Porter Moser found impressive success as head coach at Loyola-Chicago, though he hasn’t quite had that same level of breakthrough with the Sooners. He’s already been Oklahoma’s head coach for half a decade and has taken the program to the NCAA Tournament just one time. It’s not like the Sooners are struggling mightily, with three straight 20-win seasons, they just haven’t won enough conference games, both in the Big 12 and since joining the SEC.
That was certainly the case again this past season, with a 7-11 mark in the SEC just not enough to get Oklahoma back to the Big Dance again. The Sooners settled for a decent run at the College Basketball Crown, finishing the season at 21-16. While this was Moser’s most wins in a season since heading to Norman, there has to be more, especially as he’s won just 36% of his conference games.
The Sooners lost some important pieces in the offseason, with Tae Davis and Nijel Pack in particular running out of eligibility. There are a few other departures of note, though Oklahoma does at least return two starters and some solid depth pieces. What’s really stood out in this offseason hasn’t just been the talent added, largely through the transfer portal, but the chances that Moser is taking to build this roster.
Two of our five projected starters for the Sooners are currently fighting for eligibility and very well could not be in the lineup this season. The long-term prognosis for Oklahoma looks drastically different depending on their availability, though we’re presenting the whole package of possibility. You’ll get a feel for the talent assembled as we look at each player, though it’s fair to wonder the ceiling on this team if those rulings don’t go their way.
Projected Starters
Guard – Xzayvier Brown (Senior)
Formerly the A-10 Rookie of the Year while at Saint Joseph’s, Brown joined the Sooners last season and is a major weapon back on the floor. A 6-2 guard from Philadelphia, he averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists as a junior with solid shooting figures while smoothly adjusting to life in the SEC. Brown figures to be the massive playmaker and facilitator once again for the Sooners, especially if his outside shooting takes another step up.
Guard – B. J. Edwards (Senior)
The first of those new pieces with questionable eligibility, Edwards is a 6-3 guard from Knoxville who began his career right home at Tennessee before gaining notoriety at SMU. Edwards spent three years starting with the Mustangs, putting up 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.3 steals this past season. Edwards actually led the ACC in steals, has become a reliable shooter, and would bring experience and defensive intensity if he’s available in this backcourt.
Forward – Derrion Reid (Junior)
Two years ago Reid headed to Alabama as a Top 15 recruit, though his role with the Crimson Tide was minimal as a freshman. He took a definite step forward with Oklahoma last season, averaging 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds as a full-time starter for the Sooners. He possesses great physicality and can affect the game in the post while also excelling as an outside and mid-range shot-making. We’re expecting big things from him in year two with the Sooners.
Forward – Khani Rooths (Junior)
Another highly-regarded prospect with limited success, Rooths was a Top 40 recruit who spent this first season as a bench piece at Louisville. In that role he managed 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore with the Cardinals, though a much bigger role awaits with these Sooners. His versatility is significant, as he’s able to play both forward positions and can defend all over the court, though we’ll see if his just what kind of growth he can show in this new lineup.
Forward – Duke Brennan (Senior)
The other new starter uncertain about his eligibility, Brennan is a 6-10 big man originally from Arizona who’s split time with Arizona State, Grand Canyon, and Villanova in this career. After two brilliant seasons with the Antelopes, he was a major weapon for the Wildcats in the Big East, putting up 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds last year. Grabbing an experienced frontcourt presence who’s a walking double-double would be a major win for this program if those rulings allow Brennan on the court.
Key Reserves
Guard – Pop Isaacs (Senior)
Even if those rulings don’t go Oklahoma’s way, Isaacs is fantastic insurance and a feisty guard who’ll see the court regardless. The former Texas Tech star had an injured season with Creighton before averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 assists for Texas A&M in a similar role largely off the bench. His production hasn’t been the same since his injury, though he’s done well in other systems, made 40% of his 3-pointers last year, and adds a viable backup point guard who can play key minutes.
