Tag: Duke Miles

Oklahoma Sooners roll Lindenwood in season opener 93-60

Takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 36-point win over Lindenwood in the 2024-2025 season opener.

Basketball season is officially underway in Norman as Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners started their first season as SEC members with a dominant 93-60 win over Lindenwood.

Oklahoma has been searching for that elusive return to the NCAA tournament, and while they narrowly missed it last year, the Sooners have almost a completely new look.

The Sooners hit the transfer portal and recruiting trail hard for the second straight year and revamped their roster. Monday night, we saw the fruits of the coaching staff’s recruiting efforts.

Oklahoma never trailed in this game and finished with five different players tallying double-digit points. As a team, the Sooners shot over 40 percent from three and just a tick under 65 percent from the field.

Jalon Moore, the team’s best returning player from last year, was dynamic and led all scorers with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field.

Here are our takeaways from the Sooners win.

Jalon Moore is the guy

For all the talk about Oklahoma and their prospects as a team this year, one thing repeatedly is mentioned: Jalon Moore needs to be a big part of whatever the Sooners plan to do. After Monday night’s performance, it’s hard to disagree.

Moore entered his name into the NBA Draft this past summer to get feedback, and on Monday, he showcased the work he put into his game. What stood out the most was his shooting. Moore went 3 of 5 from long range.

Sure, the opponent wasn’t the best but he shot every jumper with much more confidence than he did a season ago.

It’ll be fun to see how much his offseason work is displayed in the nonconference schedule.

Jeremiah Fears is the real deal

It wouldn’t be right to talk about OU basketball and not mention the play of Oklahoma’s highest-rated recruit since Trae Young. Jeremiah Fears, a true combo guard, is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands. His upside is tremendous, and at Oklahoma, he should have the floor to play his game.

On Monday, he showcased a few of the traits that make him a potential pro. His quickness showed in the half court and in transition. His vision led him to six assists, with his first coming on a beautiful set play that led to an alley-oop to Jalon Moore.

Fears made the game easier for his teammates with his ability to score (16 points), but also by finding guys in their spots and making crisp passes and the right decisions.

If he continues playing like this, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be starting by January at this rate.

Oklahoma’s transfers looked solid

The bulk of Oklahoma’s scoring had to be replaced via the transfer portal, so the Sooners went out and added names like Duke Miles, Brycen Goodine, Mohamed Wague, and Kobe Elvis.

On Monday they combined for 36 points and 12 assists to just 2 turnovers. The early returns on the new veterans were extremely positive.

Oklahoma starts the season 1-0 and will be back in action next Monday night at the Lloyd Noble Center when they take on Northwestern State.

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With Jalon Moore returning, what’s next for OU Basketball?

Overview of Oklahoma basketball now that Jalon Moore confirmed his return.

Jalon Moore’s return may have been the most significant off-season development for the Oklahoma Sooners as they venture into the SEC hoops universe next season.

Sure, he’s not some lottery pick talent, but he returns to Norman as Oklahoma’s best player and perhaps its most indispensable. Moore entered his name into NBA Draft consideration earlier in the offseason.

He underwent workouts, meetings, and evaluations, all as a means to determine what he needed to improve for his prospects to be potentially chosen to play in the NBA or if he was ready to make that leap this summer.

He received the feedback and still opted to return to Norman for one last collegiate season. His return completes the roster rebuild for the Sooners heading into the summer, and the Sooners now know what next year’s team will look like.

At point guard, you’d have difficulty convincing many that Kobe Elvis shouldn’t start there. The Dayton transfer is probably the best pure lead guard on the team and started over 80 games over three seasons at Dayton, averaging a career-best 9.4 points and 3.5 assists this past season. He also is a tough defender. It’s something Oklahoma lacked at the point of attack last year. Behind him, you’ll likely see in-state star Dayton Forsythe play some backup point or even High Point transfer Duke Miles, who is much more of a scoring guard than a pass-first guard.

Speaking of Miles, he’s probably the best bet to be the starting two-guard. Miles is unquestionably the best pure scorer on the team, and without really thinking twice, it would not be shocking to see him lead the team in scoring next season. Brycen Goodine, a Fairfield transfer, can come off the bench and provide dead-eye shooting.

Jadon Jones, the Long Beach State transfer, is a genuine three-and-defense guy who will likely fill the starting wing role. Oklahoma has some depth here as they could go with JUCO top prospect Jeff Nwankwo off the bench or even slide Jalon Moore to the wing if they wanted to go big in the front court.

If Moore isn’t in that role, he’ll play the four and present matchup problems for slower and more traditional power forwards. Behind him, we should and will see top 100 recruit Kuol Atak, a rail-thin prospect with a reputation as one of the best shooters in the class of 2024. Adding weight will be the only hurdle keeping him off the floor and in the rotation. He can also protect the rim.

