| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
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Friday, Oct. 13
While star player and leader Eduardo Najera is gone, coach Kelvin Sampson might wind up with a better team in 2000-01.
Oklahoma will not be as big as it was last season, but the Sooners will be perimeter oriented and a dangerous shooting team that will defend on every possession. While Kansas is the best team in the Big 12, and Missouri and Texas will
challenge, Oklahoma could wind up being as capable as anyone in the league.
Sampson has established the Oklahoma program as a consistent winner and contender by averaging 22 victories and guiding his teams to the NCAA Tournament every year he's been in Norman. His players in the program have known
nothing else but being competitive on the highest level.
This team will be tough.
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Frontcourt
There is no making up for the loss of Eduardo Najera, but Oklahoma does have some players to collectively fill Najera's production void. The leadership void also will have to be filled by more than one person as Najera had one of the biggest hearts in the college game last season.
There are a lot of untested performers, but there is a lot of raw talent, as well. Senior Jameel Heywood returns after playing spot duty last season. Heywood shot 61 percent but is not a gifted offensive player. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, he can match up with bigger players. He'll be asked to rebound and defend. He spent all of last season guarding Najera in practice, which should serve as good preparation for this season
Junior college transfer Aaron McGhee started his career at Cincinnati and has a very good low-post game. He also can face up and shoot it from 19 feet in. The left-handed McGhee must be a solid defender and rebounder to
complete his overall game because he is an immediate impact player on the offensive end.
Daryan Selvy is another junior college transfer who has long arms and good shooting range. He has good quickness and will play out on the perimeter but will probably have to guard some people inside. Selvy has the talent to be a terrific player under Sampson.
Johnnie Gilbert is a 6-7 lefty who can block shots and score around the basket. He has a feel for where the ball is and
pursues it all over the court. Gilbert has the potential to be very good because he does not need the ball to play.
Ronnie Griffin, a 6-9 forward, came to Oklahoma by way of Eastern Kentucky and a Florida junior college. He is a big man with perimeter skills. Griffin is good in the open court and can handle the ball well with a good understanding of the game. Griffin has all of the tools to be a solid contributor.
Jozsef Szendrei is a 6-9 Hungarian post player who injured his knee over the summer. He will be out until at least December but could contribute some with his ability to pass and rebound on the defensive end.
|  | | If J. R. Raymond continues to improve his numbers, the Sooners will have a go-to player on offense. |
Backcourt
While the Sooners will be a perimeter-dominated team, it will really be a team without natural positions.
Oklahoma's best player might wind up being Nolan Johnson, a left-handed slasher who can be the Sooners' go-to player this season. The 6-4 Johnson averaged 10 points and 5.1 rebounds last season while shooting 56 percent from the field and 79 percent from the stripe. He is a good guard rebounder whom Sampson has challenged to lead this team in rebounding.
Johnson has a football build and really attacks the basket from the
wing. Every time he steps onto the court, Johnson has double-double potential and is a difficult matchup for any team because of his combination of strength and quickness. If Johnson commits himself to being a defensive
player and rebounder, he will be among the best players in the Big 12.
Sophomore J.R. Raymond exploded onto the scene last season after a solid freshman year. Raymond (13.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 41 percent 3pt) has a point guard mentality but can really score. He is more of a scorer than a shooter and gets his shots off quickly and easily despite being just 6-2. Raymond is fast and explosive at the point of attack. Better yet, he performs in the spotlight and is used to the spotlight after playing at Mount Zion with the Magic's Tracy McGrady.
Hollis Price took over at the point late in the season to free up Raymond. He gives Sampson two point guards to play at once. Price (7.2 ppg, 3.5 apg) can shoot the three and has star potential, which he flashed by averaging over 12 points and five assists during his past nine games. Price understands the game and was a top recruit out of high school.
Kelly Newton and Tim Heskett provide quality shooting and experience. Heskett is a hard-working player who gives his all every day, whether in practice or in a game. Newton is a streak shooter who is unafraid to pull the trigger on a big shot.
Freshman Blake Johnston will have time to develop in Sampson's system, but he probably will not be able to crack the guard rotation for serious minutes early in the season. Johnston is a point guard who handles, passes and knows the game.
Bottom Line
Sampson is a coach to be admired. He runs a good, clean program. He gets kids to play hard as a unit and has raised the bar at Oklahoma. His Sooner teams are consistent and might be the best schooled defenders in the Big 12. Count on this: Oklahoma will be a solid defensive team, shoot the three very well and compete hard every game. This will be an NCAA Tournament team with a chance to go to the Sweet 16. And with the way this team can shoot and get up and down the floor, perhaps it will go further. | |
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