No matter how you look at the results from last season, it was technically a step in the right direction for Oklahoma basketball. The Sooners haven’t exactly been nationally relevant in the four years since Porter Moser took over the program, but he did get them into the Big Dance last season. Oklahoma took on quite the challenge as first year members of the SEC and did just enough to stay afloat.
The Sooners got into the Big Dance thanks to a 20-win campaign that featured some nice wins and solid play, but this team wasn’t exactly on top of the SEC standings. Moser’s team was just 6-12 and tied for 13th place but that was enough to dance in what was a historically strong season for the SEC as a whole. Even though the Sooners were dispatched by reigning champ UConn in the first round, they made that step forward in year one.
With Jeremiah Fears in the NBA and a slew of other talent out of eligibility, Oklahoma faces another uphill battle in the nation’s strongest conference. The staff was faced with replacing valuable pieces like Kobe Elvis, Duke Miles, and Jalon Moore among others. Fortunately, a series of new transfers and freshmen are in Norman and ready to make their own mark in these coming months.
Very little talent returns from the Sooners' first season in the SEC, but have Moser and company made the effective changes to make year two even more special? We’ll get into just exactly what to expect from the notable faces on the roster and look a little at their schedule as well. Oklahoma did just enough to sneak into the Big Dance, but this program expects more than that 6-12 mark in league play.
Projected Starters
Guard – Xzayvier Brown (Junior)
The former A-10 Rookie of the Year, Brown is a talented point guard who just starred at Saint Joseph’s the last two seasons and now assumes a major role at Oklahoma. He’s fresh off a brilliant sophomore season, averaging 17.6 points and 4.3 assists per game with very solid shooting figures. Brown was the best free throw shooter in the A-10 and is a great facilitator and on-ball defender as well.
Guard – Nijel Pack (Senior)
It’s been a wild ride for Pack, who lands at Oklahoma after two great years at Kansas State and three eventful ones with Miami. He’s averaged double figures every year of his career, playing in the Final Four as a junior before missing most of last year with a foot injury. In the 9 games before departing, Pack put up 13.9 points and 4.3 assists per game, production that matched his earlier work with the Hurricanes. Expect him to be a major playmaker in this offense if he remains healthy, bringing his veteran experience.
Forward – Derrion Reid (Sophomore)
The addition of Reid could become a steal for the Sooners if he lives up to this billing. A former 5-star prospect who spent last year with Alabama, Reid underwhelmed as a reserve, putting up 6.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in that role with the Crimson Tide. He should take a major step forward with this opportunity especially with his versatility and defensive potential.
Forward – Tae Davis (Senior)
After work as a reserve at Seton Hall as a freshman, Davis stood out as a starter for Notre Dame and now joins the Sooners for year four of his college career. He’s coming off his best season yet, averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Fighting Irish and was one of the ACC’s most efficient scorers. Davis is another vital transfer who slides into that important role in this frontcourt, bringing talent on both sides of the ball.
Forward/Center – Mohamed Wague (Senior)
Wague had previously been at three other schools before landing at Oklahoma last offseason and now returns for what everyone hopes is his best season yet. As a reserve in the frontcourt, he averaged just 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds but did make 72% of his field goal attempts. If Wague can take that step forward, he can be that efficient and elite paint presence that this defense needs to be better in 2026.
Key Reserves
Guard – Jeff Nwankwo (Senior)
Nwankwo missed all of last season with an Achilles injury but he’s back with the Sooners once again. Before transferring to Oklahoma, he starred at the JUCO level at Cowley College and is hoping to make his mark in this lineup after establishing himself as a great shooter and rebounder. We’ll see what kind of run Nwankwo gets and how he handles his return from that injury.
Guard/Forward – Alec Blair (Freshman)
The Sooners’ Top 100 freshman is Blair, a 6-7 wing originally from Concord, California. What makes Blair stand out is his versatility, with the size and strength of a natural wing but the ability to play all over the court. His shooting is coming together, especially outside the arc, and he’s got the strength to make a difference inside the arc as well.
