Oklahoma talked a good game before playing Louisville, then got off to a decent start when guard David Godbold hit three 3-pointers at the outset.

But the Sooners, after noting how an upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament could shape the program under second-year coach Jeff Capel, suffered a 78-48 loss and finished 23-12.

"Getting to the Sweet 16 is big-time for any program, but I think it would be magnified for this program," said Taylor Griffin, a junior forward. "We're kind of coming back into our own after all the stuff that's happened over the years."

A complete comeback will require some additional time. The stuff Griffin alluded to was the NCAA sanctions levied against Oklahoma for illegal phone calls to recruits made by former coach Kelvin Sampson, who also couldn't keep his fingers from doing the walking at Indiana.

Jeff Capel was left to pick up the pieces at Oklahoma and did a nice job in his second season, guiding the Sooners to a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 as they garnered the No. 6 seed in the East Region.

An extended run, however, required a second-round upset, and the Sooners weren't up to that challenge, falling behind Lousville by 20 at halftime. With the departure of Godbold and center Longar Longar, the Sooners must replace two starters, though Capel has demonstrated some savvy on the recruiting trail, especially after landing home-state standout Blake Griffin, the younger brother of Taylor.

The NBA, however, could beckon for Griffin, who injured both knees during the season but was still an All-Big 12 pick capable of taking over games with his toughness underneath.

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