Tag: Mohamed Wague

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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With Jalon Moore returning, what’s next for OU Basketball?

Overview of Oklahoma basketball now that Jalon Moore confirmed his return.

Jalon Moore’s return may have been the most significant off-season development for the Oklahoma Sooners as they venture into the SEC hoops universe next season.

Sure, he’s not some lottery pick talent, but he returns to Norman as Oklahoma’s best player and perhaps its most indispensable. Moore entered his name into NBA Draft consideration earlier in the offseason.

He underwent workouts, meetings, and evaluations, all as a means to determine what he needed to improve for his prospects to be potentially chosen to play in the NBA or if he was ready to make that leap this summer.

He received the feedback and still opted to return to Norman for one last collegiate season. His return completes the roster rebuild for the Sooners heading into the summer, and the Sooners now know what next year’s team will look like.

At point guard, you’d have difficulty convincing many that Kobe Elvis shouldn’t start there. The Dayton transfer is probably the best pure lead guard on the team and started over 80 games over three seasons at Dayton, averaging a career-best 9.4 points and 3.5 assists this past season. He also is a tough defender. It’s something Oklahoma lacked at the point of attack last year. Behind him, you’ll likely see in-state star Dayton Forsythe play some backup point or even High Point transfer Duke Miles, who is much more of a scoring guard than a pass-first guard.

Speaking of Miles, he’s probably the best bet to be the starting two-guard. Miles is unquestionably the best pure scorer on the team, and without really thinking twice, it would not be shocking to see him lead the team in scoring next season. Brycen Goodine, a Fairfield transfer, can come off the bench and provide dead-eye shooting.

Jadon Jones, the Long Beach State transfer, is a genuine three-and-defense guy who will likely fill the starting wing role. Oklahoma has some depth here as they could go with JUCO top prospect Jeff Nwankwo off the bench or even slide Jalon Moore to the wing if they wanted to go big in the front court.

If Moore isn’t in that role, he’ll play the four and present matchup problems for slower and more traditional power forwards. Behind him, we should and will see top 100 recruit Kuol Atak, a rail-thin prospect with a reputation as one of the best shooters in the class of 2024. Adding weight will be the only hurdle keeping him off the floor and in the rotation. He can also protect the rim.

Protecting the rim and rebounding were two major weaknesses last year. Oklahoma brought in Alabama transfer Mohamed Wague, a 6-foot-10 big man with more athleticism than Sam Godwin but likely with less offensive capability. He averaged 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 blocks per game. The hope is that those averages will go up with Oklahoma. Can he unseat Godwin for the starting role? We will find out, but if he does, it’s probably for the best as Godwin seems like a better fit as an energy, change of pace big off the bench for rebounding and hustle than someone commanding starting minutes.

There are a number of variables for next year’s team.

In many ways, Oklahoma built an older version of the team it had last season. There’s no true point guard but a couple of combo guards who can handle the ball. If there’s a key difference, Elvis is a much better defender than McCollum, even if he isn’t as dynamic with the ball in his hand as McCollum was.

Moore progressing toward an all-conference player would be huge for Oklahoma. He needs to become a positionless forward capable of winning on the wing and slashing to the rim.

From a percentage standpoint, Oklahoma should also be better at shooting the three, especially with someone of Goodine’s pedigree on the team.

Coaching will also have to improve. Moser sometimes struggled to adapt mid-game with particular looks and how he deployed his personnel.

Simply put, next year will be a make-or-break year for Porter Moser. Suppose his seat wasn’t hot after missing the tournament this past season. In that case, it’ll be nice and warm as the Sooners enter another conference looking to finally get over the hump after missing the tournament three years in a row.

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Former Alabama F Mo Wague announces transfer commitment to new SEC program

Mohamed Wague announced decision to transfer from Alabama to Oklahoma

After just one season with the Alabama Crimson Tide, forward Mohamed Wague has announced his decision to stay in the SEC and transfer to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Despite only starting eight games in the 2023-24 season, Wague appeared in 33 total games for Alabama and averaged 3.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 0.5 apg. It will be Wague’s fourth school in four years after starting at the JUCO level with Harcum College before spending the 2022-23 season with West Virginia.

Wague will be a key piece for the Sooners next season while it appeared he may have been losing his spot in Alabama’s rotation next season. The Crimson Tide returns a number of key contributors from last season’s Final Four team as well as seeing a ton of success in the transfer portal thanks to Nate Oats.

