Sooners Riding High, But Feeling No Respect

Associated Press

NORMAN, OK -- Like Rodney Dangerfield, the Oklahoma Sooner men's basketball team can't get no respect.

After OU knocked off No. 11 Texas 78-63 last night, coach Jeff Capel took offense at a reporter's question about the Sooners' short bench that produced only three points against the Longhorns.

Capel noted that his starters play 40 minutes every game and the Sooners are off to their best start since going 17-0 in 1985. OU's only loss has come against Arkansas.

The Sooners' success has a lot to do with Capel, who has quickly rebuilt a program that Kelvin Sampson left in rough shape. Capel had to deal with NCAA sanctions stemming from Sampson's phone call scandal and his team didn't make it to the postseason in Capel's first year.

Then he brought in Blake Griffin and followed that up with the recruiting of guard Willie Warren.
Capel says he's heard criticism that his team doesn't shoot the ball well, the guards aren't good enough and that Griffin can't make free throws. But they're still 16-1 and ranked sixth in the nation.

He said the program doesn't even get respect in Oklahoma.