Tag: Dayton Forsythe

Oklahoma declines NIT invite, ends season

Oklahoma declines NIT offer and officially ends it’s season.

In the immediate aftermath of the selection committee’s decision to exclude Oklahoma from the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the focus immediately shifted to the Sooners next move. Would they accept an invitation to play in the NIT? Or would they decline and end their season?

The answer came in a statement from Porter Moser posted on social media:

After deliberating with the administration, the staff and the team, the Sooners declined an invitation to participate in the NIT. This decision ends Oklahoma’s up-and-down season.

Oklahoma now turns its sights on moving to the SEC next year.

Over the next few weeks, the No. 1 priority for the Sooners is assessing what players will be staying or going and figuring out a plan for constructing the roster for next year.

It seems a foregone conclusion that the Sooners will be active in the transfer portal. Hopefully, the Sooners will not have to replace seven players via the portal as they had to do last offseason.

The transfer portal opens on Monday. It’s hard to imagine the portal’s opening didn’t influence Oklahoma’s decision to pass on the NIT. The porter is a competitive time, and Oklahoma may need to focus more resources on it.

The Sooners will bring on board two high school recruits this year: four-star power forward Kuol Atak and three-star in-state combo guard Dayton Forsythe.

Oklahoma commit Kuol Atak is officially a top 50 prospect in latest On3 150 update

Oklahoma commit Kuol Atak is one of On3’s biggest risers in their top 150 2024 prospect update.

While the current Oklahoma Sooners look to cement themselves as an NCAA Tournament team, it’s never too early to look to the future. And the future for Oklahoma is a little brighter when you consider the Sooners have a top-flight recruit like power forward Kuol Atak on his way to Norman next year.

Kuol Atak, a four-star power forward from Haltom High School just north of Fort Worth, Texas, saw his hard work pay off. He was one of On3’s most significant risers in their latest update top 150 prospects for the class of 2024.

Atak is a long-distance threat the moment he walks into the gym. His shooting ability is his calling card, but he’s spent the last year of high school rounding out his game to be a more complete player, especially as a defender.

The high school season is still in full swing, and teams are pushing for state playoffs. On3’s last 2024 ranking update was in November, the beginning of senior year. Jamie Shaw of On3 has reevaluated the prospects and believes that Atak is one of the nation’s best 50 players. Atak moved up from No. 71 to No. 47 in the second-to-last update for this recruiting cycle.

The biggest hurdle for Atak will be adding size to his rail-thin frame. If he can do that, combined with his shooting skill, he can be a valuable piece of Oklahoma teams in the future.

On3 rates Atak higher than any other primary recruiting service, with no additional service having him ranked higher than 100 in their site rankings.

Atak has already signed and will join the Sooners this summer, along with three-star combo guard Dayton Forsythe.

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WATCH: Oklahoma Sooners commit starts senior season with big dunk

Dayton Forsythe starts senior season with massive dunk.

Oklahoma Sooners basketball wrapped up their early signing period for the 2024 class. One of those signings was three-star prospect and the No. 1 player in Oklahoma [autotag]Dayton Forsythe[/autotag] from McCloud, Okla.

Forsythe is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound combo guard. Forsythe plays for Dale High School, and they started their season on Friday. On the first play of the game, Dale won the tip and flipped it to Forsythe.

Forsythe sized up his defender, hit him with a quick crossover, drove to the basket, and slammed it on the lurking defender.

Dale beat Preston 93-63 to start the game. Forsythe finished with 26 points in the blowout win. He’s someone who will bring versatility to the Sooners as he’s able to attack the rim but also shoot the ball well.

He most likely will be a point guard in [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag]’s system. Forsythe joined [autotag]Kuol Atak[/autotag] as the only two who signed with the Sooners during the early signing period.

The next signing day period won’t be until April 17, 2024. That’s when the Sooners will put the final touches on their first SEC class. The Sooners currently have the 79th-ranked class, but if they are able to show improvement this season, it’s possible they could close out on some of the bigger targets they are in on.

As for Forsythe, it’s always important to make sure the best prospects in Oklahoma stay in the state to play college basketball. The Sooners have done just that.

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Oklahoma Sooners land 4-Star 2024 power forward

Porter Moser strikes with his second commitment in the 2024 class. This time with arguably the best shooter in the entire 2024 recruiting cycle.

It’s not just the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] football team that is making moves in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. The Sooners men’s basketball team added a power forward to its class.

[autotag]Kuol Atak[/autotag] is a 6-foot-9, 185-pound power forward from Fort Worth, Texas. Atak is one of the best shooters in the class, and he also can alter shots at the rim. But he is still a work in progress.

He shows more effort getting vertical on the defensive side of the ball than on offense. His glaring weakness is in his body. He is painfully thin, lacks functional strength, and is unable to play through physicality the majority of the time. While his frame does not project to fill out in a significant way, the programs recruiting him must have him eat, drink, and sleep all things in the category of adding muscle, strength, and weight to give himself a great shot at maximizing his potential. Although his frame is beyond slight, there is a lot of upside with how efficient he is as a shooter at the stretch four spot. Atak’s calling card serves the biggest purpose in this era and his effectiveness will be based on how well he adjusts to the physical aspect of the college game. – 247Sports Recruting Analyst Brandon Jenkins

Atak joins [autotag]Dayton Forsythe[/autotag] in the 2024 class for the Sooners. This will be the first class in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] for [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag] and Co.

For a team that has struggled with shooting since Moser took over, this is a really solid get. Now, the staff has to build on it to finish this 2024 class.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from G Dayton Forsythe

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up a commitment from the No. 1 basketball prospect in the state in Dayton Forsythe.

Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team continue working toward creating a perennial tournament team ahead of their final season in the Big 12. With the move to SEC hoops on the horizon, the Sooners added their first commitment in the 2024 cycle, Dayton Forsythe.

Out of McCloud, Oklahoma, Forsythe is considered the No. 1 prospect in the state of Oklahoma and the No. 222 player in the 247Sports composite.

He’s a 6-foot-3 point guard capable of filling up the bucket and facilitating the offense.

Forsythe was part of back-to-back 5A state championships for Dale High School and plays for Team Griffin in the EYBL.

He has a fantastic pull-up jumper that displays a quick release and the ability to hit from NBA three-point territory. He has really good quickness off the dribble and is able to hit the step-back jumper with ease. Forsythe is able to get above the rim and make plays on lobs. He has great court vision and instincts and looks to be a guy that wants to be the guy that makes the play. Whether he’s taking the shot or making the pass that creates a shot for someone else, Forsythe is a leader on the floor.

After making his commitment, Forsythe had this to say.

“It’s always been something I’ve dreamed about being an Oklahoma kid,” Forsythe told the Sports Animal Thursday. “Growing up watching games and going to games — it’s something that I’ve wanted to do. I’ve wanted to put on the crimson and cream and represent my home state. Once I started getting recruited by OU it just made me fall even more in love.”

With Forsythe, the Sooners added an impact scorer that’s able to make plays to get his teammates involved.

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