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Following 12 days of inner searching on the heels of OU's unexpected early ouster from the Big 12 Tournament, Sooners coach Sherri Coale pronounced her team ready for NCAA play with this statement:

"What we tried to do was start over,” Coale said. "Just start over with the pieces and the parts. This is who we have and this is who we are and this is who we can be.

"We had, without a doubt, our best practice of the season (Friday). Without a doubt.”

Why the best?

"Because every piece was there,” Coale said. "We played hard. We communicated. We went at the right speed. We executed. We made shots. We defended. Every piece of it. That's why it was the most complete.

"We've had days where we shot it really well, but didn't play as hard as we should have. Or we played hard, but we didn't execute worth a darn. It really was a perfect pinnacle for what we have done since taking it apart and beginning to put it back together. It was a perfect practice. You couldn't have asked for anything better, in terms of a springboard for coming here to West Lafayette.”

•Time warp: When the Sooners tip off against Illinois State today, it'll be 25 days since their last win.

Their losing streak sits at just three games, but a first-round upset at the Big 12 Tournament resulted in a 12-day layoff.

By calendar, it's OU's longest losing streak since 1998.

•No princesses: The last time Illinois State reached the NCAA Tournament, in 2005, the Redbirds surged through the Missouri Valley Conference to earn the automatic bid. They were 13-17.

This time, as Valley champions with a 26-6 record, they feel they belong.

"It's a little different than the 2005 team when we were a Cinderella and somehow miraculously found a way to win three games at the conference tournament,” said Illinois State coach Robin Pingeton. "I really feel like these girls earned it.”

•Support group: Sooners sophomore Amanda Thompson, who played as a high school star in Chicago, is expecting a few extra fans in the stands today.

"My mom's coming, a lot of my high school teammates,” Thompson said. "It'll be great to play in front of my family, because it's been awhile.”

It's actually been a good year for getting close to home for Thompson. She also had family and friends show up for OU's games at Illinois and Michigan State.

Thompson said her cheering section today should grow by eight to 10, with the drive from Chicago to West Lafayette at 123 miles.

•Basket case: OU's three-game losing streak was the product of a shooting slump and the impetus of a confidence hit.

Coale said a few made baskets early today could change everything.

"Making shots gives life,” Coale said. "It gives you adrenaline. It gives you punch. It gives you energy.

"Aggression is key. (Our guards) have to want to score. And they're all capable of that. If a few of those go in early, we'll all go, ‘OK, this is what it's supposed to look like. We remember.'”

By John Helsley