Orlando Allen News

A new starting lineup and a torrid start wasna t enough to keep Oklahoma from losing again late Thursday night at the Great Alaska Shootout.

Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:42 a.m. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Dark, wintry skies opened up and swiftly blanketed the Anchorage area with piles of snow in the hours leading up to USD's late-night Great Alaska Shootout opener Wednesday.

There is a sense that when Blake Griffin left Oklahoma, he took the Sooners' entire frontcourt with him.

Coach: Jeff Capela '69-33 at Oklahoma, 148-74 overall. '08-09 Record: 30-6 overall; 13-3 Big 12 .

Starting big men Blake and Taylor Griffin moved on to the NBA. Returning frontcourt players Ryan Wright, Orlando Allen and Beau Gerber scored a total of 100 points last year.

Usually the loss of the national player of the year makes teams fret. Oklahoma realizes it will miss talented forward , sure.

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: The inside-outside potential of F Tiny Gallon and G Tommy Mason-Griffin is partly what's stirred favorable ratings for Oklahoma in the preseason.

Blake Griffin is less than a week from entering the NBA on draft night, leaving some to wonder what becomes of his old team.