Tag: Bijan Cortes

5 players Porter Moser and OU hoops should consider via the transfer portal

A look at a few names the Oklahoma Sooners are targeting in the transfer portal and a couple more they should make a run at.

Oklahoma basketball is experiencing a retooling following consecutive years with no NCAA tournament berths. This year’s Sooners finished last in the Big 12 and, along with Texas Tech, were the only teams from the conference that didn’t make the tourney.

Those results have likely made Porter Moser’s seat somewhat warm, as making the NCAA Tournament is a fairly reasonable bar for most Power Five programs. Oklahoma has a reasonably strong history of basketball success as a program but has never won a national title.

No one expects Porter Moser to turn Oklahoma into the second coming of Coach K and Duke. Still, consistent tournament appearances and fighting for the Big 12 crown seem reasonable.

The blowback from two consecutive seasons of missed postseasons has been evident. [autotag]Jalen Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Groves[/autotag], Benny Schröder, Joe Bamisile, Bijan Cortes, and [autotag]C.J. Noland[/autotag] are all no longer with the team after entering the transfer portal. Noland committed to Saint Louis, while Schröder landed with George Washington.

These departures also combine with Grant Sherfield’s decision to pursue NBA opportunities. At the same time, Tanner Groves has decided to move on from college basketball entirely after graduating.

As it stands, Oklahoma has lost eight players this offseason, with six of those players logging starter or significant bench minutes. Oklahoma essentially needs a brand-new team. They bring in two four-star prospects in Kaden Cooper and Jacolb Cole, but that won’t be enough especially considering they are true freshmen.

The transfer portal is the only way to rebuild this roster, and we have a few targets Oklahoma should look at.

Sooners forward Jalen Hill to enter the transfer portal

Oklahoma loses another player to the transfer portal with the departure of forward Jalen Hill.

Oklahoma’s basketball program is in some murky waters at the moment. After a tough season that saw them finish last in the Big 12, the Sooners are undergoing some serious roster turnover.

Several seniors are moving on, and a slew of key contributors have left via the transfer portal.

Before Monday, Oklahoma had already seen [autotag]Benny Schroder[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Bamisile[/autotag], [autotag]Bijan Cortes[/autotag], and C.J. Nolan enter the portal. CJ Noland announced Monday he was taking his talents to Saint Louis.

Senior forward Jalen Hill will also enter the transfer portal, per CBS Sports Jon Rothstein.

Hill quickly entered the rotation as a freshman for the Sooners in 2019 before becoming a full-time starter as a junior.

The Las Vegas native had the best season of his college career in 2022-23, averaging a career-high 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. His leadership and defense were integral to everything the Sooners wanted to accomplish on the court. Hill was athletic enough to guard 3’s and 4’s and play small ball 5. He was capable enough to switch and stay with point guards in the screen action.

During conference play, he turned his game up a notch and averaged 10.3 points per game on 51 percent shooting, finishing the season as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

The departure also marks the last holdover from the Lon Kruger era. With Hill out the door, every player on the OU roster now or going forward will be recruited or brought in by Porter Moser.

Oklahoma must be very active in the transfer portal to fill out its needs. They don’t have enough players now to fill out the roster.

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Sooners guard Joe Bamisile enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners guard Joe Bamisile enters the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost another player to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] as [autotag]Joe Bamisile[/autotag] becomes the third player to depart the Sooners since their Big 12 tournament exit.

Joining C.J. Noland and Bijan Cortes, Bamisile will be looking for his fourth team in as many years as he looks to continue his collegiate career.

A bit of a sparkplug at the end of the season, Bamisile’s athleticism and energy stood out when the Sooners needed a boost off the bench. His minutes were inconsistent through nonconference play but began to see more playing time as Porter Moser looked for answers to give his team more of an edge.

Bamisile saw at least 10 minutes in six of the Sooners’ last seven regular season games. In those contests, he averaged 7.33 points per game. He averaged just four points per game in 2022-2023 after putting up 16.3 points per game for George Washington the year prior when he earned 31.4 minutes per game.