Protecting the rim and rebounding were two major weaknesses last year. Oklahoma brought in Alabama transfer Mohamed Wague, a 6-foot-10 big man with more athleticism than Sam Godwin but likely with less offensive capability. He averaged 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 blocks per game. The hope is that those averages will go up with Oklahoma. Can he unseat Godwin for the starting role? We will find out, but if he does, it’s probably for the best as Godwin seems like a better fit as an energy, change of pace big off the bench for rebounding and hustle than someone commanding starting minutes.

There are a number of variables for next year’s team.

In many ways, Oklahoma built an older version of the team it had last season. There’s no true point guard but a couple of combo guards who can handle the ball. If there’s a key difference, Elvis is a much better defender than McCollum, even if he isn’t as dynamic with the ball in his hand as McCollum was.

Moore progressing toward an all-conference player would be huge for Oklahoma. He needs to become a positionless forward capable of winning on the wing and slashing to the rim.

From a percentage standpoint, Oklahoma should also be better at shooting the three, especially with someone of Goodine’s pedigree on the team.

Coaching will also have to improve. Moser sometimes struggled to adapt mid-game with particular looks and how he deployed his personnel.

Simply put, next year will be a make-or-break year for Porter Moser. Suppose his seat wasn’t hot after missing the tournament this past season. In that case, it’ll be nice and warm as the Sooners enter another conference looking to finally get over the hump after missing the tournament three years in a row.

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Samford transfer Achor Achor schedules official visit to Auburn

The forward earned All-SoCon honors after scoring 16.1 points and securing 6.1 rebounds per game.

Auburn basketball made a splash by landing All-SoCon guard JP Pegues from the transfer portal to fill its need for a guard. [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and his staff are now trying to add the SoCon’s top forward.

The Samford Bulldogs enjoyed a special 2023-24 season with a perfect 18-0 home record, a SoCon championship, and a first-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament that resulted in a controversial loss to Kansas.

Forward [autotag]Achor Achor[/autotag] was a key reason for the Bulldogs’ success last season by leading the team with 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His season performance landed him on the All-SoCon team alongside Auburn transfer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag]. Following the season, Achor entered the transfer portal and has garnered interest from several schools including Auburn. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Achor will be on campus this week for an official visit.

Auburn continues its hunt to find a suitable replacement for [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] after striking out on two targets last week. Former Clemson forward [autotag]RJ Godfrey[/autotag] was supposed to visit last week but canceled in favor of committing to Georgia. Montgomery native [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag] did show up for an official visit to Auburn last week, but the former High Point product ultimately chose Oklahoma over the Tigers.

Achor would be a solid addition to Auburn’s rotation due to his experience and size. His 6-9 stature, mixing in his knowledge with players such as [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag] will aid the development of newcomers [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] and [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag].

As a transfer, Achor is ranked as a four-star forward by 247Sports and is the No. 36 overall power forward in the transfer portal.

Oklahoma lands High Point transfer guard Duke Miles

Duke Miles transfers to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has found a groove in the transfer portal. They may not have landed some of their top targets, but they’re finding some key pieces, picking up their second transfer portal add of the week. Earlier this week, it was Brycen Goodine. Today, it’s Duke Miles.

Duke Miles is a former High Point Panther with incredible offensive moves.

Miles committed to Oklahoma on Friday afternoon over going to  Oklahoma’s new SEC foe, Auburn.

Miles is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard from Montgomery, AL. He is a two-time transfer who began his career at Troy. He is a certified scorer who averaged 17.5 points per game on 53 percent shooting from the field and nearly 37 percent from three. The talented guard was named to the All-Big South first team.

Miles also averaged 3.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game last season. He lives at the rim, where he takes 45 percent of his field goal attempts. He’s adept at getting downhill and uses an excellent burst to turn the corner and attack the basket.

Another incredible aspect of his game is last year’s 24 percent assist rate. He’s a willing passer and a good one at that.

If you had to project where he plays next year, Duke seems the likeliest candidate to be Porter Moser’s starting point guard.

He can distribute but create his shots and shots for others. Oklahoma has landed four transfers this cycle with this talented guard in the boat. They are still searching for a big man, but they’ve more than adequately filled the lost production on the perimeter.

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High Point transfer and Auburn target Duke Miles commits to Oklahoma

After a tight race to land former High Point guard Duke Miles out of the transfer portal, the star from Montgomery chooses Oklahoma

Following a tight race over the past few days, Auburn basketball and head coach Bruce Pearl has been close to landing another star out of the transfer portal. Unfortunately for the Tigers, that is no longer the case.

