Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big 12 Basketball: 10 biggest questions entering 2023-24 season

By Cole Amundson

Mar 11, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; The Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks line up for the National Anthem before the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; The Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks line up for the National Anthem before the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 10
Next
Oklahoma Sooners basketball coach Porter Moser. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma Sooners basketball coach Porter Moser. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Can Porter Moser turn it around in year three?

Porter Moser has fallen victim to the rigors of the Big 12 in both year one and year two of his tenure in Norman.

On paper, both of his past two teams have not been that bad. In year one, the Sooners narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament. Year two had more downs than ups, but the Sooners still finished 54th in KenPom despite a lackluster 15-17 record.

Can he turn it around in year three?

The short answer: yes. On paper, the Sooners are far more athletic, physical, and longer than their two previous years.

Moser and staff added five players via the transfer portal, compiling the 13th-best transfer portal class this season, per 24/7 Sports. Le’Tre Darthard (Utah Valley), Rivaldo Soares (Oregon), Javian McCollum (Siena), Jalon Moore (Georgia Tech) and John Hugley IV (Pittsburgh) are all expected to make an immediate impact for the Sooners this upcoming season.

This talented transfer class should also help fix one of Oklahoma’s major weak points last year: offensive rebounding. Last year, the Sooners ranked 322nd in the country in offensive rebounding percentage, per Bart Torvik. With the additions of John Hugley IV, Jalon Moore and Rivaldo Sores alongside senior forward Sam Goodwin, the Sooners should be much improved in that category.

Although the Big 12 will remain a gauntlet, Porter Moser has the backcourt (Uzhan and McCollum) and the overall pieces in place to make some noise this year. Their transfer portal pieces fit their needs with hopes that the Sooners can play faster — yet more efficiently — with increased athleticism, physicality and length. It will be an uphill battle, no doubt, but the Sooners should be able to turn the tables this upcoming season, even amidst the rigors of the Big 12.

Home/Big 12