Oklahoma basketball: As Romero Osby struggles, the Sooners struggle

 It hasn't always been this way.

Osby led the team in scoring in 13 of Oklahoma's 18 conference game and scored in double figures in all but one. He was kept to just six points against Iowa State in the teams' first matchup of the season.

 He led the league in field goals (109) and also ranked second in scoring (17.8 points per game).

 Before the Big 12 Tournament, Osby was averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the last seven outings. He was also named to the coaches' All-Big 12 First Team. And it's not that Osby isn't still producing — it's just no longer coming at the right times.

 Are Osby's recent struggles a byproduct of carrying a 20-win team through a majority of its second halves and helping Oklahoma turn things around?

 “We don't really stop and think about that,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said about his quick turnaround of a team that went 15-16 in his first year at the helm. “We feel like if we can surround ourselves with the types of motivated, team-first attitudes it can happen.

 “There are so many uncertainties. You just don't know you're going to have a leader like Romero emerge.”

And Osby's emergence — and disappearance — is the main reason for Oklahoma's success and struggles.