Guard – Dayton Forsythe (Sophomore)
Not many faces are back this season, but Forsythe is another piece returning and looking for a bigger role as a sophomore. There weren’t many opportunities as a freshman, averaging 4.3 points per game in decent reserve minutes during his first taste of college ball. When he gets his chances, he can knock down shots and brings athleticism and energy on the court for the Sooners.
Forward/Center – Kai Rogers (Freshman)
A 6-10 big man out of Atlanta, Rogers is a 4-star prospect who adds much needed size and strength to the future of this frontcourt. Rogers is a productive scorer in the paint with the potential to stand out as a rebounder and shot blocker as well. He’ll keep building his strength and defensive ability, though it remains to be seen if he can secure an important role in the depth chart.
Guard – Jadon Jones (Senior)
Another player who didn’t play last season, Jones had four consistent seasons in the lineup at Long Beach State before redshirting with the Sooners last year. When last on the court, he put up 12.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and helped lead Long Beach State to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. In addition to his veteran experience, he brings shot making ability and consistency off the bench and likely plays a major role in this backcourt.
Forward – Kuol Atak (Freshman)
We didn’t see Atak on the court as a redshirt last season, but the 6-9 forward from Fort Worth could carve out quite the role in his first year of college ball. A former 3-star recruit, he lacks the typical strength you’d expect in the frontcourt but he makes up for it with his dynamic shooting ability, especially outside the arc.
Schedule Outlook
There’s an early punch for the Sooners even with Saint Francis coming to town to open the regular season. Oklahoma heads to Gonzaga for a tough road battle on November 8th, and that’s not their only challenge in the month. There’s an intriguing matchup against Nebraska a week later in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as well as a game against Marquette in Chicago on November 28th right after Thanksgiving.
While the Sooners aren’t in a holiday tournament, there are a few more games of note in December. They’ll head to Wake Forest as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge and face Arizona State in Phoenix a few days later. Many have circled their annual matchup against rival Oklahoma State, coming December 13th in Oklahoma City. After that, the Sooners have three more mid-major tune ups before SEC play begins.
The 18-game schedule is unbalanced, with Oklahoma facing just Missouri, Texas, and Texas A&M both home and away. There’s no such thing as an easy matchup in the SEC and they’ve been done few favors. They’ll play defending champion Florida early, albeit at home, as part of a January full of highly anticipated home matchups. Trips to Kentucky and Tennessee come the following month, with the Sooners ended the regular season with a rivalry matchup at Texas on March 7th.
Season Outlook
Lon Kruger also missed the NCAA Tournament twice in his decade helming the Sooners, something Moser already topped before last year. In fact, Oklahoma hasn’t won double-digit conference games since their Final Four season back in 2016. We are ages beyond that team and faced with a new crew of Sooners just looking to get back to the Big Dance and make major noise for this city and this school.
The initial headlines should focus on this incoming transfer class, as Moser and company gained four new starters in the process. Brown has truly stood out running the point and if he can play strong against SEC defenses he could be quite the steal for the Sooners. His counterpart in the backcourt knows a lot about winning, but it’s all about if Pack can stay healthy and be the reliable veteran weapon that the Sooners need him to be.
There’s a lot of untapped potential in this Oklahoma lineup. Reid is a monster prospect who could explode onto the scene if he lives up to those initial expectations, and he’ll have ever chance to do that in this lineup. While they won’t have the same sort of run this year, it’ll be interesting to see what players like Atak, Jones, and Nwanko can accomplish after not setting foot on the basketball court last year.
One concern could be in the paint, as the Sooners are depending a lot on Wague’s late development and perhaps on Rogers outperforming his expectations as a freshman. There’s a great veteran presence in Davis who’ll provide scoring and a defensive edge, but this team really needs reliable production from the 5. There wasn’t some lockdown center last season, though they could really fly in the SEC with that type of weapon this year.
It’s really hard in this era of NIL and the transfer portal, especially when most of a team’s rotation is entirely different from one year to the next. The bottom line is that Moser added a unique combination of raw talent, experience, and potential and has the pieces in place to be an NCAA Tournament team again. Nobody is going to predict Oklahoma at or near the top of the SEC standings, but an uprising from someone like Brown or Reid could lead quite the revolution in Norman.