Tag: Lon Kruger

Oklahoma basketball earns first top-25 win of Porter Moser era

Tanner Groves scored 20 points and Jalen Hill added 18 to lead the Sooners to a 74-67 upset win over No. 14 Florida inside the LNC.

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Oklahoma used 20 points from center Tanner Groves, 18 from small forward Jalen Hill and 15 from guard Umoja Gibson to spark a 74-67 upset win over previously unbeaten and No. 14 Florida.

It was the first victory over a top-25 team in the Porter Moser era and represented the 300th victory in Moser’s career.

“You know, I thought our guys withstood a bunch of punches from Florida. Florida’s a great team and I thought we got off to a great start and what great teams do—they were on the road—they settled down and they punched back. I thought the second half we started out well again. I thought both teams kept on fighting back after the other team’s runs. I thought Jalen Hill, Tanner Groves, you know, Jordan had to handle the ball a lot. I thought Jordan did a great job. A couple times early, he got a little fatigued, but, man, he made some big plays down the stretch. Jordan Goldwire did. So, I thought it was a great team effort and I thought we’re growing and getting better,” Moser said.

The Sooners raced out to a 9-0 lead early in front of a packed, raucous Lloyd Noble Center crowd.

“Yeah, I mean, I think our team prides itself on defense and so that was our goal tonight. We always preach the first four minutes of the game and the first four minutes after the half, the last four minutes of the game. Those are like the most crucial times of the game. The first four minutes I think we got off to a great start defensively and we were just able to spark that run that lasted throughout the whole game. It was awesome,” Groves said.

Hill then electrified the LNC late with a rim-rocking dunk to put OU in front 65-56 with 5:17 remaining.

“Well, I remember Tanner coming up for the screen and my defender, he kind of tried to jump it, so I had a hard jab and I saw the lane clear up and I just knew what I was going to do from there. Just saw one, two dribbles, cocked it back and just tried to punch it really. Just seeing the crowd get hyped and go wild over that and then making them call a timeout was very useful. Kind of helped us I feel like seal the W,” Hill said.

Moser was grateful for the fan turnout.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t lead by saying thank you to the students and the people there. Man, they created a great atmosphere. A great crowd and just want to say thank you to them, because they made a difference,” Moser said.

Moser made sure to make his appreciation for the student support felt as he raced over to celebrate in front of the student section after the final buzzer sounded.

Groves said the environment was part of the reason OU was able to separate in the second half and then hold on late for the victory.

“It was incredible. The fans were amazing. After the game, we always do a big lap around the arena. We always thank the fans. They were huge tonight. They were a huge momentum shift for us. You know, I don’t think if a lot of them weren’t there, I don’t think we would have won that game. I think they were huge for us, especially down the stretch when the other team was shooting free throws just the last four minutes. They were huge. Just the energy they brought was insane and their energy was rubbing off on me and I think the other guys. Their energy brought our energy up and helped us win that one,” Groves said.

It was a special night all around as former head coach Lon Kruger was in the house and recognized at halftime. The video tribute included personalized messages from former Sooner stars Buddy Hield and Trae Young who both starred for Oklahoma under Kruger.

“Well, I hope someone recorded it because we were in the locker room, you know, talking adjustments, but I just was talking to coach just now, him and Barb. I can’t imagine any coach having a transition as gracious of a person that sat in that seat before you as Lon Kruger. I mean, the transition I’ve had. He’s been gracious, he’s introduced me to people, he’s seen how he can help, he’s come by practice. He’s just a special man and a Hall of Fame coach and I wish I could have been courtside and giving a standing ovation, because young people in this profession, myself need to see people and have Lon Kruger as a great example. Won the right way, high character. All the boxes checked with Lon Kruger,” Moser said.

The Sooners improved to 7-1 with the win. Now, Oklahoma gets set to host Butler next Tuesday night at 8 p.m. inside the LNC as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle.

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Where does Joe Lunardi project OU Men’s Basketball in his preseason Bracketology?

With the start of the season tonight, where does ESPN’s Joe Lunardi have the Sooners finishing in his preseason Bracketology projections?

A new era of Oklahoma Sooners basketball begins tonight at Lloyd Noble Arena as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Northwestern State Demons.