The date is yet to be announced, but the Sooners will be traveling to Tuscaloosa next season at some point during SEC play.

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Oklahoma Sooners add Alabama transfer forward Mohamed Wague

Oklahoma Sooners added Alabama transfer forward Mohamed Wague.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to fortify their roster for the 2024-2025 season. They’ve made some intriguing additions, adding backcourt help, but now have added a key frontcourt piece in Alabama transfer forward Mohamed Wague.

Wague started his career with West Virginia, where he averaged just 10 minutes, 4.1 points, and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Mountaineers. He then transferred to Alabama and averaged eight minutes a game 3.1 points, and 2.5 rebounds. At 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds, Wague adds good size to the Sooners frontcourt rotation with [autotag]Sam Godwin[/autotag], [autotag]Jalon Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Luke Northweather[/autotag], and incoming four-star freshman [autotag]Kuol Atak[/autotag].

The Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to prove in their first year in the SEC and Porter Moser’s fourth year with the Sooners. The additions they’ve made this offseason attempted to add more athleticism inside and a better shooting touch from three. They appear to have accomplished that. Now Moser and his staff are faced with getting the players on the same page.

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Alabama basketball forward Mohamed Wague enters the transfer portal

Alabama basketball loses its sixth player to the NCAA transfer portal

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team are fresh off the program’s first-ever Final Four run but that hasn’t stopped some of the Tide players from testing the waters in the NCAA transfer portal. On Tuesday, Alabama forward Mohamed Wague entered the portal.

Wague makes the sixth Crimson Tide hooper to enter the portal since the season concluded and spent just one season in Tuscaloosa after transferring to Alabama last summer from West Virginia.

The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward saw action in 33 games where he averaged 8.5 minutes per contest. Wague averaged just 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in his lone season with the Crimson Tide.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for around-the-clock coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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West Virginia forward transfer Mohamed Wague transfers to Alabama

West Virginia forward transfer Mohamed Wague committed to Alabama over Kansas State and DePaul. Wague took visits to all three schools before ultimately choosing to transfer to the Crimson Tide.

West Virginia forward Mohamed Wague announced that he was transferring to Alabama on Wednesday. Wague chose the Crimson Tide over Kansas State and DePaul.

The had been some speculation that Wague was silently leaning toward committing to the Wildcats. However, the Alabama coaching staff continued to pursue the Mali native and was able to get him on campus for an official visit.

With the success that Alabama head coach Nate Oats has had with helping his players reach the NBA, Wague seems like the perfect fit.

Wague began his college career at Harcum College in Byrn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He averaged 14.8 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game. Wague scored in double-digits in 25 of the 35 games that he played in for the Bears. Following the season, Wague was named as a JUCO All-American.

Soon after the season concluded, Wague chose to transfer to West Virginia. There, he played in 28 games averaging 4.1 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. With the changes to the coaching staff, Wague decided to enter the transfer portal.

Now, he will be headed to Tuscaloosa. He will join a frontcourt that is highlighted by North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson. Wague will also be accompanied by the likes of Nick Pringle and Jarin Stevenson.

In all likelihood, Wague will see a lot of meaningful minutes during his junior season in Tuscaloosa. His production will likely increase as well after having played in Oats’ system. Wague’s ceiling is very high and the Alabama coaching staff is hopeful that he will showcase that potential next season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

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West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague set to visit Alabama this weekend

West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague will be taking an official visit to Alabama on Saturday and Sunday. Wague entered the transfer portal on Monday.

West Virginia forward transfer Mohamed Wague will be taking an official visit to Alabama, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. Wague will be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday and Sunday.

Wague is currently on an official visit to Kansas State. Earlier in the week, Wague took an official visit to DePaul.

The native of Mali began his college career at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Before transferring to West Virginia, Wague was named a Junior College All-American. He averaged 14.8 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game, and 1.7 assists per game.

In one season at West Virginia, he averaged 4.1 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, and 0.3 assists per game. Wague shot 74.2% from the field and 53.3% from the free throw line.

The best game of Wague’s career with the Mountaineers came on Dec. 31 against Kansas State. He scored 10 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots.

With Alabama losing Noah Clowney and Charles Bediako to the NBA Draft, the Tide coaching staff has been looking to add frontcourt reinforcements. Wague is raw in some areas but can effectively protect the rim and grab rebounds. That is something that Alabama could use heading into next season given the fact that there is no true center on the team.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

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