Tag: Grant Sherfield

Oklahoma men’s basketball 2023 conference schedule released

After another poor season, the Sooners hope to bounce back with their new Big 12 schedule.

The seat for Oklahoma men’s basketball coach Porter Moser is blazing hot after missing out on the NCAA tournament in the 2022-2023 season.

To make matters worse, the Sooners have to replace their top three scorers and four of their top five scorers from a year ago. Tanner Groves, Grant Sherfield, Jacob Groves, and Jalen Hill are out the door.

Hill was a leader and the best defensive player. He’ll be hard to replace this upcoming season.

This offseason, the Sooners were again hit hard by the transfer portal, which has been a constant theme in the Porter Moser era. But they added some players through recruiting and the portal they hope can contribute right away in Javian McCollum, John Hugley IV, Kaden Cooper, and Jacolb Cole.

Those additions with the natural progressions Otega Oweh and Milos Uzan are likely to make and this Sooner team has a chance at being a tournament team come March.

Oklahoma is going to be long and athletic, but they have a hole at the power forward position they have to sort out. Athleticism isn’t something we’ve seen from a Moser team since he arrived in Norman, which adds a lot of excitement about what the Sooners will put on the court this fall.

On Thursday, the Sooners received their final conference schedule as members of the Big 12.

The Sooners will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats, Iowa State Cyclones, Texas Longhorns, Kansas Jayhawks, and Oklahoma State Cowboys at home and on the road.

They play the Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, TCU Horned Frogs and UCF Knights on the road only.

At home only, Oklahoma will play the Houston Cougars, BYU Cougars, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and West Virginia Mountaineers.

So, Sooner fans will see all of the new teams except UCF in Norman before they head off to the SEC.

Overall, this schedule is shaping up nicely. The Big 12 is obviously still the best conference in basketball but there are a lot of question marks. Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia are all replacing their coaches. Although Texas’ coach was named interim during the season last year.

Porter Moser has done a tremendous job filling the roster. Now it’s about getting all of the pieces to fit together for their final run in the Big 12.

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5 most important players for Oklahoma Sooners Basketball in 2023-2024

Taking a look at five players that are important to Oklahoma’s 2023 season as they attempt to bounce back from two disappointing years.

Oklahoma’s men’s basketball team needs a big-time bounce-back season. After consecutive seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma heads into 2023-2024 facing the possibility of three consecutive missed tournaments. That hasn’t happened since the gap in tournament appearances from 2009-2013.

Head coach Porter Moser will face his most difficult challenge yet. Not only is the pressure on for him to lead Oklahoma to the NCAA Tournament, he’ll have to do it with the Big 12, adding schools like BYU and new perennial hoops powerhouse Houston to the nation’s best basketball conference.

It won’t be easy, and the effects of the last two years of failure reverberated thru the program. The Sooners saw six players from last year’s roster hit the transfer portal and seek other college basketball opportunities elsewhere. They also lost two veteran presences, Grant Sherfield and Tanner Groves, who play for the Phoenix Suns and OKC Thunder in the NBA Summer League.

To be able to compete, Porter Moser and his staff turned to the transfer portal to replenish what they lost. Oklahoma welcomed transfers from across the country. They brought in talent from the ACC, MAAC, PAC 12, and the Western Athletic Conference.

Oklahoma will look like a brand new team next season, and based on last year’s results, it’s hard to see how that could be a bad thing. However, how will Porter Moser make it work when looking past the surface level? Who will Oklahoma depend on with Grant Sherfield, Tanner Groves, Jalen Hill, and others not on the court?

After looking at the roster and factoring in returnees, we believe these five players are the most important for the Sooners to fight back into the NCAA tournament.

Grant Sherfield signs to play with the Phoenix Suns for NBA Summer League

Former Oklahoma guard Grant Sherfield signs with the Pheonix Suns to join their Summer league roster.

Former Oklahoma Sooners guard Grant Sherfield is looking to make his way in the NBA the same way former Sooner Austin Reaves is doing it.

After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Sherfield signed a deal with the Phoenix Suns to play with their Summer League team to fight for a two-way contract.