Porter Moser takes over for Lon Kruger, who helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Tournament seven times in his 10 seasons at the helm. In 2015-2016, Kruger helped lead the Buddy Hield Oklahoma Sooners to as high as No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and a Final Four appearance.

Moser is coming off an impressive season himself, taking the Loyola (Chicago) to a regular season and tournament conference championship and an elite eight run in the NCAA Tournament.

As the Sooners get set to tip-off, all of the changes have ESPN’s Joe Lunardi skeptical that Oklahoma can return to the NCAA Tournament in the 2021-2022 season. In Lunardi’s first Bracketology of the college basketball season, he has Oklahoma on the outside looking in as one of his first four out.

Of course, these are just the initial tournament projections. The Oklahoma Sooners have a talented team to open the season with a really good coach. Navigating a deep Big 12 conference will be challenging, but Oklahoma made noise last year.

Despite the losses of Austin Reaves (NBA) and Brady Manek (transfer portal), the Sooners restocked with experienced players who should be able to step right in and help lead this team back to the NCAA Tournament. Tanner and Jacob Groves, Jordan Goldwire, Marvin Johnson, and Ethan Chargois have played a lot of minutes in NCAA basketball. Add that group to Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless, who were big-time contributors for the Sooners last season, and this team has the makeup to make some noise in the Big 12 and the nation.

It’s an exciting time for Oklahoma Sooners basketball, and it all gets started tonight at 7 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Arena.

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Tom Izzo has no intentions of retiring anytime soon

With the recent announcements of legendary head coaches retiring, people have started to wonder if Izzo is going to retire soon as well.

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With the recent announcements of legendary head coaches Lon Kruger, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski retiring, people have started to wonder if Tom Izzo is also on his way out at MSU. Izzo put that to bed as he said he has “no intentions” to retire.

Izzo noted that he does not plan on following his compadres footsteps into retirement. He acknowledged his worry for the future of college basketball due to the new transfer rules. Kruger and Williams admitted that the sport’s changes have played a little role in their decision to retire.

Izzo does not like how the transfer rule changes have made it easier for players to leave their current school and immediately play at the next. He brings up how this could have wide-ranging consequences on academics, player development, fan experience and more. It may also drop the number of three- and four-year players.

Izzo did say that once the “annoyance level supersedes the enjoyment then it’s time to go.”

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Tanner Groves among the top transfers in the country

One Oklahoma Sooners forward ranked among the top transfers in the country.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost their fair share of players to the NBA draft and the transfer portal following the retirement of head coach Lon Kruger. The Sooners’ brass had to move quickly as they secured Porter Moser as the new man in charge.

One of the first steps for the new head coach was trying to field a competitive team through the transfer portal. One of his top targets came from Eastern Washington with Tanner Groves. The 6’9″ forward saw his most playing time this past season with an average of 27 minutes per game. He can be the replacement for Brady Manek, who decided to move on from Oklahoma after four seasons in Norman.

According to ESPN, Groves is the No. 39 transfer on their top 100 list (subscription required).

The Big Sky Player of the Year, Groves put up 35 points against Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He averaged 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds this season and had a host of big-time programs pursuing him before settling on Porter Moser and the Sooners.

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Tanner will join his brother Jacob on the Oklahoma roster after both transferred from Eastern Washington. The expectations for the team will likely be low to begin the 2021-22 season but Moser could have a trick up his sleeve to return OU to their former glory on the hardwood.

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Report: Oklahoma guard Alondes Williams enters transfer portal

Oklahoma senior guard Alondes Williams has entered his name into the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

The winding road of the Oklahoma Sooners basketball offseason is rolling on as senior guard Alondes Williams is entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal, per multiple reports. Continue reading “Report: Oklahoma guard Alondes Williams enters transfer portal”

Former Oklahoma forward Victor Iwuakor transferring to UNLV

Former Oklahoma forward Victor Iwuakor will be transferring to UNLV to join former assistant Carlin Hartman.

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A former Sooner has found his new home as sophomore forward Victor Iwuakor is heading to become a member of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, per a team release.

Iwuakor was reported as entering the transfer portal just last Thursday, so it didn’t take him much time to find his new landing spot. This move seems entirely logical due to the fact that his former assistant coach Carlin Hartman is also headed to Las Vegas next season and the new head coach of the program is Kevin Kruger, son of former Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger.