With three guards on their way out the door, the Sooners will lean heavily on [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] and [autotag]Otega Oweh[/autotag] in addition as they welcome in four-star small forwards [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolb Cole[/autotag] next season.

Next year will be a pivotal year for [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag] as he looks to improve upon two seasons without an NCAA tournament berth.

Oklahoma guard Bijan Cortes enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma guard Bijan Cortes enters the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners season didn’t go the way many thought it would. They missed the NCAA tournament for the second time in as many seasons under Porter Moser.

And now, since the transfer portal opened, Oklahoma’s seen a pair of players enter the transfer portal. First, it was C.J. Noland making his intentions known, and now, it’s sophomore guard Bijan Cortes departing the Sooners.

Cortes, out of Kingfisher, Okla., has spent the last two seasons as the backup point guard for the Oklahoma Sooners. A three-star prospect and the No. 3 player in the state, Cortes averaged 3.2 points and 2 assists per game for the Sooners in 2022-2023. He shot 44% from the field in 17 minutes per game.

In the final weeks of the season, Cortes stepped away from the team for a time for personal reasons. He returned to play in Oklahoma’s final three games, where Oklahoma went 1-2 against Kansas State, TCU, and Oklahoma State.

With Grant Sherfield graduating and Cortes out the door, the Oklahoma Sooners will be looking to Milos Uzan to run the point in 2023-2024.

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Sophomore guard C.J. Noland enters transfer portal

After a frustrating season, Sooners sophomore guard C.J. Noland enters the transfer portal.

Oklahoma had a frustrating season, and hard decisions will come in the offseason. The Sooners will experience that firsthand this offseason. Sophomore guard C.J. Noland was the first to enter the transfer portal Tuesday afternoon.

Noland came to Oklahoma as a heralded consensus top 100 prospect out of Waxahachie, Texas. He appeared in 33 games as a freshman and was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

He didn’t take much of a step forward this season, averaging 3.2 points per game. He started the first eight games but couldn’t hold on to the starting role. He averaged 14.2 minutes per game this season. He eventually lost his spot in the rotation to freshman Milos Uzan.

The focus on the development of guards Otega Oweh, Bijan Cortes, and Uzan put Noland in a bind going forward. All three were playing more meaningful minutes down the stretch to end this season.

That doesn’t consider that the Sooners will also welcome its highest-rated recruit since Trae Young in small forward Kaden Cooper. Cooper, at 6-foot-5, also figures to play on the ball and initiate the offense, thus pushing Noland down the depth chart even farther.

Noland was recruited by SMU, Texas A&M, and Big 12 rival Oklahoma State out and may look into revisiting one of those places for his next destination.

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Porter Moser, Oklahoma Sooners have to figure out shooting woes this offseason

Oklahoma shot 25% from the field in their eight-point loss to Oklahoma State. The Sooners have one job this offseason; find shooters.

When Oklahoma was at its best, it could look like one of the better teams in the Big 12 in the 2022-2023 season. Their win over then-No. 2 Alabama proved a high point of the season and put on display the potential this team had.

They had four top-25 wins, including their upset of No. 2 Alabama. Their losses to Texas came by a combined five points. They had a four-point loss at home against Kansas.

This was a team that, when they were hitting their shots, could play with the best of them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t very often. While the Sooners shot 45% from the field and 35% from three, in Big 12 play, they often struggled to keep up with their conference counterparts.

Wednesday night’s loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament was the final blow to a season that failed to meet expectations. And it was the shooting that failed Oklahoma once again.

The Sooners shot just 25% from the field and 26.1% from three. They were 6 of 23 from behind the arch. With few options inside and playing from behind for much of the night, they were forced to shoot from three often, and they just aren’t a consistent enough team from deep to rely on the three-ball.

Oklahoma’s starting five shot 24.4% from the field and were 3 of 17 from three. [autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Tanner Groves[/autotag] shot a combined 6 of 28 from the field and 1 for 12 from three.

The Sooners’ bench didn’t fair much better, going 3 of 11 from the field but were much better from three as [autotag]Bijan Cortes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Groves[/autotag] were 3 of 6 from downtown.

