Busting Brackets
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Big 12 Basketball: Grades for each team in this 2020 offseason

By Matthew Mastandrea

WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears and Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears and Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 08: Austin Reaves #12, Kur Kuath #52, Jamal Bieniemy #24 and Victor Iwuakor #0 of the Oklahoma Sooners (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 08: Austin Reaves #12, Kur Kuath #52, Jamal Bieniemy #24 and Victor Iwuakor #0 of the Oklahoma Sooners (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

5. Oklahoma: B

The 2019-20 season saw yet another Sooner team that was poised to slide into one of the final slots in the NCAA tournament. While much of their fate relied upon their canceled contest with the Mountaineers, Oklahoma has high hopes for the upcoming season.

Their biggest loss comes in the form of forward, Kristian Doolittle. Doolittle averaged 15.8 points per game to go along with 8.9 rebounds a game this past season. A cherished member of the Sooners program, Oklahoma will have to figure out early how to replace his impact in the paint as well as from the three-point line. Doolittle is expected to be drafted next month.

While waiting on waivers, Oklahoma is excited about two of their guard transfers in Elijah Harkless and Umoja Gibson. Harkless comes from Cal State Northridge, where the 6-3 guard averaged 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game last season. Gibson (6-1) on the other hand comes from North Texas, where he posted an impressive 14.5 points per game. He started all 31 games. Both Harkless and Gibson are Juniors, giving Oklahoma plenty of time to develop the two’s games.

While the Sooners add two freshmen for the upcoming season, they’ve found success with regards to their recruiting of the 2021 class. They’ve added four-star shooting guard, CJ Noland, as well as three-star point guard, Bijan Cortes. Noland comes from Waxahachie, Texas, while Cortes isn’t far from home in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.

As Lon Kruger comes into his tenth season in Norman, he is going to be banking on the play of Brady Manek as well as De’vion Harmon. Harmon, a sophomore guard saw 22 starts last season, averaging 7.4 points per game to go along with two assists and 1.1 steals per game. Manek, on the other hand, is sitting at 1,188 career points, good for 31st in Sooner history.

The 6-9 Forward has also hit 187 three-pointers and is coming off a fantastic junior season that saw him average 14.4 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, along with 1.2 blocks per game over 31 starts.

The success of Harmon and Manek will be key towards Oklahoma finding sustained success this year in the Big 12. If they can immediately mesh with Harkless and Gibson (Waivers Pending), Oklahoma will have an easy time eclipsing their 19-12 record (9-9 in Big 12) from the past season.

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