Oklahoma basketball: Romero Osby carries Sooners, but not far enough

Osby couldn't do much more than he did. Yet he couldn't do enough for a team as limited as this one became offensively. He is a strong player, but he is not a transcendent player who can carry a team.

But he tried.

“He's a hard guard,” San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. “He competes very hard. And he gave us a lot of problems.”

OU coach Lon Kruger said, “He's been as consistent as anyone can be. When others around him have played well and shot it well, that's made his job a lot easier. But when they haven't, he's continued to battle and perform and produce.”

It's a stamp that he will leave with this program.

“I just hope I was able to leave a legacy as far as people looking at me and thinking I was a good basketball player but more of a better person,” Osby said.

As Osby finished talking in the postgame press conference about his mark on the program, Amath M'Baye raised his hand. The Sooner forward wanted to say something about Osby.

“He gave his heart and soul to this program,” M'Baye said. “He's been amazing. He's been holding it up for us all season, and I just want to give him a lot of credit for that.”

All of the Sooners should.

Osby placed this team on his broad shoulders and carried them to all sorts of milestones. Winning 20 games again. Returning to the NCAA Tournament.

But on Friday night, he could carry the Sooners no more.

His effort was valiant, but in the end, the offensive shortcomings of this team were just too great for even this fighter to overcome.

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at (405) 475-4125. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok or view her personality page at newsok.com/jennicarlson.