The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen (who also coached the football team), and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980. The Sooners actually participated in the very first Final Four in 1939, and again in 1947, eventually losing 47-58 in the championship game to Holy Cross.
The prog...
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The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen (who also coached the football team), and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980. The Sooners actually participated in the very first Final Four in 1939, and again in 1947, eventually losing 47-58 in the championship game to Holy Cross.
The program gained national prominence under Billy Tubbs when he took over the program in 1981. Star players Wayman Tisdale, Mookie Blaylock, and Stacey King helped the Sooners to enjoy several deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. In 1988, the Sooners reached the NCAA title game in Kansas City where they fell just four points shy of their first national title to the 11-loss Kansas Jayhawks, a team which they had already beaten twice in regular season play.
Tubbs resigned on April 10, 1994, indicating that "he did not feel appreciated enough working at a...
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