Guard – Quincy Wadley (Freshman)
The top freshman addition from the offseason, Wadley is a 6-4 guard out of Virginia who should see minutes in this rotation from the jump. He’s widely considered a Top 60 recruit and is the highest-rated recruit that Moser and this staff have landed. With the other depth in the backcourt, Wadley won’t need to play a major role, but his smooth playmaking and great outside shot could get him noticed quickly.
Forward – Gage Mayfield (Freshman)
Another notable freshman entering the fold, Mayfield is a 6-7 wing from Alabama who’s another Top 100 recruit for the Sooners. In addition to his toughness and physicality, Mayfield has impressive size and length and can affect the game in many ways. He’s an impressive rebounder and could become a great development in the post for the Sooners, especially with that size on the defensive end.
Guard – Dayton Forsythe (Junior)
We’re entering year three for Forsythe with the Sooners and it’ll likely be a similar role for the local kid from Oklahoma. He’s been a rotation piece off the bench in these first two seasons, putting up 5.3 points and 1.8 assists in that role last season. He’ll contribute at the point and brings experience in this system, though his shooting numbers were down last year and he’ll have to improve that especially with new pieces around him vying for minutes.
Forward/Center – Kai Rogers (Sophomore)
Another returning bench piece hoping for more minutes, Rogers is a 6-10 forward from Wisconsin who was considered a Top 100 recruit from last year’s class. Off the bench, he averaged 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds and did adequate work as a backup in the frontcourt. Now with a year under his belt, we can expect a bit more run from Rogers as he continues developing his game, though his size and efficiency around the rim got this staff excited last season, with a 73% mark from the field.
Guard – Tyler Hendricks (Senior)
A 6-5 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Hendricks was a bench piece at UCF as an underclassman before getting his real shot with Utah Valley last year. That junior season saw 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in a significant role for a Wolverines team that won 25 games. Hendricks hopes to bring not just that winning pedigree but a keen outside shot that saw him making 45% of his 3-pointers last year.
Schedule Outlook
The Sooners will ease into the regular season with five straight home games and none should exactly tax the roster as Moser figures out his rotations. They’ll then head down to Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off, facing Pittsburgh and then Purdue on Thanksgiving as what are clearly the only real challenges of their November schedule.
They’ll host Syracuse on December 1st as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, though that’s far from the last notable game in that month. Oklahoma faces off against Arizona State in Tulsa a few days later and then play rival Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City on the 12th. The last notable nonconference game is a true road test at SMU, though that voyage to Dallas isn’t a long trip at least.
SEC play is filled with difficulty and it doesn’t start easy, with Oklahoma hosting Kentucky and then traveling to Florida for their first two matchups. They’ll get two looks at rival Texas and also get two cracks at Georgia and Missouri during league play. Their only matchups with Alabama and Texas A&M come on the road, though they do get to host both Tennessee (February 10) and Vanderbilt, with the Commodores coming to town for Senior Night.
Season Outlook
At full strength and with those two players eligible, Oklahoma has the talent to get back to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in Moser’s tenure. Without those two players there are a lot more questions and we’ll do our best to figure out what exactly that means should the rulings fall a different way.
The headliner in the backcourt is clearly Brown after his production last season while Isaacs is a more than viable veteran piece who can play all over the backcourt. The Sooners love what Edwards brings on both sides of the ball and what he’d add to this unit, though his absence would give someone like Forsythe or Hendricks significantly more run this season.
Big things are expected from Reid and Rooths and the fate of the frontcourt might rest on their developments. Beyond that, it would obviously be a major boon to have Brennan in the paint, as he’d instantly become one of the best post players and rebounders in the SEC. Without him, Oklahoma might find themselves yearning for Rogers to take that next step as a sophomore while there’d likely be shifting to a starting five with only two forwards and three guards.
There are no sure things in college basketball, though this looks like an NCAA Tournament team that can win important games during SEC play. If Edwards and Brennan aren’t available, the ceiling absolutely changes for the Sooners, though it’s a question of how the rest of the lineup develops. A veteran group can make some noise if at full strength, but can someone like Isaacs or Rogers step into a starring role if needed?
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