KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As reporters swarmed Blake Griffin after Oklahoma's victory over Michigan, Tony Crocker sat at his locker packing his bags.

While the stat sheet for the junior guard wasn't impressive (0-for-4 with four points and six assists), his impact on the game was tremendous. Crocker took three charges and kept Michigan's top player, guard Manny Harris, in check.

"When you're guarding the best player, you go out and try to defend him," Crocker said. "I think we all played really well. I missed some shots, but I think I made up for it on defense."

Crocker forced Harris into committing two quick fouls in the first half and never let him break loose.

"Most people determine whether these kids play well or not by the score," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "People will look at the stat sheet and think what's wrong with Crock? He did a heck of a job defensively. It's the best he's played in a while."

Motherly advice: Willie Warren doesn't act like a freshman, on or off the court. The former North Crowley standout and plays like a veteran for the Sooners and speaks like one, too. Warren said his mother, Malaika Frazier, stressed to him the importance of giving insightful answers, especially at news conferences.

"My mom pushes me because she doesn't want me to say, um... um... um... on TV, like some other players," Warren said. "She saw me on TV the other day and thought I sounded good. So that's good."