2000-01 record: 26-7; 12-4 in Big 12 (t2nd) Final Ranking: No. 19 ESPN/USA Today Postseason: Lost to Indiana State 70-68 in first round of NCAA Tournament. RETURNING LEADERS Points: McGhee 12.9 ppg | Rebounds: Selvy 5.2 rpg | Assists: Price 4.7 apg | FG %: Gilbert 52.3% | 3pt %: McGhee 46.5% | FT %: Price 81.1% 00-01 Stats: Oklahoma | Big 12

		Thursday, Nov. 1 The Sooners have a lot of new faces, so the key will be execution on the offensive end, which is a Kelvin Sampson trademark. The Sooners have added Ebi Ere and Jabahri Brown, two junior college transfers who can be big-time players. Oklahoma should get better as the year progresses and as the new players play together longer.

Oklahoma No. 19 in ESPN.com Top 25

Outlook
A year ago at this time, Kelvin Sampson was faced with the prospect of melding six new players and the returning players into a cohesive unit. The Sooners finished tied for second in the Big 12 and reached the NCAA tournament for the seventh consecutive season.

This season, Sampson faces the prospect of -- you guessed it -- working six new faces into the lineup. The only difference is that the majority of the remodeling will come on the perimeter this season.

Junior Hollis Price (11.8 ppg, 4.7 apg) led the team in assists, steals and minutes last season. Sampson dipped into the junior college ranks to sign three guards to complement Price. Quannas White played with Price in high school in New Orleans and has been running Oklahoma's offense at Midland (Texas) Community College. He should have a relatively easy transition as the No. 2 point guard. Ebi Ere and Jason Detrick should provide size and consistent scoring from the wings. Ere was a second-team All-American at Barton County (Kan.) Community College, where he averaged 25.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season. Detrick was a first-team All-American at Southwest Missouri State-West Plains, where he averaged 23.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

The Sooners shouldn't have any problems scoring from the perimeter. Yet, perhaps the No.1 reason Sampson seems optimistic about his team's chances this season is that he could rotate five post players. The best of the quintet is senior forward Aaron McGhee (12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

What we like: The Sooners should be able to score from the perimeter and bang with teams such as Kansas down along the baseline. Price and McGhee form a nice 1-2 punch and players such as Ere and Detrick will give opponents defensive headaches. And don't forget that Sampson's teams consistently plays with as much tenacity and passion as any team in the Big 12.

What we don't like: Let's think about the Sooners' shortcomings for a moment. Well, there is the triceps injury that Price suffered in the first-round loss to Indiana State last season. He needed three surgeries in a span of 10 days and there is no guarantee he will make it through the entire season. Losing Price would be a severe blow.

The bottom line: Sampson has again put together a diverse roster that is deep and capable of running opponents into the ground. This team surprised with a second-place finish last season. The Sooners are picked to finish fourth in the conference this season, but don't be surprised if they end up a notch above that. Start making those NCAA Tournament plans now.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Aaron McGhee	Sr.	F	6-8/250	PTS: 12.9 | REB: 4.8 | AST: 0.7
Hollis Price	Jr.	G	6-1/165	PTS: 11.8 | REB: 2.6 | AST: 4.7
Daryan Selvy	Sr.	F	6-6/215	PTS: 6.9 | REB: 5.2 | AST: 0.9

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Nolan Johnson	F	6-4/220	PTS: 13.2| REB: 4.9 | AST: 1.8
Kelley Newton	G	6-2/190	PTS: 9.8 | REB: 2.5 | AST: 1.3

Oklahoma Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Matt Gipson	G/F	6-9	Burkburnett, Texas/Burkburnett H.S.
Jason Detrick	G	6-5	Newport News, Va./SW Missouri-West Plains JC
Quannas White	G	6-1	New Orleans, La./Midland JC
Ebi Ere	G	6-5	Tulsa, Okla./Barton, Kan. CC