How To Beat Oklahoma

"Stay tight on Hollis Price regardless of what's happening elsewhere on the floor," says an assistant whose team lost to the Sooners in the NCAAs. "All he needs is a split second to get his shot off. You'd much rather have him driving than shooting the jumper. Point guard Quannas White is dangerous from three-point range and can shoot off the dribble, but when he drives in the paint, he's looking to pass. Stay in front of him, make him score over the top. If you let him get inside, your big men have to help, and then [center] Jabahri Brown and [forward] Aaron McGhee will hurt you on the offensive glass. McGhee's going to do one of two things: post up, turn and shoot or step out and take a 15-to 18-footer. He can knock down threes if he's wide open and standing still. He won't dribble drive, so stay on him. Brown hurts you by running from the high post for offensive rebounds and tip-ins. We assigned a guy to just keep Brown off the glass. We told him, 'We don't care if you get the rebound, we don't care what you do, just block him out.' [Guard] Ebi Ere is a set three-point shooter. He's very good at using screens to curl into the paint, catch and shoot."

"Limit their extra possessions," says another assistant. "All the loose balls they get, all the second and third shots—they feed on that. They start believing, We've got 'em. They're dead."