MEMPHIS – With just over a minute to play, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel made the tribute substitution for Blake Griffin.

Sooner fans stood and applauded. So did many in the large contingent of North Carolina faithful who swelled Sunday's attendance for the South Region final to 17,025.

But other than that moment, the Sooners' 72-60 loss to the Tar Heels was best signified by the sound of one hand clapping.

Griffin, with 23 points and 16 rebounds, did all he could against a double- and triple-down defense, easy for Carolina to execute because the Sooners' backcourt didn't hit a 3-point shot until a little more than five minutes remained.

"We have good players," Capel said. "Sometimes good players don't make good plays. It stinks because so much was at stake."

As predicted, this game wasn't about Griffin and Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, who wasn't much of a factor with eight points and six rebounds. Point guard Ty Lawson (19 points, five assists, five rebounds, three steals) and backcourt mate Danny Green (18 points) assumed the starring roles.

"That's what makes our team so dangerous," Lawson said. "If one person isn't having a good night, other people will pick it up."

Other people were missing for the Sooners.

For so much of this 30-6 season, Capel doggedly contended his was not a one-man team. Unfortunately, on this afternoon, it looked like it.

Sure, freshman guard Willie Warren scored 18 points with a late flourish. But neither he nor Austin Johnson or once-again-slumping Tony Crocker had much scoring success during meaningful minutes in the game, which were few for OU.

Warren was the only guard in double-figures. He hit two of nine 3-point attempts. The rest of the team was 0-for-10.

"The main problem for us was none of our shots were falling early," Warren said. "We just couldn't hit shots from the outside, and that's what usually got us wins in the first three games [in the NCAA Tournament]."

AP

North Carolina's Tyler Hansborough (left0 challenges Oklahoma's Blake Griffin in Sunday's game.

View largerMore photos Photo store

Capel asked that the subject of Griffin's future not be broached. He said that he would huddle with Blake sometime midweek or so, "and most likely do the same thing with Willie."

Warren, however, reiterated his plan Sunday to remain at OU rather than opt for the NBA draft.

More than likely, though, we've seen the last of this level for Griffin, a wonderfully talented player destined to play in a lot of NBA All-Star games.

After the game, as the teams filed past one another, Griffin hugged Hansbrough before North Carolina coach Roy Williams stopped him.

"He said I was one of the greatest players he's ever coached against," Griffin said, speaking softly in front of his dressing stall.

"And he told me not to think about this game, but about the season. That was nice of him to say as long as he's been in this business and as many players as he's coached."

Griffin also reflected on OU's most successful season since the program last reached the Elite Eight in 2003.

"It's been awesome," he said. "It's not something that people imagined when Coach Capel took the job.

"It's what I imagined. It's what Coach Capel imagined. What all these guys in this locker room imagined. But none of [the media], not a lot of our fans or a whole bunch of other people thought we could do this.

"It speaks a lot about how hard we worked as a team, how good a job our coaching staff has done. I think this team has earned a little respect."

Some day, the Griffins' time may be the lead chapter in, "Jeff Capel, The Early Years."

For now, Capel faces a second rebuilding in a startlingly short time. He said again that he plans to remain at OU. Expect athletic director Joe Castiglione, who declined comment, to move quickly on a raise that will make Capel the third-highest paid coach in the Big 12 behind Bill Self of Kansas and Rick Barnes of Texas.

Capel, 34, continues to look like one of the top young coaches in the business.

"I think Jeff is very, very bright," Williams said. "He's hungry and he's charismatic. He has every ingredient to be a fantastic coach, and I think he's already shown that."