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Big 12 Basketball: Each team’s biggest question entering 2020-21 season

By Jason Burgess

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 02: General view of a basketball and Big 12 logo taken before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns on January 02, 2016 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 82-74. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 02: General view of a basketball and Big 12 logo taken before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns on January 02, 2016 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 82-74. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 08: Austin Reaves #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 08: Austin Reaves #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

Oklahoma Sooners – How do the Sooners replace Kristian Doolittle?

Lon Kruger’s Oklahoma Sooners were on the NCAA Tournament bubble with a 19-12 record when the season ended. Now, they enter 2020-21 with nearly the same roster returning, only having to replace one graduating senior, but it is a big loss as Kristian Doolittle led the team in scoring with 15.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and two steals per game. Being able to replace Doolittle will be the biggest reason for continued success in Norman.

The player currently on the roster that is most likely to take another step forward in his final season is 6’5 guard Austin Reaves. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists in his first season with the Sooners after spending the first two years of his career at Wichita State.

About the only area where Reeves struggled last year was with his three-point shot, making just 26% of them after being a 46.7% shooter from deep at Wichita State. Another thing that could help Oklahoma replace Doolittle would be having their two guard transfers, Umoja Gibson from North Texas and Elijah Harkless from Cal-State Northridge eligible immediately.

The 6’1 Gibson was a second-team All-Conference player in Conference USA last season averaging 14.5 points, two rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals, and was sixth in the conference in three-point shooting at 39.4%. Harkless did a little bit of everything for the Matadors last season, filling up the stat sheet to the tune of 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and his 1.7 steals per game led the Big West Conference.

Having these two productive guards be eligible for the Sooners could go a long way to answering the team’s biggest question, how to replace what Doolittle brought to the team.

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