Oklahoma Sooners Power Index: 42.7*

The Sooners are the toughest and hardest nosed team in the nation. Kelvin Sampson has a durable and resilient group that is deep and athletic, and has embraced Sampson's style of playing smashmouth basketball on both ends of the floor. Oklahoma sends four athletes to the offensive glass, rebounds the ball with ferocity, gets into your chest and defends with an aggressive and physical demeanor, and has the mental make-up to win the national championship. Hollis Price is one of college basketball's true gems, as a player and a person, and can score from the perimeter, in transition and is a great anticipator on defense. Ebi Ere is a fine athlete and scorer, and Sampson can count on Jabahri Brown to block shots, Quannas White to compete on every play, and newcomer Kevin Bookout to score on the low block. The only thing this team lacks is consistent perimeter shooting, but the Sooners can make up for that in other areas. When I spoke privately to Hollis Price and Ebi Ere just a day after the Sooners' loss to Indiana, both pledged to me that they would be back at the Final Four again in New Orleans. I believe them. -- Jay Bilas

Toughness: 9.7
Get the tape of Oklahoma playing Arizona in last year's NCAA Tournament. Watch Quannas White give Luke Walton a shove and see him fly out of bounds underneath the basket. The Sooners loves to bump and do just about everything that falls short of dirty or too rough. They are mentally tough, too, able to go on the road and beat teams like Connecticut last season and Kansas in the Big 12 tournament final. The toughness starts at the top with Kelvin Sampson, goes through the point with Price and White isn't too shabby, either. OU needs to find the toughness quotient to replace Aaron McGhee, and if it does, then the Sooners shouldn't miss a beat and get back to the Final Four -- at least.

Talent: 8.3
The Sooners did lose McGhee and Daryan Selvy. But they added more talent, albeit not as tough or as experienced -- yet. Recruits DeAngelo Alexander, Kevin Bookout and Larry Turner are as talented newcomers as Kelvin Sampson has brought into the program. All three will play significant minutes. The return of Price, White, Ebi Ere give the Sooners three of the best defensive and scoring guards in the league. The key will be if Jabahri Brown and Jozsef Szendrei have improved offensively inside.

Tourney Tested: 9.7
Michigan State and Maryland proved that getting to the Final Four one year is a precursor to winning the title the following season. Oklahoma was tested last season, passing with flying colors after taking down Xavier, Arizona and Missouri, before losing to Indiana in Atlanta. Oklahoma was even tougher in the Big 12 tournament beating Texas and Kansas (its only conference loss) to claim the league tournament title. Just look at the teams OU had to beat just to get to the national semifinal a year ago? Another Big 12 tourney filled with potential upsets, not to mention Kansas, will get Oklahoma ready for the NCAA Tournament. Nothing should faze this squad come March.

Schedule: 9.0
The Sooners didn't shy away from playing big-time teams, although they chose Alabama over Georgia in the AT&T Wireless Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer on Thursday night. It was a case of OU ducking 'Bama, but rather the Sooners didn't want to deal with Larry Turner questions after they admitted him and Georgia didn't. But playing Alabama isn't a given. Neither is playing Mississippi State in New Orleans or Michigan State in Oklahoma City or Connecticut at home. And we haven't even brought up the Big 12 games. Oklahoma catches a break by getting Kansas at home in the lone meeting, but the Sooners do have to go to Texas (home-and-home) and Missouri. Oh, and there is that Big 12 tournament, again.

Xs & Os: 6.0
Sampson is known for his motivational skills more than his game-day coaching, but that perception should change after last season. His teams played tougher defense than any other squad in the country. They get into a player's dish, don't let up and were relentless on the backboards en route to the Final Four. That trend will continue. It isn't just taught by Sampson, but rather instilled in the players. He'll need to be more creative offensively to ensure that there is still balance like last season, but there's no doubt Sampson has emerged as one of the best coaches in the game.

-- Andy Katz

ESPN.com's Power Index is based on a 10-point scale in each of these five categories: Toughness, Talent, Schedule Strength, Tournament Tested, Xs & Os. Teams are scored based on returning players, coaching staffs, a program's past performances in the regular season and postseason, as well as expectations heading into the 2002-03 season.