Sherfield declared for the draft after playing one season at Oklahoma. He previously had played at Wichita State and two years at Nevada before arriving in Norman. Under Porter Moser, he averaged a team-high 15.9 points with  2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Sherfield shot 40.3% from the field and 39.4% from the three-point range. He was an integral part of Oklahoma’s squad this past season.

Sherfield’s journey to the NBA won’t be easy, but using the Summer League to showcase to the Pheonix Suns that he can play is a start. Sherfield’s best traits include playmaking, being adept in the pick and roll, and shooting off the dribble. He also has a good size for a would-be point guard at 6-foot-2 with a wingspan of up to 6-foot-6.

With the Suns’ current configuration, they are thin at the lead guard position after trading former All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards for a package centered around Bradley Beal.

Ultimately, with the combination of Beal, Devin Booker, and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant all on payroll, the Suns will need cheap and productive bench players to surround their three stars if they truly plan to contend in the Western Conference.

This scenario allows draft picks and undrafted free agents like Sherfield to earn valuable minutes in a championship-contending rotation.

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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.

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 squash the No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs 74-60 in regular season finale

Oklahoma avenges loss to No. 22 TCU as the Sooners cruise on Senior Day, 74-60.

The story of Oklahoma’s regular season is so complex. The only simple and easily understood part of the team is that they were wildly and frustratingly inconsistent. Another example is Saturday’s regular-season finale and Senior Day game against the No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs.

With their season depending solely on what they do in the Phillips 66 Big 12 tournament, Oklahoma wanted to give themselves some momentum heading into the following week. They did so in a big way and sent their seniors out in style, dismantling the same TCU team 74-60 the Sooners in February.

Before the game, the Sooners honored [autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag], Tanner and Jacob Groves, Jalen Hill, and Blake Seacat.

Hill has the option to return due to his COVID option.

Oklahoma was locked in from the start, going 6 of 6 from the field to jump out to a 14-2 lead before the first media timeout.

Stifling defense and white-hot shooting sent a message to TCU that this game would not be like the previous one played in Fort Worth.

Not only did Oklahoma come out hot and stay hot, the game never really got close enough for the Sooners to get worried. They answered TCU runs with their own and kept their foot on the gas until the final whistle.

By the under-eight media timeout, the Sooners’ lead had turned into a 29-12 affair.

In the first half, Grant Sherfield had eight points and Milos Uzan had seven to pace the Sooners. The Groves brothers combined for 14 points and five boards before the break.

The Sooners’ team defense was excellent. They held TCU to 37.7 percent from the field for the entire game.

Oklahoma came out from the locker room with a 38-21 lead, and despite a brief TCU surge, the Sooners maintained an 18-point lead by the under-12 timeout.

Tanner Groves continued to dominate and closed out his final home game with 23 points and 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Grant Sherfield, another senior, poured in 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting and was 4 of 7 from three. It was the first time all season both scored 20 in a game. Oklahoma coasted to the finish line, with the lead getting as high as 22 points. They put a bow on an up-and-down regular season with their sixth Quad 1 win.

Oklahoma will have a few days off to get mentally and physically ready, where winning four consecutive games to earn an automatic bid seems like their only shot at the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma (15-16 overall, 5-13 Big 12) finishes their regular season in last place and will either face WVU or Oklahoma State in the 7-10 matchup to kick off the Big 12 tournament.

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Oklahoma Sooners stifle No. 23 Iowa State in 61-50 win

The Groves Bros led the way, and the Oklahoma Sooners put together a strong defensive effort to beat No. 23 Iowa State 61-50 in Ames.

The Oklahoma Sooner picked up their second top 25 win in the last three games with an impressive defensive effort against the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones 61-50.

Oklahoma held the Cyclones to 31% from the field and 26.7% from three to improve to 14-15 and 4-12 in Big 12 play.

Early in the contest, Oklahoma trailed Iowa State 14-3 with just under 13 minutes to play in the first half. The Sooners battled throughout the rest of the first half to trail by just five after the first 20 minutes.

