THE GOOD NEWS
Before his firing on March 14, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel planned to sign two players during the spring period. He maintained all season that the best player in the program was F Romero Osby, a transfer from Mississippi State who sat out in accordance with NCAA rules. Another transfer who fit into next season's plans was F Robert Goff, who is coming in from the juco level. Four starters return, though any lineup could be juggled considerably by a new coach. F Andrew Fitzgerald was the most consistent performer among the returnees, though G Cameron Clark and G Steve Pledger showed occasional firepower. G Carl Blair remains an erratic prospect at the point.

THE BAD NEWS
Back-to-back losing seasons were no accident, and make any recovery a grueling process, particularly when the Big 12 figures to get even tougher by going to an 18-game round robin with 10 members. The Sooners ranked as the worst scoring team in the league with a 66-point average, while the .451 percentage they allowed defensively ranked 11th ahead of only Texas Tech. Oklahoma played with great zeal at home, but was often manhandled through the early portions of road games. A new coach will not get the complete lead time to attempt to bring in strong recruits, though the chance exists for prospects to play right away.

KEY RETURNEES
Oklahoma returns 79 percent of its scoring, though their leader, G Cade Davis, was the lone senior on the squad. F Andrew Fitzgerald averaged 12.6 points and also led the team in rebounding as the only sturdy threat underneath. He could truly blossom with additional help inside. G Carl Blair must learn to value the basketball, though he is adept at finding shooters, averaging 4.7 assists for a team that scored fewer points on average than any in the Big 12. G Cameron Clark should be more aware of the defensive pressure he faces after an inconsistent freshman season.

PLAYER NOTES

--Senior G Cade Davis became the 37th player in Oklahoma history to reach the 1,000-point club. He passed the milestone with a 17-point performance in the Sooners' last game, a quarterfinal loss to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.

--Sophomore F Andrew Fitzgerald was Oklahoma's top rebounder, yet the difficulty the Sooners had on the glass was evident when Texas forged a 39-23 advantage. Fitzgerald grabbed just three boards, while Davis was the OU leader with four. No Sooner ranked among the Big 12's top 20 rebounders.

--Sophomore G Carl Blair distributed six assists against three turnovers in the Texas defeat, an improvement over the 1.5 ratio he averaged on the season.

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