Needless to say, the familiarity is there for Iwuakor as he heads to a situation with coaches who know his skill set and how to properly utilize him in the coming seasons. A lightning rod player off of the bench, his athleticism was as good as anybodys. With more opportunity and refinement, it is entirely within reason to think that Iwuakor can be a quality contributor for UNLV moving forward.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.

Former Oklahoma forward Victor Iwuakor transferring to UNLV

Former Oklahoma forward Victor Iwuakor will be transferring to UNLV to join former assistant Carlin Hartman.

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A former Sooner has found his new home as sophomore forward Victor Iwuakor is heading to become a member of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, per a team release.

Iwuakor was reported as entering the transfer portal just last Thursday, so it didn’t take him much time to find his new landing spot. This move seems entirely logical due to the fact that his former assistant coach Carlin Hartman is also headed to Las Vegas next season and the new head coach of the program is Kevin Kruger, son of former Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger.

Needless to say, the familiarity is there for Iwuakor as he heads to a situation with coaches who know his skill set and how to properly utilize him in the coming seasons. A lightning rod player off of the bench, his athleticism was as good as anybodys. With more opportunity and refinement, it is entirely within reason to think that Iwuakor can be a quality contributor for UNLV moving forward.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.

Report: Brady Manek enters his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal

According to multiple reports, Oklahoma Sooners forward Brady Manek enters the transfer portal.

According to a report, Oklahoma forward Brady Manek becomes the latest Sooner to enter his name into the transfer portal. Continue reading “Report: Brady Manek enters his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal”

Loyola-Chicago’s Porter Moser weighing offer from Oklahoma

Porter Moser is the leading candidate for the Oklahoma Sooners job.

Both the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns were looking to fill their head coaching vacancies following Lon Kruger’s retirement and Shaka Smart leaving for Marquette. Texas got their man in Chris Beard, leaving the Sooners with their vacancy. A move that needs to be the right one to continue competing in the Big 12.

According to Adam Zagoria, the Sooners had Porter Moser as the leading candidate but now sources indicate that he is weighing a six-year offer from Oklahoma. Moser is currently the coach at Loyola-Chicago, building that program in a national contender. In 2018 as a No. 11 seed, Moser led his team to the Final Four. This year as a No. 8 seed, Loyola-Chicago made it to the Sweet 16.

Moser would be a fantastic hire for the Sooners as he can build a program up. With the current roster in disarray, they need a coach to stabilize the situation and start building towards the 2021-22 basketball season.

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Oklahoma will have plenty of questions this upcoming season with the top two scorers declaring for the NBA draft with Austin Reeves and Da’Vion Harmon.

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Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves to enter NBA Draft

Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves will forgo his final season with the Sooners to enter the 2021 NBA Draft.

It has been a jam-packed offseason of changes for Oklahoma basketball already and we aren’t even through the month of March. Both the roster and coaching staff have seen significant changes over the past week with another big domino falling on Wednesday morning with star guard Austin Reaves declaring for the NBA Draft, per ESPN’s Jonathon Givony.

As the face of the team, Reaves had himself a really solid 2020-21 season leading the Sooners in points, rebounds and assists throughout the year. Simply put, he made the team go and was easily the team’s best and most consistent player night in and night out.

Reaves played his first two collegiate seasons at Wichita State before transferring over at the end of the 2018 season. After sitting out a year, he quickly became a key part of the team and one of the vocal leaders. His impact on the program was undeniable as a huge piece to several significant wins over the last couple of years.

While it came in a loss, one of his most memorable outings in a crimson uniform may have come in his last with his gutty showing against No. 1 Gonzaga in this year’s NCAA Tournament to keep Oklahoma in the game despite being under-manned and seemingly out-gunned against the mighty Bulldogs.

While not really unexpected, Sooners fans holding out hope that Reaves would return to school will certainly be dealt a big hit of disappointment today as he leaves an obvious gaping hole in the team next year as the do-it-all guy who was the primary ball-handler.

Even more attention now turns to the decision of De’Vion Harmon, who entered the draft last week but can still return to the team next year. Should he do so, he will slide into the point guard spot and quickly became the face of the team and the best player under the new head coach.

As for Reaves, he will begin his quest in the professional ranks working out for teams at the scouting combine ahead of July’s draft. Sooners Wire will provide updates on his draft projections throughout the process to see where his potential landing spot may be.