Over the first 5 minutes of the second half, Oklahoma outscored Iowa State 13-4 to take a 36-32 lead. The Sooners led the rest of the way, and the Cyclones never were that close again.

It was a strong performance from the Groves brothers in the win. Jacob came off the bench to lead the Sooners in scoring with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting. He was 4 of 5 from three to give the Sooners a boost. Tanner was 4 of 8 from the field and finished with nine points and 13 rebounds. In a game where Grant Sherfield was just 2 of 9 from the field and 2 of 8 from three, Oklahoma needed someone to step up, and the Groves did just that.

Sherfield did have 10 points and went 4 for 4 from the free throw line, but it was yet another inefficient performance for the Sooners guard.

Otega Oweh had an efficient performance in the starting lineup, hitting both of his field goal attempts and going 4 for 4 from the free throw line.

The Sooners NCAA tournament hopes may be relegated to winning the Big 12 tournament, but they’re certainly making a statement as the season winds down. They have a couple more games against top 25 opponents before the Big 12 tournament begins. They’ll face No. 14 Kansas State on March 1 and No. 24 TCU on March 4 to close out the regular season.

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Texas Tech pulls away late, Oklahoma Sooners drop another one 74-63

Though Oklahoma won the turnover battle, a poor shooting night allowed Texas Tech to pull away late and the Sooners lose 74-63

The Oklahoma Sooners hung in there with the surging Texas Tech Red Raiders for much of their matchup on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hang in there for a full 40 minutes, losing 74-63.

Oklahoma won the turnover battle 16-8 but couldn’t take advantage on a night when they shot just 35.6% from the field and 27.3% from three. The story of the night was just a microcosm of the season. Play close for 35 minutes and then fade down the stretch.

It was just a four-point Red Raiders lead with just over two minutes to play in the game. Oklahoma got their chances but couldn’t hit shots and couldn’t get stops on the defensive end as Tech ballooned their lead from four points to 11 for the final margin.

[autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag] struggled from the floor in this game, going 3 of 13 from the field and 3 of 11. As a team, Oklahoma was 9 of 33 from beyond the arch. [autotag]Tanner Groves[/autotag] (2 of 3) and [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] (2 of 4) were the only two to make 50% or more of their three-point attempts.

Groves led the team with 16 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Four Sooners scored in double figures, but the bench only provided nine points between Sam Godwin, [autotag]C.J. Noland[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Groves[/autotag], and Joe Bamisile. The bench was a combined 3 of 14 on the evening.

With the loss, the Sooners’ slim NCAA tournament hopes are pretty much dashed. They’re now 13-15 on the season and 3-12 in the Big 12 with a rough three-game stretch to close the season against three top 25 opponents.

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Oklahoma’s win over No. 12 Kansas State provides opportunity to finish strong

After a big win over Kansas State, the Oklahoma Sooners have a chance to get back into the NCAA tournament picture.

The Oklahoma Sooners pulled off a 14-point win over the No. 12 team in the country to snap their four-game losing streak on Valentine’s Day.

They needed that.

After putting to bed any rumors of his departure for Notre Dame, [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag]’s squad came out on fire, raining threes as they reigned supreme over the Kansas State Wildcats.

The performance was a far cry from the product the Sooners had put on the court during their four-game losing streak. During that stretch, the Sooners were outscored by an average of 18.75 points per game.

When Oklahoma has everything rolling like they did last night, they’re incredibly tough to beat. They brought a defensive intensity to last night’s performance that hasn’t been there since the win over Alabama.

Their three-point stroke had also gone cold during the losing streak. But against the Wildcats, the Sooners shot 47.8% on 11 of 23 shooting.

The Oklahoma Sooners may not be a tournament team at this point of the season, but with wins over Alabama and Kansas State, the remainder of their schedule provides an opportunity to put themselves back in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Starting with No. 6 Texas on Saturday, four of the Sooners’ final five opponents are ranked in the top 25. If they can find a way to steal a few more games down the stretch, they’ll give the selection committee a lot to think about come March.

Check out the best photos from the win over Kansas State.