Tag: Kaden Cooper

Were the Oklahoma Sooners snubbed from the NCAA Tournament?

The Oklahoma Sooners missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year but were they snubbed?

We’ve now had a couple of days to digest what went down on Selection Sunday. The Oklahoma Sooners found out they would not make the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] and instead would be the first team left out.

They then declined to participate in the NIT tournament. But were the Sooners snubbed from being in the tournament? The short answer is, yes. The Sooners should have been over both the [autotag]Virginia Cavaliers[/autotag] and the Michigan State Spartans. Both of them got in due to their recent history in the NCAA Tournament in my opinion.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners NCAA Tournament Snub

Let’s look at Virginia first. Oklahoma had a higher net rating (46 to 54). They had more Quad 1 wins (4 to 2). Virginia went 21-3 in Quad 2-4 games. Oklahoma went 16-0. So, the things the committee claims to look at the most, Oklahoma was better than.

Now, let’s look at Michigan State. Michigan State did have the better net rating (24 to 46). But Oklahoma had more Quad 1 wins (4 to 3). Michigan State went 16-5 in Quad 2-4 games and as I said earlier, Oklahoma went 16-0.

If you want to argue Oklahoma played more Quad 1 games and that’s why they had more wins than both, that’s fine. But neither of the three had a good Quad 1 record.

But if you are Oklahoma and are upset by not getting in, don’t put it in the committee’s hands. Win one more game. Don’t blow a nine-point lead with 7:30 left against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Do what everyone in the conference but yourself and Oklahoma State did and beat the Kansas Jayhawks on your home court. Close out that close game against the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars. Don’t lay an egg vs. an average at best [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] team.

The Sooners had their chances but ultimately left it up to other teams and the committee to decide their fate. When you do that, you have no one else to blame but yourself.

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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.

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

Oklahoma Sooners add Pitt transfer forward John Hugley

The Oklahoma Sooners added their second transfer portal player in as many days with the commitment of Pitt forward John Hugley.

The Oklahoma Sooners experienced big roster turnover this offseason, with a number of players hitting the transfer portal and the NBA. So it’s become imperative that Porter Moser and the Sooners hit the transfer portal to add talent.

Yesterday, They picked up commitments from Sienna transfer guard [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag]. Today, the Sooners added a much-needed inside presence in Pitt forward John Hugley.

Hugley played in just eight games in 2022-2023, averaging 8.3 points per game before opting to sit out the rest of the season to work on his mental health, according to On3. In the 2021-2022 season, Hugley averaged 14.8 and 7.9 rebounds per game, leading the Pitt Panthers.

“I chose Oklahoma because it just felt like home,” Hugley told On3 Sports. “From the time Coach Porter first picked up the phone to call me, from the time I left campus, it was just all love. Coach Porter is an unbelievable coach and he loves to win and has took his teams to the highest levels. I also think coach does an unbelievable job with featuring his big man. I really think this team can make a really deep run come tournament time.”

[autotag]John Hugley[/autotag] is a 6-9 power forward that will bring size and bulk to the Oklahoma Sooners interior. He provides a post presence that will keep teams honest as the Sooners look to spread the floor. He moves well and is a good ball-handler that can move the basketball well.

The Sooners still have work to do in the portal, but with the additions of McCollum and Hugley, they have a solid foundation with the transfer additions and [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag], [autotag]Otega Oweh[/autotag], and true freshmen [autotag]Jakolb Cole[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag].

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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.

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

Sophomore guard C.J. Noland enters transfer portal

After a frustrating season, Sooners sophomore guard C.J. Noland enters the transfer portal.

Oklahoma had a frustrating season, and hard decisions will come in the offseason. The Sooners will experience that firsthand this offseason. Sophomore guard C.J. Noland was the first to enter the transfer portal Tuesday afternoon.

Noland came to Oklahoma as a heralded consensus top 100 prospect out of Waxahachie, Texas. He appeared in 33 games as a freshman and was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

He didn’t take much of a step forward this season, averaging 3.2 points per game. He started the first eight games but couldn’t hold on to the starting role. He averaged 14.2 minutes per game this season. He eventually lost his spot in the rotation to freshman Milos Uzan.

The focus on the development of guards Otega Oweh, Bijan Cortes, and Uzan put Noland in a bind going forward. All three were playing more meaningful minutes down the stretch to end this season.

That doesn’t consider that the Sooners will also welcome its highest-rated recruit since Trae Young in small forward Kaden Cooper. Cooper, at 6-foot-5, also figures to play on the ball and initiate the offense, thus pushing Noland down the depth chart even farther.

Noland was recruited by SMU, Texas A&M, and Big 12 rival Oklahoma State out and may look into revisiting one of those places for his next destination.

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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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