Oklahoma Basketball lands priority froncourt transfer target Tanner Groves
New Sooners head coach Porter Moser adds former Eastern Washington star, Tanner Groves. Tanner quickly rose to fame with his impressive performance against Kansas in the NCAA tournament. He chose Oklahoma Basketball over Portland, Texas, and Washington State.
"It has been a crazy, hectic, stressful, but overall fun past month! Never have I been im the position to make a deciion this big so it’s taken me some time to think and reflect. I’m grateful for the oppurtunities I was given at Eastern Washington, it was an incredible stepping stone in my career and I will be an Eagle for life. Thank you to all the fans and supporters over the years and thank you for making my experience so great! After lot of considerations and onversations with family members and coaches i have finally decided where my next home will be. I am incredibly excited to announce that I will be committing to Oklahoma University.@TannerGroves"
The 6’9 Junior averaged 17.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game in 2020-2021. Groves quickly rose to fame when he put up 35 points and 5 rebounds against Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Groves showed he could hold his own against a higher level of competition and isn’t afraid of the moment. Groves was also named to the first-team All-Big Sky Conference.
Besides from being an undersized center, Tanner still makes his presence felt in the post. Tanner ranked in the top 90 in all of college basketball in 2-point field goal percentage. Kudos to his wide frame that enables him to get his shot over taller defenders. He is also capable of knocking down the three, shooting nearly 35% from three last season at Eastern Washington.
Jacob Groves, Tanner’s brother, is also transferring to Oklahoma. Jacob averaged over 9 points in his sophomore campaign with the Eagles while only playing a little over 20 minutes a game. Jacob is a raw player who can play multiple positions and should be able to give Moser quality minutes next season.
After finishing 2nd in the Big Sky regular season in 2020-2021, the Eagles went on to win the Big Sky tournament which earned them an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Eagles earned a 14 seed with a date versus Kansas. After holding a 46-38 lead at the half, they went on to fall 93 to 84.
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Tanner will be expected to step in and make an immediate impact next season. With the Sooners expected to lose Austin Reeves, the top scorer from a year ago, Groves will need to be the focal point down in Norman. Groves just needs to provide solid minutes for the Sooners and continue to develop throughout the year.