Usually the loss of the national player of the year makes teams fret.

Oklahoma realizes it will miss talented forward Blake Griffin, sure. But the Sooners still are rich in talent.

So much so, that they have a guard, Willie Warren, who might establish himself as one of the nation's premier players now that he becomes Oklahoma's go-to scorer.

Fiddling from the second chair last season, Warren averaged 14.6 points and 3.1 assists as one of the most productive freshmen ever to play for the Sooners. He was instrumental in Oklahoma's 30-6 finish, which included a berth in a regional final of the NCAA Tournament after placing second in the Big 12 at 13-3.

Newcomers will continue to factor into the Sooners' success. Tiny Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin are both expected to contribute mightily as freshmen.

Gallon led all scorers in the McDonald's All-American game with 20 points and could become a force underneath as long as his 6-9, 300-pound frame doesn't cause fatigue.

Mason-Griffin is a point guard who can impact the offense, something the Sooners have lacked under fourth-year coach Jeff Capel.

Despite losing Griffin, as well as his brother Taylor, to the NBA Draft, the Sooners welcome enough veterans to give youngsters proper guidance in Capel's system.

Streak shooter Tony Crocker is a gutsy competitor, while Cade Davis also can provide an unexpected spark as an outside bomber. Inside, Orlando Allen and Ryan Wright need to develop their games and become steady contributors.

As long as Warren doesn't need to take on too much of the scoring load, the Sooners will factor into the Big 12 race again.

Then again, Warren showed the ability, as well as the mentality, to take games over last season when Blake Griffin was battling concussions.

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