughout the season. Suspensions, transfers, things that didn’t paint a pretty picture.

Without question, a lot of those guys would do just about anything for each other but it didn’t feel as if this was a cohesive unit this season. Part of that stemmed from a lack of leadership, especially after star wide receiver Ryan Broyles went down. OU lost its identity and looked lost without Broyles.

It all starts with recruiting. Getting a bunch of great players is one thing, but it’s more important to build that foundation where every single recruit is a vital piece to the puzzle. The last couple of months on the recruiting trail have been eye-opening as the Sooners still look like they don’t have all the answers, especially on defense.

From talking to the 2012 class, it’s clear they have a unique bond among themselves so it will be interesting to see how they fit in with the rest of the team.
- Bob Przybylo

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The Sooners must get back to the fundamentals of football in 2012. Blocking, tackling, passing, running and catching.

The best teams do the basic things well, something Oklahoma has struggled with this season. Missed tackles against Missouri. Blown assignments and coverages against Texas Tech and Baylor. Turnovers and dropped passes against Oklahoma State. There were far too many simple mistakes made by the Sooners.

Some of this can be attributed to injuries. OU lost two of three games without Broyles, for instance, imploding in the regular season finale against the Cowboys. But there were far too many times where the Sooners players simply didn't execute. And the Sooners have to walk before they can run.
- Dane Beavers

SoonerNation writer Jake Trotter chatted with readers Monday. Here's the full transcript. If you didn't get your question answered, send it to Jake's mailbag to be published on Friday.

Here are a few highlights from his chat:

Robert (OKC): Can we expect to see more of Tony Jefferson as a fulltime defensive back next season, his strongsuit, or will we continue to underutilize him as a linebacker or nickel back? Also, we need help at LB with Travis Lewis leaving...Bird, Wort (who needs serious work), and who else lead the way? Signed, Tom Wort's inability to tackle.

Jake Trotter: That will depend of what happens with the rest of the secondary. If Aaron Colvin has to go back to CB, I don't know how OU can afford to not play Jefferson at one of the safety spots. But if they do that, they don't have anyone who can play that nickelback spot against the spread attacks of the Big 12. I actually think OU will be solid at LB. Tom Wort was really good when he was healthy (he wasn't the 2H of the season), and Corey Nelson has a ton of potential.

KB (Norman, OK): What are the chances that Landry leaves? And who else might leave for the NFL?

Jake Trotter: I get the sense it's more likely Landry stays than leaves, but the latter is still a possibility. Landry and his family are waiting to get back a grade from the NFL draft advisory committee, which will give him a good indication of where he might get drafted. Ronnell Lewis is the most likely of any underclassman to leave early. In fact, I'd be stunned if he reconsidered and returned for his senior year.

David (Greensboro, NC): Do you believe that Mike Stoops is coming back to Norman? What % would you say the chance are? It seems as though he must be a pretty hot commodity if Urban Meyer and Bo Pelini want him on their staff? It looks like OU would be using every card they could play to get him in Soonerville?

Jake Trotter: There are too many factors at work for me to place a percentage on it. Let's just say there is a pretty good chance, considering OU doesn't have a job to offer him at the moment. But if an opening pops up, I would raise that percentage dramatically. That will be the first sign something might be going down. Until then, this is all conjecture.

Big 12 blogger David Ubben takes an early look at Heisman contenders for next season on his blog today. He lists Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones as a possibility. Here's what he wrote on the Sooners' signal-caller:

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Jones was the favorite entering 2011, but late losses and a lack of touchdowns knocked him out of the race. Jones will have to decide whether or not he wants to come back, but after a rough finish and plenty to stay for, I'm betting he returns. He won't have his top receiver, Ryan Broyles, and it'll be interesting to see how the BellDozer formation fits into Oklahoma's offense next year. Either way, Jones is one of the nation's most talented QBs playing for a national power. He'll be in the conversation.

What do you think? Jones finished his junior season with 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, but he struggled in three games without Broyles, throwing five interceptions and no touchdowns. If Jones decides to enter the NFL draft, who will start for the Sooners in 2012?

Blake Bell rushed for 10 touchdowns in short-yardage situations this season, but he attempted only four passes, completing one for eight yards. He also had a red zone interception against Iowa State.

Former Oklahoma Sooners running back DeMarco Murray suffered a season-ending fractured right ankle to go with a high right ankle sprain on a first-quarter carry in the Dallas Cowboys' 37-34 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night.

He will finish his rookie season with 897 yards on 164 carries and two touchdowns. Tony Dorsett, Calvin Hill and Emmitt Smith are the only Cowboys to rush for more yards as rookies.

Murray holds several Oklahoma records. He's the Sooners' career all-purpose yards leader with 6,498 yards and has the most career touchdowns (64) and receiving yards by a running back (1,512).