2006-07 Oklahoma Sooners Men's Basketball in Review

Jeff Capel's First Year as a Big 12 Coach Had Ups and Downs

The 2006-07 Oklahoma Sooners were a team full of ups and downs this season. At times Oklahoma looked like they were ready to play with the big boys in the Big 12. More often than not, though, the Sooners were a team that showed they have a long way to go before they are ready to compete with the likes of Kansas, Texas, and Texas A&M. When all was said and done Oklahoma finished with an overall record of 16-15, a respectable mark for a team that is starting anew.

For the first time in twelve seasons Oklahoma basketball did not have Kelvin Sampson on the sideline. In March of 2006 Sampson left Oklahoma to become head coach at Indiana. Sampson, the most successful coach in the history of Oklahoma basketball, would be a hard act for anybody to follow.

Jeff Capel III was named head coach at Oklahoma in April of 2006. Capel was head coach at Virginia Commonwealth for four seasons, taking them to post season play twice during his tenure. While Capel was undoubtedly qualified to take over at Oklahoma, it was little surprise when three of Sampson’s recruits decided not to play at Oklahoma once Sampson left. This would be a major blow for any coach just entering an institution and Capel did his best to keep Oklahoma pointed in the right direction.

Oklahoma’s first month of play set the tone for how the entire season would go. The Sooners won their first two games against lowly opponents before suffering defeats at the hands of Memphis, then No. 11 in the country, and an improved Purdue team. The rest of non-conference play was filled with both success and disappointment. Villanova blew out the Sooners by 16 in December, but the team bounced two weeks later by defeating Tulsa by ten. Oklahoma was then beaten by an overrated Alabama team by 15 on the road on January 1.