Tag: Jalon Moore

Best Photos from Oklahoma Sooners incredible win over Michigan

The Oklahoma Sooners pulled off an incredible win over the Michigan Wolverines and here are some of the best photos from the matchup.

The Oklahoma Sooners continued their incredible run to 11-0 with an impressive 87-86 win over the No. 25 Michigan Wolverines (Coaches Poll).

Oklahoma faced a pair of 11-point deficits in the second half but showed resilience in the face of adversity to battle back both times. Over the final five minutes, Jeremiah Fears and Duke Miles accounted for all 11 of the Sooners’ points.

Fears came through in the clutch with a three pointer with 11 seconds left. He was fouled on the shot, and the true freshman was clutch at the free throw line to give the Sooners the lead and the win.

It’s the first 11-0 start to the season for the Oklahoma Sooners since the 2015-2016 season. That year, the Sooners were led by another dynamic guard, Buddy Hield. Hield was a first-team All-American for an OU team that ended up in the final four.

This is the best team the Sooners have had in the Porter Moser, led by Fears,  Miles, and Jalon Moore. All three scored in double figures on Wednesday night to propel the Sooners to their second top-25 win of the season.

Oklahoma has two more nonconference games against Central Arkansas on Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners have an opportunity to enter SEC play undefeated before they open their conference slate against Alabama, which could be a top-10 matchup in Tuscaloosa.

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners incredible come-from-behind win over the Michigan Wolverines with some of the best photos from the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte.

Oklahoma Sooners, Jeremiah Fears stun Michigan Wolverines in comeback effort

Led by Jeremiah Fears, the Oklahoma Sooners pulled off an incredible come from behind win over the Michigan Wolverines to improve to 11-0.

The Oklahoma Sooners improved to 11-0 on the 2024-2025 college basketball season with an incredible come-from-behind win over the Michigan Wolverines in the Jumpman Invitational.

Jeremiah Fears dazzled with a career-high 30 points, including the game-tying three with 11 seconds remaining, and after being fouled on the three, put the Sooners ahead for good at the foul line.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 11-0 for just the second time in the last 10 years and are now 2-0 against top-25 opponents this season.

Sooners Battled

Porter Moser’s squad showed incredible toughness in the win over the Wolverines. Michigan boasts two of the better big men in the nation in Vladisl Goldin and Danny Wolf. The two combined for 41 points, including 27 first half points.

But Moser made adjustments, and the Sooners defense battled back in the second half to limit the two to just 14 points. Despite being undersized on the inside, Jalon Moore, Sam Godwin, Luke Northweather, and Glenn Taylor Jr. took the fight to the Wolverines impressive big men.

The Sooners overcame 11-point deficits on two different occasions in the second half to take a four-point lead late in the half. And even after they allowed Michigan to take over and go up three with just over a minute to play, Moser drew up a great play to get Fears just enough space to hit the game-tying three with just 11 seconds to play.

It was a resilient win for the Sooners. Through 11 games, Oklahoma looks like a team ready to make a tournament run.

Phenomenal Freshman

Jeremiah Fears has been impressive throughout the season, but he took his game to another level in the win over Michigan. He was 8 of 12 from the field, 3 of 4 from three, and 11 of 13 from the free throw line to lead the Sooners.

His previous career high came in Oklahoma’s other top 25 win of the season against the Arizona Wildcats. Fears has put together his best performances for Oklahoma’s toughest tests.

In the final five minutes of the Sooners’ comeback win, Fears accounted for seven of Oklahoma’s final nine points to earn the win.

He’s been sensational this season and looks every bit the part of a future NBA Draft Lottery Pick.

Three’s the Difference

The Oklahoma Sooners were outrebounded by six on the offensive glass, but they overcame Michigan’s edge on the boards with a really good night shooting from a distance.

Oklahoma was 12 of 25 from three, while Michigan was just 4 of 28 from downtown. Moore, Fears, and Duke Miles each hit three triples and Taylor added a pair off the bench.

If the Sooners can continue to shoot with consistency from three, they’ll be really tough to beat this season. Especially as Fears and Moore continue to finish in the paint.

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No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners dominate second half to beat Georgia Tech 76-61

Jeremiah Fears and the Sooners rebounded from a sluggish start to run away from Georgia Tech in the second half of their 76-61 win over Georgia Tech.

Coming off of their successful week in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, the Oklahoma Sooners got off to a sluggish start against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Georgia Tech took an 11-point lead with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half, but the Sooners began to chip away, scoring 24 points to close the half down just four. They carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 46-27 to earn a decisive 15-point win and move to 8-0.

Here are three takeaways from the win.

Shot Out of It

The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t shoot well for much of the first half, but they continued to fire away from deep to find some momentum. [autotag]Kobe Elvis[/autotag], who has been one of Oklahoma’s top three scorers, was 3 of 5 from three to lead the Sooners with nine first half points. All of his points came after the 12-minute mark of the first half.

Those three’s were huge to cut into Georgia Tech’s lead and put the Sooners in striking distance to start the second half.