As the offseason approaches, the Sooners will likely head back into the transfer portal to find talent that can provide a rebound season in Norman. As they look to rebuild, Porter Moser and his staff need to find shooters to restock the roster.

The effort and the energy were there. They put on solid defensive displays down the stretch. But if you can’t hit shots against good teams, you’re going to get beat. Shooting 25% isn’t going to win you many games in the Big 12, or the SEC for that matter.

Sooners fall flat in Big 12 tournament loss to Oklahoma State 57-49

Oklahoma saw its season end Wednesday evening as in-state rivals Oklahoma State bounced them from the Big 12 tournament.

It’s truly fitting that Oklahoma’s season ended the way it did. Inspiring play for stretches of the game but not enough consistency was the Sooners demise in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament. It’s been the calling card for Oklahoma’s season from beginning to end. Their season ended the way it started: with a loss.

Oklahoma entered the Big 12 tournament knowing they had to win four games in four days to make it to the NCAA tournament. Despite holding multiple Quad 1 wins, the head-scratching losses put them in this do-or-die predicament.

Oklahoma’s matchup against their Bedlam rival went the same way it’s gone the other two times the teams have played. Oklahoma State won 57-49 and ended Oklahoma’s season.

The Sooners jumped out to an early 7-4 lead before the Cowboys settled in and went on an 18-1 run that stole the momentum Oklahoma built early in the game. Poor shot selection and a sturdy Oklahoma State defense made life rough for the Sooners as they tried to set up their half-court offense.

The Sooners mounted a spirited push to force themselves back into the game led by Bijan Cortes with two big threes. Oklahoma would whittle the lead down to just six points before halftime.

The Sooners received next to nothing from Grant Sherfield and Tanner Groves. They combined to shoot 6 of 28 from the floor for 21 points in the loss. The two shot 1 of 12 from three. While Groves contributed in the second half, Sherfield wasn’t able to find his shooting stroke,

Caleb Asberry paced the Cowboys with 15 points and junior guard Bryce Thompson dropped in 12.

For the Sooners, Tanner Groves led the way with 13 points and 12 boards. No other Oklahoma player landed in double digits while Sooners as a team shot an ugly 25% from the field. Ultimately, the Sooners’ inability to generate offense from their go-to guys was their downfall.

Oklahoma State kept the defensive intensity up in the second half and would salt away victory and punch their ticket to the next round to face No. 7 Texas.

Playing in the postseason seems like a pipe dream for Oklahoma. Porter Moser and his staff will likely begin evaluation mode, looking to retool for next season.

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Sooners Guard Bijan Cortes ‘taking some time away from basketball’

Citing “personal reasons,” Oklahoma Sooners guard Bijan Cortes is stepping away from basketball.

Oklahoma Sooners guard Bijan Cortes announced via his Twitter account that he’ll be stepping away from basketball.

In the Tweet, Cortes said, “Due to personal reasons, I am taking some time away from basketball. I look forward to returning as soon as I can. Thank you for all your support.”

Cortes, a sophomore guard from Kingfisher, Okla. had become an important part of the Sooners’ rotation. He was sixth in minutes this season at 17.5 per game. He was averaging 3.2 points and two assists per game. On the season, he was shooting 44% from the field.

Coming out of high school, he was the No. 3 player in the state of Oklahoma, the No. 27 point guard, and the No. 186 player in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Bijan Cortes had two games this season with 10 points. One a win over Ole Miss, and the other a close loss to Iowa State. But perhaps his best performance came in the Sooners’ win over Kansas State, where he was 3 of 4 from the field, including 1 of 1 from thee, with an assist and two steals.

The Oklahoma Sooners host Texas Tech at 8 p.m. CT and will be doing so without their backup point guard.

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Sooners drop back to back Big 12 home games, losing to No. 25 Iowa State 63-60

For the second time in as many games, the Oklahoma Sooners come out on the wrong end of a close ball game, losing to Iowa State 63-60.

For the second straight game, Oklahoma found itself in a dogfight until the very last second. And for the second game in a row, the Sooners were left grasping for what could’ve been against yet another ranked opponent at home.

