Norman, Okla. ? Oklahoma guard Hollis Price needs extra time to warm up before games. When he’s on the sideline, a heating pad helps keep his injured right arm loose.

It must be working.

The Sooners are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1988 in large part because of Price, who went down with a gruesome elbow injury in the first round of last year’s tournament.

He’s averaging 18.2 points in the NCAAs this year, a remarkable turnaround for a player who needed three operations.

Price tore the triceps tendon and had nerve damage after coming down hard on an Indiana State player’s lower teeth during a drive in the Sooners’ loss. Price ended up with a piece of the opponent’s tooth in his arm.

“I didn’t know it was that severe when it happened, but it turned out to be it was,” Price said. “I thank the Lord he got me through that. Coach always says that adversity makes a man, and I think it made a man out of me and a better player, too.”

He’s been outstanding for Oklahoma (31-4) all season.

At 6-foot-1 and just 165 pounds, Price looks almost frail on the court. But he has tremendous speed, a sweet jumper and toughness, too.

While other Sooners struggled in the first half of the regional semifinal against Arizona, Price made six three-pointers. He had 22 of the Sooners’ 33 points at halftime, keeping them close enough to rally in the second half.

“I’ve never seen that kid have any fear,” Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said.

After scoring 18 points in Saturday’s regional final against Missouri, Price shared a long hug with Sampson, then called his grandfather in New Orleans  just as he does after every game.

Price’s grandparents, George Carraby and Ann Dennis, raised him and his two siblings because their single mother was often in jail.

Price grew up in New Orleans’ Desire neighborhood, which Sampson called “one of the toughest projects in that city.”

But with his grandparents providing guidance, Price was drawn to sports and stayed clear of trouble.

“He had a beautiful home,” Sampson said. “He lived in a project apartment, but he had a beautiful home because of his grandfather and grandmother. Hollis was brought up the right way, and that was his constant.”

The “right way” meant coming home straight from school, doing homework before going out to play, and being home on time at night. It meant going to church on Sunday, being thankful for little things and respecting others.

“The distractions were there,” Carraby said. “But he was always above that fray because he had folks who impressed on him that there are things much more important than to waste your life.”