Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

Head coach Lon Kruger announced his retirement this past March to the surprise of many and a semi-max exodus followed despite the hiring of Porter Moser to replace him. The top four scorers from last season’s team are off to new locations, but Moser has some intriguing pieces in 2021-22 to make his mark on Big 12 basketball in Year 1.

Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless are the top two returning names to look to as contributors. Gibson averaged 9.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 1.2 spg on 41.1 percent shooting from 3-point land. He’ll be a breakout candidate to keep an eye on in the Oklahoma basketball rotation.

Harkless returns as the team’s best defender, after turning in a 96.2 defensive rating in 2020-21. He averaged 8.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, and 1.9 spg in his first season in the Sooners lineup.

Marvin Johnson (Eastern Illinois) is one new addition to keep an eye on. He averaged 15.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 1.9 spg as an All-OVC first-team selection. He’ll look to put his stamp on both ends of the floor for Moser’s new destination.

Tanner Groves and Jacob Groves (Eastern Washington) both join the lineup after making their mark in the Big Sky. Tanner Groves was last year’s Big Sky Player of the Year and Tournament MVP after putting up 17.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, and 1.1 bpg this past season. After putting up 35 points against Kansas in last year’s NCAA Tournament, look for his stock to grow in 2021-22.

Jacob Groves, Tanner’s younger brother, put up 9.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg while knocking down 36.4 percent of his 3-pointers on the year.

Moser has a variety of returners and transfers to work with in his first season on the Oklahoma basketball sidelines. Don’t be surprised if he turns this group into a middle-of-the-pack squad in the Big 12 basketball standings by the end of the year.