No Fear(s)

One of the catalysts for Oklahoma’s turnaround was true freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Fears[/autotag], who continues to impress in his first season at the collegiate level. After being held to just two points, one assist, and one turnover in the first half, Fears turned in a stellar performance in the second half.

After the break, Fears scored 16 points on 4 of 7 shooting and was 8 of 9 from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and two assists to help propel the Oklahoma Sooners to the win.

He finished the game with 18 points to lead the Sooners in scoring, but Oklahoma showed off its scoring depth in the win.

Spread the Wealth

The Oklahoma Sooners had five players score in double figures, led by Fears 18 points. [autotag]Jalon Moore[/autotag] had another strong performance, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Elvis had 12 points, going 4 of 8 from three-point range. Duke Miles had 11 points and Brycen Goodine had 11 points off the bench.

When the Sooners can get depth scoring like they did against the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday night, they’ll be difficult to beat.

Next, the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners welcome Alcorn State to the Lloyd Noble Center on Dec. 7 before meeting up with Oklahoma State at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for the first nonconference Bedlam clash between the two programs.

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Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners week at Battle 4 Atlantis

A look at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners week at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a successful week in the Bahamas, taking part in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. The Sooners went 3-0 with wins over Providence, No. 24 Arizona, and Louisville to secure the tournament title.

Senior forward Jalon Moore earned Most Outstanding Player after averaging 18 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Moore had 24 points in wins over Arizona and Louisville, two strong basketball programs.

It was the fourth season in a row in which the Sooners have captured a regular season tournament title under Porter Moser. Though OU is just seven games into the season, they’re 7-0 and look like a tougher and deeper team than what Moser’s had in Norman in years past.

Oklahoma’s received contributions from a number of sources in their 7-0 start, with Moore, Jeremiah Fears, and Kobe Elvis scoring in double figures on the season. Each of OU’s dynamic trio had at least one 20-point game during the tournament, with Elvis leading the way in the win over Providence, Fears scoring a game-high 26 points against Arizona, and Moore leading all scorers in the tournament final win over Louisville.

The Sooners will be back in action Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Lloyd Noble Center when they take on the ACC’s Georgia Tech.

But before OU returns home, let’s take a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners time in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank in KenPom after Battle 4 Atlantis tournament title?

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank in KenPom after securing the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Title?

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a 7-0 start to the 2024-2025 college basketball season after going 3-0 in the Bahamas, securing the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament title.

Along the way, the Sooners picked up their first top-25 win of the season, defeating the Arizona Wildcats, and also earned wins over Providence and Louisville.

The trio of games represented Oklahoma’s most significant tests of the season, and the Sooners passed with flying colors.

The Sooners moved up to No. 40 in the nation in the KenPom rankings put together by college basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy. That puts the Sooners at No. 9 in the SEC in his ranking system. The rankings are meant as a predictive indicator for each basketball team in Division 1.

Offensively, the Sooners rank No. 40 in the nation, according to KenPom. They’re No. 44 in the nation on the defensive side of the ball.

Senior [autotag]Jalon Moore[/autotag], true freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Fears[/autotag], and guard [autotag]Kobe Elvis[/autotag] led the way for Oklahoma over the course of the tournament. Moore and Fears each had a pair of 20-point games during their time in Atlantis.

Moore scored 24 points in both of OU’s wins over Arizona and Louisville and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Fears led the team in scoring with 26 points in the win over Arizona and scored 20 against Providence to open the tournament. Elvis led OU in scoring in the win over Providence.

Porter Moser and his staff have put together a team with multiple scoring threats and a team that plays with toughness down the stretch.

Oklahoma’s next opportunity to build on their undefeated start to the season comes on December 3 when they host the ACC’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and former guard Javian McCollum.

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Takeaways from Oklahoma’s win over Northwestern State

Oklahoma got off to a sluggish start in the first half but turned it around after the break to beat Northwestern State 73-57.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 2-0 on the season with a 73-67 win over Northwestern State. It didn’t go as easy as expected as the Sooners trailed by six at halftime.

Northwestern State’s length gave them trouble in the paint but ultimately the Sooners talent came through down the stretch. It was a two-point game at 46-44 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the contest. From that point on, OU outscored the Demons 27 to 13 to close the game and earn the decisive victory.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the game.

1. Jalon Moore season

Oklahoma Sooners Jalon Moore had a fantastic game. He was 7 of 14 from the field, 2 of 5 from three and hit 7 of 8 free throws while pulling down seven rebounds and recording a pair of assists. 19 of his 23 points came in the second half of the game after the Sooners trailed Northwestern State.

After shooting just 2 of 7 from the field in the first half, Moore turned it around and took over the ball game to lead the Sooners in scoring.

Moore has a chance to become a household name this season and is showing an expanded element to his game with his expanded range from three. Moore was 2 of 5 from three, with both makes coming after halftime.

If Moore can play like he did in the second half for a full 40 minutes, the Sooners will be hard to beat this year.

2. Start the True Freshman

Through two games in 2024-2025, Jeremiah Fears has played in a reserve role for the Sooners. But through two games, it’s clear he’s got a lot of talent.

He led the Sooners in +/- with a plus-22 and finished second on the evening in scoring with 15.

