Preview: Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma G Steven Pledger is the Big 12's top returning scorer. (US Presswire)

Last year: 15-16 overall, 5-13 Big 12 (8th), lost in Big 12 first round

Coach: Lon Kruger (second year, 15-16; 27th year, 494-320)

Projected starters: PG Sam Grooms, Sr. (6.7 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.0 rpg); SG Steven Pledger , Sr. (16.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 41.6 % on 3-pointers); SF Cameron Clark, Jr. (8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 spg); PF Amath M'Baye, Jr. (Transfer from Wyoming); PF Romero Osby, Sr. (12.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

Top newcomers: Amath M'Baye is expected to start right away for a team that returns all five starters. He averaged 12 points and 5.7 rebounds in his final season at Wyoming. M'Baye was a strong scorer inside for the Cowboys, but he struggled from the perimeter -- making only 8 of 49 threes his sophomore season. That is the one area of his game that he said he focused on most last year. In addition to M'Baye, the Sooners should receive a lift from three freshmen guards: Buddy Hield, Je'lon Hornbeak and Isaiah Cousins. A lack of depth was a major problem last season.

Key loss: Carl Blair , OU's top guard off the bench last season, transferred to Prairie View A&M. With the addition of the three freshmen guards, Blair's loss should not have much of an impact.

What you need to know: The Sooners were a good team last year ... for a half. They outscored opponents by 103 points in the first half and then were outscored by 78 in the second half. In Big 12 play, they led nine times at halftime, including a home game against Kansas. In the second half of conference play, they were outscored by 129. The problem was depth. That should not be an issue this year as Kruger's squad could go a strong 10 deep. M'Baye was named the Big 12's preseason newcomer of the year, so obviously fellow league coaches think he could make a big impact. Traditionally, Kruger's teams have forced a lot of turnovers with ball pressure and that was something last year's team struggled to do. That is one area where added depth should benefit this team.

Mark the calendar:

Dec. 4 at Arkansas: Mike Anderson's teams can be exhausting to play, as they press the entire game. Kruger will have to use his bench in this game and it will be a good early test for the freshmen guards. It will also be an opportunity to see two of the more underrated shooting guards in the country square off, Arkansas sophomore B.J. Young against OU's Steven Pledger.

Dec. 15 vs. Texas A&M in Oklahoma City: The Sooners' last two games of the season last year were against Texas A&M. They won the first by three at home and then lost 62-53 at the Big 12 tournament. This game should be a good measuring stick for how much Oklahoma has improved since last season.

Jan. 12 vs. Oklahoma State: The two rivals could be two of the most improved teams in the conference this year because of the addition of M'Baye at OU and freshman guard Marcus Smart at Oklahoma State.

Biggest question: Can Kruger instill a winning attitude? The Sooners have the pieces to be a good team; however, they have five seniors who have never played in the postseason and the program has three straight losing seasons. Getting off to a strong start in the non-conference will be key to building confidence.

Best-case scenario: M'Baye could have the impact at Oklahoma as Royce White had at Iowa State last year. He is an all-conference performer and it turns out the main ingredient last year's team was missing was star power. The Sooners win two out of three during the Old Spice Classic, a strong tournament field that includes Gonzaga, Clemson, Davidson, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. The play of M'Baye and contributions from the freshmen guards helps OU finish in the top four in the Big 12 and the team returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.

Worst-case scenario: M'Baye beats out Andrew Fitzgerald for a starting spot. Fitzgerald had started every game the previous two seasons and his move to the bench creates some tension. Oklahoma's freshmen guards are not ready to contribute yet and Kruger is forced to play his starting backcourt too many minutes. Once again, the team cannot close out games because of tired legs and finishes eighth for the second straight year, ahead of only TCU and Texas Tech.

Reality: Kruger made the NCAA tournament four out of his last five years at UNLV. He knows how to build winners. The Sooners showed enough flashes last season -- sweeping K-State, for example -- to prove that Kruger has some talent on this roster. There are other good transfers in the Big 12, so it says a lot about M'Baye that the coaches voted him newcomer of the year. This team has some sleeper potential and close to a .500 finish in the Big 12 is realistic. Combine that with a few quality non-conference wins, and the Sooners could find themselves in the bubble conversation.

First game: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Nov. 11, 3 p.m. ET (Sooner Sports TV)

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern).