65 Teams in 65 Days: #40 Oklahoma

Location: Norman, OK
Nickname: Sooners
Conference: Big 12
Last Year’s Record: 30-6

Why they’ll make it: Super sophomore Willie Warren returns to lead an Oklahoma team that should have one of the best backcourts in the country. He, along with Tony Crocker will now turn the tables for a squad that had one of the stronger frontcourts the past two seasons. They also welcome top recruits Tommy Mason-Griffin and Steven Pledger to the team as well. They’ll provide quality depth and production to the backcourt to help keep Jeff Capel’s program on the rise.

Why they won’t make it: Blake Griffin, Taylor Griffin, Austin Johnson, and Juan Pattillo are all gone so the Sooners have some major holes to fill. They have an outstanding recruiting class coming in, but for the most part, they’ll be relying on underclassmen for production. Youth is not always a reliable option. There will be ups-and-downs this season for the Sooners, but they’re going to need their freshmen to step up in a huge way if they’re to have any success this season.