Tag: Akol Mawein

Former Sooner guard Umoja Gibson reveals transfer destination

A former Oklahoma guard is heading out North.

Oklahoma’s basketball team will look very different next year as multiple guys left the program following their near miss of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in the 2021 season. Senior guard Elijah Harkless transferred to UNLV, freshman Alston Mason transferred to Missouri State, sophomore center Rick Issanza transferred to Loyola-Marymount, and junior forward Akol Mawein transferred to Sacramento State.

Umoja Gibson entered his name into the portal on April 27th. Gibson originally transferred to Oklahoma from North Texas in 2020. He will now head north where he will play his college ball in Chicago at DePaul.

Gibson will head to the Blue Demons with one year left of eligibility. The senior guard started 35 games for the Sooners and led Porter Moser’s squad in scoring this season.  He averaged 13.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent overall, 87.1 percent from the free throw line, and 39 percent from beyond the arc.  Percentage-wise, he was the third-best 3-point shooter in the Big 12 conference.

 

Gibson’s departure will leave a sizable gap for the Sooners to overcome but the Sooners believe that the transfer of Joe Bamisile from George Wahington will help make for the loss of Gibson’s scoring. Bamisile averaged 16 points a game last year on 46 percent from the field.

Incoming freshmen Otega Oweh and Milos Uzan also could figure into the backcourt rotation as both have good size length and diverse skillsets that could help them stand out and earn early time for Porter Moser.

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Sooners land high-flying George Washington guard Joe Bamisile

The Oklahoma Sooners land a commitment from Atlantic 10 third-team guard Joe Basimile.

Just a few hours after guard Elijah Harkless entered the transfer portal, the Oklahoma Sooners land a possible replacement in former George Washington guard Joe Bamisile. According to Jon Rothstein of FanDuel, Bamisile committed to the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2022-2023 basketball season.

Bamisile had an excellent sophomore season in which he averaged 16.3 points per game and was an Atlantic 10 third-team All-Conference selection. He averaged five rebounds per game and shot 45.8% from the floor and 35.1% from beyond the arc while playing an average of 31 minutes per game.

Bamisile is just what the Sooners needed on all fronts as he adds elite athleticism, is a shot-maker, and is someone that can create for themselves and others. Harkless’s departure stung and rightfully so but Bamisile’s commitment is as good of a rebound as the Sooners could have gotten.

 

Bamisile will seek a waiver from the NCAA in order to be immediately eligible. Oklahoma is now his second transfer destination after flipping to George Washington after committing and signing with Virginia Tech out of high school.

When asked why Oklahoma, Bamisile told this to FanDuel, “It’s a good fit and a good situation. The location is a little better for me — playing in a college town versus in a big city. Coach Moser is also a proven coach. He’s led a team to the Final Four already when he was at Loyola Chicago.”

The Sooners will continue to attack the transfer portal as we know Moser feels highly comfortable and successful through this avenue earning the nickname “Portal Moser”. The work is not done yet as the Sooners could stand to bring in a few big men to possibly replace center Rick Issanza who entered the portal today, joining Elijah Harkless, Alston Mason, and Akol Mawein. Ethan Chargois, Marvin Johnson, and Jordan Goldwire all will be graduating after transferring in before last season.

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