Former High Point guard [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag] announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Friday, after recently announcing Auburn and the Sooners as his top two programs for the future.

Following Miles’ recent visit to the Plains, there were many speculations that the Montgomery native might land with Pearl’s squad immediately, saying it “felt like home.” The only thing delaying his decision, however, was consultation with his mom about the visit.

Th junior had a phenomenal 2023-24 campaign in the Big South. He averaged 17.5 points per game to go along with a 3.6 assists average. He also shot 52.8% from the field in the process.

Miles joins an Oklahoma squad that is coming off of a 20-12 season in which they lost to TCU in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. Coach Porter Moser’s squad did not make any further postseason games.

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High Point transfer guard Duke Miles says Auburn ‘felt like home’ after recent visit

The Montgomery native is looking for a new home fresh off a magnificent junior season for the High Point Panthers.

After snagging Furman guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] from the transfer portal a few weeks ago, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is looking to bring another highly-touted mid-major guard to the Plains.

Former High Point guard [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag] is looking for a new home fresh off a magnificent junior season for the Panthers in which he averaged 17.5 points, and 3.6 assists on an impressive 52.8% from the field. The Montgomery, Alabama native recently visited Auburn and left with glowing reviews, saying the Loveliest Village on the Plains “felt like home.”

Miles seems ready to suit up in the orange and blue next season, stating it’s been a lifelong dream to play at Auburn. If it were mainly up to him the 6-foot-2 guard may have already committed to Auburn. However, Miles is not ready to make a final decision until consulting with his mom, who was absent from his recent visit. “My mom wasn’t here… That’s the only thing holding it up,” said the talented guard.

If the junior does join Auburn’s roster for next season, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s 2024-25 guard rotation will instantly be among the best in the SEC and possibly the country. Along with the aforementioned Pegues, Tiger star [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and sharpshooter [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] are due for big roles on next year’s squad. A commitment from Miles would give coach Pearl two true point guards with him and Pegues, allowing Jones and Baker-Mazara to play more of the “off-ball playmaker” roles they thrive in.

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Former High Point guard Duke Miles set to visit Auburn

Auburn basketball is still trying to do work in the transfer portal, as former High Point guard Duke Miles is set to visit the Plains this month.

Auburn basketball is currently trying to fulfill its roster needs for the 2024-25 season, searching for players out of the transfer portal and still on the recruiting trail.

The Tigers have had some success in their efforts so far, and they are looking to continue that with players coming on visits. One of those players is former High Point guard transfer [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag], who is set to visit the Plains on April 30.

The fifth-year senior is seeking out his third school in his college career after playing for Troy for three years and High Point for one. His 6-3, 182-pound frame has made him a key player across both squads.

Coming out of Montgomery, Alabama, Miles has been in and out of the starting lineup throughout his college career. In his most recent season with the Panthers, he started in 27 out of the 33 games he appeared in and averaged 30.5 minutes per game.

His shooting abilities were highly noticed in the Big South Conference last year. He finished second in the league in scoring average, posting 17.5 points per contest. His 52.8% success rate from the field was ranked at the top of the conference, as well, while also shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.

Miles is a reliable shooter from the free-throw line, something Auburn is always looking for. He shot 80.1% from the charity stripe in the 2023-24 campaign. He made a season-high 10 free throws on Jan. 10 against UNC Asheville.

Miles was recognized for his work last year. He was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team while also receiving Big South First Team All-Conference honors as well. He was even named the 2023-24 Big South Newcomer of the Year.

Should he commit, he would join the likes of new Auburn commit and former Furman guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] as part of a veteran guard transfer class for coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag].

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Alabama Basketball reaches out to Alabama native, High Point transfer Duke Miles

The Alabama men’s basketball coaching staff has reportedly reached out to High Point transfer guard Duke Miles.

It did not take long for the Alabama Crimson Tide to reach out to High Point transfer guard Duke Miles. Miles entered his name into the transfer portal on Monday. According to 24/7 High School Hoops on social media, Alabama is one of many programs that has reportedly reached out to Miles, a native of Montgomery, Alabama.

Coming out of high school, Miles signed with Troy. He spent three seasons with the Trojans before transferring to High Point. As a Trojan, Miles averaged 10.3 points per game and shot 44.7% from deep.

In his lone season as a Panther, Miles was a First-team All-Big South selection. He ranked second in the Big South in scoring as he averaged 17.5 points per game. In addition, he shot a career-high 52.8% from the floor and a career-high 80.1% from the charity stripe.

Miles would be a valuable addition to Alabama’s roster. He would add experience and a scoring element to Nate Oats’ squad. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how Miles’ recruitment unfolds in the transfer portal.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its involvement in the NCAA transfer portal.