Best Teams in OU History (Winning Percentage)

[SoonerTraveler]

Best Teams in OU History (Winning Percentage)

First off, I admire this OU team, but I would like to provide some historical perspective by looking back over the past 40 years. There have been previous threads related to where this OU team fits into the overall picture of OU basketball history. The 2016 OU Sooners are currently 24-6 (12-6; Big-12). With only the Post Season games remaining, OU can lose no more than eight (8) games. In other words, in the WORST CASE scenario, OU could finish with a winning percentage of .750 (24-8). I will use this “8-Loss” standard to compare the records of the best OU teams over the past 40 years.

There are different ways to measure the on-court success of a team’s basketball season. One straight-forward way is to consider the team’s winning percentage. Since 1975, OU has had twelve (12) seasons where the team lost 8 games or less. These teams have the best winning percentages over the past 40 years, and are ranked by winning percentage below. Obviously, all of these teams were in the NCAA Tournament.

OU Teams With 8 Losses or Less Since 1975
Pct. ... Year .... Record (Conference) ... Coach ... Post Season
.897 ... 1988 ... 35-4 (12-2) ... Tubbs ... (1) (2) / NCAA (5-1; NCAA Finals)
.861 ... 2002 ... 31-5 (13-3) ... Sampson ... (2) / NCAA (4-1; Final-4)
.853 ... 1984 ... 29-5 (13-1) ... Tubbs ... (1) / NCAA (0-1)
.844 ... 1990 ... 27-5 (11-3) ... Tubbs ... (2) / NCAA (1-1)
.838 ... 1985 ... 31-6 (13-1) ... Tubbs ... (1) (2) / NCAA (3-1; Elite-8)
.833 ... 1989 ... 30-6 (12-2) ... Tubbs ... (1) / NCAA (2-1)
.833 ... 2009 ... 30-6 (13-3) ... Capel ... NCAA (3-1; Elite-8)
.800 ... 2016 ... 24-6 (12-6) ... Kruger ... Post Season Pending
.794 ... 2003 ... 27-7 (12-4) ... Sampson ... (2) NCAA (3-1; Elite-8)
.794 ... 2000 ... 27-7 (12-4) ... Sampson ... NCAA (1-1)
.788 ... 2001 ... 26-7 (12-4) ... Sampson ... (2) NCAA (0-1)
.758 ... 2005 ... 25-8 (12-4) ... Sampson ... (1*) NCAA (1-1)

(1) Conference Champion
(1*) Tied for Conference Championship
(2) Conference Tournament Champion


Of all the teams on the above list, the 2016 Sooners have the worst conference record at 12-6. The historic significance of this team remains to be determined. So much of the success of a basketball team is judged on how they succeed in the post season. If the 2016 Sooner team has a great post-season run, then they can move up this list. Of course a National Championship would put them at the top of any list.

 

[cvangild]

I loved that 1990 team. They finished the regular season as the #1 team in the country and the #1 overall seed. Jackie Jones, Skeeter, Slim Patterson....that team was loaded!

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I loved that 1990 team. They finished the regular season as the #1 team in the country and the #1 overall seed. Jackie Jones, Skeeter, Slim Patterson....that team was loaded!

Yes, that was an exciting team. Given that Jackie Jones and Damon Patterson were juniors, I was looking forward to the 1991 season. Then in the off-season, the collapse happened that set the stage for the end of Billy's run at OU.

Due to academics (*), Jackie Jones was a "one-and-done" player at OU, as 1990 was his only season as a Sooner. What a shame. Damon Patterson remained on the team, but was forced to redshirt (sit out) the 1991 season. All at once a promising 1991 season turned into a 20-15 (5-9) trial. Billy never again won an NCAA tournament game at OU, and finished in the NIT in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

(*) If my memory is correct. Someone might correct me, by I THINK both Jackie Jones and Damon Patterson were academic casualties.

 

[jackson_supersooner]

Cool stats. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sooner04]

Yes, that was an exciting team. Given that Jackie Jones and Damon Patterson were juniors, I was looking forward to the 1991 season. Then in the off-season, the collapse happened that set the stage for the end of Billy's run at OU.

Due to academics (*), Jackie Jones was a "one-and-done" player at OU, as 1990 was his only season as a Sooner. What a shame. Damon Patterson remained on the team, but was forced to redshirt (sit out) the 1991 season. All at once a promising 1991 season turned into a 20-15 (5-9) trial. Billy never again won an NCAA tournament game at OU, and finished in the NIT in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

(*) If my memory is correct. Someone might correct me, by I THINK both Jackie Jones and Damon Patterson were academic casualties.

The other academic casualty was Smokey McCovery...who transferred to OCU and helped lead them to an NAIA national title.

1991, what might've been with Jackie, Damon and Smokey alongside Brent Price, Jeff Webster, Bryan Sallier and Terry Evans. Oh yeah, and Kermit Holmes!

We wouldn't win another NCAA game until 1999.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

The other academic casualty was Smokey McCovery...who transferred to OCU and helped lead them to an NAIA national title.

1991, what might've been with Jackie, Damon and Smokey alongside Brent Price, Jeff Webster, Bryan Sallier and Terry Evans. Oh yeah, and Kermit Holmes!

We wouldn't win another NCAA game until 1999.

Thanks. I had forgotten about Smokey McCovery. That made the loss of 3 talented and experienced seniors-to-be to academics. It was heart-breaking for OU basketball fans at the time.

It makes me greatly appreciate the current state of the program, where players on the team generate 3-point GPAs in the classroom.