Tag: Jacolb Cole

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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Recruiting Profile: Sooners target 4-star small forward V.J. Edgecombe

Oklahoma offers four-star small forward V.J. Edgecombe out of New York.

With its class of 2023 set to touch campus this summer, Oklahoma can finally turn the page and prepare for the class of 2024. [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolb Cole[/autotag] make up the two-man class, and both should be able to compete for minutes immediately, considering how wide open the depth chart is in the aftermath of eight departures from the program this spring.

One target that Porter Moser and his staff have locked in on is V.J. Edgecombe, a four-star small forward from the state of New York. Edgecombe plays with the edge many have come to expect and love about hoopers from the Empire State.

The 6-foot-5 Edgecombe can guard positions 1-3, is extremely tough from his background playing football until sixth grade, and doesn’t shy away from contact while attacking the basket and using some high-level athleticism to finish at or above the rim. He mixes that in with a decent midrange game and an evergrowing three-point shot for some nice offensive results.

While Oklahoma has entered the mix, Michigan has done some nice early lifting and looks to continue building on that.

VJ Edgecombe’s Recruiting Profile

Highlights

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 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 makes top-six for 2024 four-star small forward Sir Mohamed

Oklahoma lands in the Top 6 for 2024 four-star forward Sir Mohammed, a 6-6 wing out of Charlotte, NC.

In the wake of a disappointing season without a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Sooners trudge forward as they attempt to pick up the pieces and figure out how to get back into March Madness.

They have secured their commitments for the class of 2023 with four-star prospects [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolb Cole[/autotag] signed and sealed as Sooners.

The next step for Oklahoma is recruiting consistently at a high level, which will start with building off the efforts of the class of 2023 and taking them onto the recruiting trail for 2024. One 2024 prospect is already firmly in tune with the Oklahoma coaching staff.

2024 four-star small forward [autotag]Sir Mohammed[/autotag] dropped his top six, featuring the Sooners among teams like Virginia Tech, Marquette, Villanova, and Penn State. Mohammed is an explosive athlete at 6-6 with a nice touch on his jumper. He plays for a loaded Myers Park High School squad in North Carolina with several other major basketball prospects.

 

Sir also has roots in Oklahoma as his father, Nazr Mohammed, was an Oklahoma City Thunder team member who made it to the NBA Finals in 2012.

Mohammed would join Kaden Cooper in adding a different caliber of athlete than the ones on Oklahoma’s roster. It would also help the team transition into the SEC, where rigid, athletic wings are abundant.

Sir Mohammed’s Recruiting Profile

Sir Mohammed Highlights

Sooners ink two basketball commits headlined by Top 50 prospect Kaden Cooper

Oklahoma signed two athletic wing players during the early signing period, Jacolb Cole and Kaden Cooper. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma’s basketball program earned a massive boost for its future over the weekend. Oklahoma received signed national letters of intent from two talented basketball players that will join the team as freshmen in 2023. Kaden Cooper and Jacolb Cole signed during the early signing period to help jumpstart Oklahoma’s recruiting efforts for the class of 2023.

Cole, a 6-8 forward from Bellaire, Texas, is a four-star prospect according to  ESPN and Rivals and ranked a three-star per 247Sports. He is the No. 69 player on the ESPN100, ranked No. 107 nationally by Rivals, and the No. 6 player in Missouri according to 247Sports.

Cole’s calling card is his versatility, which is becoming the norm across all levels of basketball for guys with his height. Cole can play against smaller power forwards but will need to put weight on to bang with the older, more physically mature power forwards at the college level. His athleticism, length, and lateral quickness will allow him to guard traditional small forwards too.

Offensively, Cole thrives slashing to the bucket and using his ballhandling skills to help create for others. Long term, he could be great as a secondary playmaker for Porter Moser’s offensive system.

The second of two signees, Kaden Cooper, as of right now, is the crown jewel of the 2023 recruiting class for Oklahoma. The homegrown Sooner is staying in Oklahoma to play his college ball after passing up opportunities to play for Alabama, Kansas, and LSU.

Cooper is a monumental signing for Oklahoma, who hadn’t signed a player in the top 50 of the ESPN100 since they landed in-state legend Trae Young. Cooper is ranked No. 44 on the ESPN100 and No. 56 per 247Sports.

Cooper is a standout two-way player. He has eye-popping athleticism that will help him thrive playing in a system that is a little more free-flowing and plans to get out and run in transition. His long-term ceiling will be determined by how well he continues to evolve as a shooter.

With the signing of both, Oklahoma currently ranks 29th in the nation in team recruiting rankings for 2023. Oklahoma remains hopeful that four-star shooting guard Sebastian Mack announces in Oklahoma’s favor come Wednesday. As of right now, the heavy momentum looks very much in favor of UCLA.

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