Though he had six turnovers in the game, he’s showing off his ability to be a playmaker for the Sooners offense. He was on the floor a lot in the final ten minutes, showing Moser’s trust in the true freshman point guard.

3. Second Half Turnaround

The Sooners went into halftime trailing Northwestern State by six. They proceeded to outscore their opponent by 22 points in the second half. Whatever Moser and his assistants said at halftime got the team going and they ran away with the win.

You never want to shoot under 40% for a half like they did in the first, but Oklahoma came back in the second half and shot far better at 53% in the second. They also made four more trips to the free throw line after halftime.

The Oklahoma Sooners can’t afford to have sluggish starts like they did Monday night. They’ll face much better teams down the road, and getting off to a slow start like that could bury them before halftime.

Still, the Sooners are 2-0 on the season with a pair of double-digit wins. They’ll face Stetson on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT.

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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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Best photos of Jalon Moore from the 2023-2024 Oklahoma Sooners basketball season

With Jalon Moore coming back for 2024-2025, here’s a look back at some fantastic photos from his debut season with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The long-awaited announcement came down the pipeline on Wednesday evening as Jalon Moore made it known he’d be coming back for the 2024-2025 season.

It’s a huge return for the Oklahoma Sooners, who are still hoping to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance under Porter Moser. Getting Moore back for another year provides an athletic scorer who can play multiple positions and provides some continuity.

The Sooners have had a lot of turnover via the transfer portal this offseason. But the return of Moore helps give Moser some stability in the starting lineup. Especially if he can build off of a strong season in which he averaged 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He shot over 50% from the field and 41% from three. Moore was third on the team in minutes.

His athleticism and energy make for must-see television. Heading into the SEC they’ll need that kind of play in their new conference home.

Sooners forward Jalon Moore announces return for 2024-2025 season

Oklahoma Sooners basketball got a huge boost with Jalon Moore announcing his return for the 2024-2025 season.

It’s been another tumultuous offseason for Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball program. They’ve had to be active once again in the transfer portal and have made several significant additions to the roster. One of the lingering decisions was that of [autotag]Jalon Moore[/autotag], who announced on Wednesday evening that he’s returning to the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2024-2025 season.

Moore, who had explored going on to the NBA, was one of the bright spots for the Sooners last season. He emerged as a consistent scoring threat with his athleticism and ability to finish around the bucket. There were stretches of the season where he was the Sooners best player.

He finished third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game and led the Sooners in rebounding at 6.7 boards per game. He had 17 games in double figures, shooting an efficient 51.7% from the field and 41% from three. Moore was also third on the team in minutes at 25.6 per game.

Moore will likely have an expanded role as one of the few key rotation players returning this year.

The Sooners lost [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag], [autotag]Otega Oweh[/autotag], and [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag] to the transfer portal and [autotag]Le’Tre Darthard[/autotag] and [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] to graduation. Despite their additions, that’s a lot of turnover. Moore gives the Oklahoma Sooners minutes at both small and power forward spots and should see his minutes approach 30 a game in 2024-2025.

 

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Sooners offseason overhaul is complete with No. 2 rated JUCO prospect Jeff Nwankwo transferring to OU

Oklahoma lands the number two rated JUCO prospect in Jeff Nwankwo.

Oklahoma has finished its offseason overhaul. It comes with a bang, as the Sooners just received a commitment from Jeff Nwankwo, a former Oklahoma preps player.

Nwankwo played high school basketball and football at Putnam City North. In football, he helped lead the team to an 8-2 record, a conference title, a district title, and an appearance in the state playoff in 2020 as a wide receiver.

He was also accomplished on the basketball court, but his upside as a football player earned him an offer from Tulane, which he accepted.

He signed with Tulane and didn’t appear in the 2021 season. He would give up playing football and head to junior college to play basketball. He ended up at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.

There, his true athletic calling began to reveal itself. He started 16 of 19 games in 2022, averaging 10. 7 PPG on about 25 minutes of playing time per game. He shot 35 percent from distance.

He initially committed to Marist University but returned to Cowley for one more go last year. There, he would put together an incredible campaign.

Nwankwo averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds and shot 37 percent on 3-pointers to earn first-team NJCAA All-America honors this season.

The talented wing committed to Mark Madsen and the Cal Bears on April 13 before reopening his recruitment on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, he committed to Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners.

With his commitment, Oklahoma adds more shooting and athleticism to a team that has become loaded with shooters and versatile wing defenders.

At 6-foot-6, Nwankwo can catch and shoot, shoot off the dribble, and showcase the ability to put the ball on the floor, get to the cup, or find open teammates when collapsing a defense. He has two years of eligibility and could factor into Oklahoma’s rotation this upcoming season off his athleticism alone.

With his commitment, Oklahoma is done with the portal additions. The only decision to wait is to see if Jalon Moore, Oklahoma’s presumptive leader for this upcoming season and the most impactful returner from last year’s team, decides to return or if he will stay in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Moore has until May 29 to make his decision and withdraw his name.

Either way, Oklahoma seems set on all fronts to attack 2024 with the group assembled. This team is set to play the school’s first season in the SEC and hope to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Porter Moser.

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