While the atmosphere was far from the environment when Texas visited on New Year’s Eve, Oklahoma’s midweek showdown with the No. 25 Iowa State Cyclones was a highly contested affair, with the Cyclones squeaking out a 63-60 win.

Iowa State came out swinging, building an 18-point lead in the first half. Oklahoma responded like a prized fighter on the ropes and countered with a 20-0 run which was sparked by tenacious defense and Bijan Cortes off the bench.

The score was 29-29 at the half. The second half was a close affair all the way through, but Iowa State’s Caleb Grill continued to pace the Cyclones offensively, finishing with 20 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Tanner Groves posted 15 points and 8 boards, while forward Jalen Hill led Oklahoma in scoring with 16 points.

Iowa State’s defensive game plan from the outset was centered on taking Sooners leading scorer Grant Sherfield out of the game. Iowa State sent waves of defenders at Sherfield and it disrupted the talented guard’s rhythm from the jump. Sherfield played 27 minutes and shot 1 of 7 from the field.

The see-saw second half came down to the final seconds with the Cyclones up 61-60 and the Sooners inbounding on their side of the court. An inaccurate feed into the post to Jalen Hill went out of bounds, and Iowa State knocked down the ensuing free throws to make it 63-60. A desperation three was no good for the home team, and the Sooners fell to 0-2 in Big 12 play and 9-5 overall.

Two devastating opportunities at home for resume-strengthening wins have been squandered for Oklahoma. As it currently stands, the Sooners are last in the Big 12. Oklahoma will hit the hardwood looking to snap out of their slide on the road against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. That game is Saturday, January 7, and can be seen on ESPN+.

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Sooners No. 45 in Matt Norlander’s “Top 100 and 1” basketball teams

Oklahoma finds itself at No. 45 in CBS Sports writer Matt Norlander’s top 100 and 1 best NCAA basketball teams.

College basketball is approaching in a hurry. November marks the first month of college basketball and with the season close writers across the nation are laying down their preseason rankings.

One of the sport’s biggest writers is CBS Sports, senior writer Matt Norlander, who is about as plugged in as anyone in all things collegiate basketball dropped his “top 100 and 1” rankings of the 101 best teams in Division 1 as he sees them heading into this 2022-2023 season.

Oklahoma is one of nine Big 12 teams to feature in the rankings. If that’s any indication, the Big 12 could very well be the toughest conference in basketball once again.

Norlander ranked the Sooners No. 45 and had this to say:

The Sooners clock in at No. 28 in KenPom’s preseason ratings, which looked mildly surprising at first glance — until you realize OU finished last season 30th. It was the highest-ranked team to not dance. Porter Moser’s second season will benefit from bringing three starters back: the Groves brothers, Tanner and Jacob, and Jalen Hill. That will be a productive troika. They’ll be uplifted if Nevada transfer Grant Sherfield continues to be a stat compiler like his past two seasons. Sherfield averaged 19.1 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds last season. If his shooting can improve, OU will finish in the top five in the ever-competitive Big 12. He’ll be backed up by sophomore C.J. Noland, who could grow into one of the most valuable reserves in the conference, provided he doesn’t eventually earn a starting spot in time for Big 12 competition. – Norlander, CBS Sports

Oklahoma rolls into this season with the returning trio Norlander mentions. They had to go portal shopping to round out the rest of their roster, especially for guard depth.

Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile give the Sooners two productive bucket-getters that can create their own shot, which is ever important against the high-level defense you’ll see in this conference. Sherfield is certain to run the point with Noland backing him up. If Bijan Cortes can take a step, it would be a huge for the guard depth.

Oklahoma’s interior looks to be focused around the Groves brothers and Missouri transfer Yaya Keita. Keita is 6’9, springy, and potentially could give Oklahoma some quality minutes as a rim running big to clean up misses and run in transition. They needed his depth in the absence of the three big men that left the program in Ethan Chargois, Akol Mawein, and Rick Issanza.

At No. 45, it paints a clear picture that barring a really bad year, Oklahoma should find themselves in the NCAA Tournament after so narrowly missing the field last year.

With the depth in the Big 12, a top five finish, and a decent foray thru the non-conference should give Oklahoma the resume it needs.

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