Tag: Siena Saints

Jalon Moore’s evolution is pivotal to remainder of Sooners season

Jalon Moore has morphed into Oklahoma’s most important and consistent player.

Last year was a disaster of a season for No. 23 Oklahoma. They were abysmal, inconsistent, flawed, and simply not a good basketball team. Porter Moser knew things had to change, and in college basketball, for better or worse, your team can change entirely over months due to the NCAA transfer portal.

As players from last year’s team departed for professional opportunities, sought fresh starts elsewhere, or committed themselves to the Crimson and Cream, Oklahoma had holes to fill.

The most pressing needs were for athleticism, shooting, and playmaking. And so, Porter Moser and his staff attacked the portal with the desperation of a team down five points with under a minute left.

They pressed the portal hard and landed many players who filled their needs.

Javian McCollum came in with plenty of buzz as a sleeper NBA draft selection should he have a big year in Norman after transferring from Siena. He’s on his way to doing just that.

Le’Tre Darthard was a valuable member of a Utah Valley team that played postseason basketball last year. John Hugley IV transferred from Pittsburgh looking to reclaim the form that landed him on an All-ACC team.

Rivaldo Soares was looking for a more prominent role than he had at Oregon State. Jalon Moore started 15 games for Georgia Tech last year, where he averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He was a part of their rotation, but it always felt like he had more to give.

College basketball media even believed it. The pressure was off of him, too. In Norman, he’d get a fresh start, an expanded role, and thus the opportunity to flourish.

Moore has done just that, and Tuesday night’s performance against Kansas State culminated in a season’s worth of growth for Moore.

Against the Wildcats, Moore had a career-high 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting with nine rebounds. He was pivotal in the first half and equally impactful in the second, especially when Kansas State pushed to tighten things up.

He plays hard every game, even when he shoots poorly, and his motor doesn’t stop. His length allows him to guard positions 1-4 without real trouble. His performance earned him KenPom Game MVP, highlighting his efficiency and positive contributions to his team’s win.

Oklahoma is far from out of the woods, though. A massive road game against UCF is on tap for Saturday. The Knights have already knocked off Texas and Kansas at home. The Sooners need this game, and for them to win, they’ll need more of Moore.

Moore has been the constant, while Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan, and Javian McCollum have been inconsistent from game to game. The steady stream of high energy and winning plays Moore makes nightly could be the essential piece Oklahoma needs to weather the slide they’ve been in and elevate their play as we inch closer to March.

He won’t end up on any All-Big 12 teams because his numbers won’t reflect that, but there’s been no player more valuable to Oklahoma’s success this season than Jalon Moore.

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

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.

Sooners land commitment from Siena transfer Javian McCollum

Sooners land a commitment from Siena transfer guard Javian McCollum.

“Portal Moser” has struck again. Oklahoma landed a commitment from one of the top guards in the transfer portal as Siena transfer combo guard Javian McCollum has committed to Oklahoma over Nebraska and South Florida.

McCollum averaged 15.9 points and 3.9 assists per game over 25 starts and was a 2022-23 All-MAAC First Team member. He also shot 35.6% from range. He is a dynamic guard who can thrive playing off-ball or on the ball as the primary offense initiator. McCollum is currently ranked as the 10th-best player in the Transfer Portal by 247Sports.

It can’t be overstated how much the Sooners needed a commitment from McCollum. The on-court side of the commitment will speak for itself, but the program itself had been surrounded by nothing but negative energy and uncertainty.

 

 

Oklahoma lost eight players from last year’s team to the transfer portal or the NBA Draft. They finished last in the conference, and things seemed to be headed in a downward spiral. McCollum’s commitment helps stem the tide and allows the Sooners and the fanbase optimism about the possibilities for 2023.

With McCollum in the boat, it gives Moser a starting player with experience capable of being a number one or two option. Something the Sooners don’t currently have, with all three top-scoring options from 2022 no longer on the roster.

The Sooners aren’t done in the portal and shouldn’t be. They have a lot of holes to fill and targets like Auburn transfer big man Yohan Traore, Pitt transfer center John Hugley, and East Carolina transfer guard Javon Small.

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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.

Florida completes sweep of Siena with second-straight mercy-rule win

Florida had another short day on the diamond as the Gators finished off the sweep of Siena with a 12-2 victory.

Florida completed the sweep of Siena on Sunday, 12-2, behind a strong two-way performance from [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag].

It was a short day for Caglianone. He ended up going just three innings on the mound, but Florida was already up seven and charging toward another mercy rule victory. He struck out three and walked two while giving up a hit. Caglianone also hit a batter in the first.

The reasoning for the short outing is two-fold. Not only did Kevin O’Sullivan want to get his bullpen guys some action in a game that probably wasn’t going the full nine innings, but he wanted to save Caglianone’s arm for next weekend’s series against Alabama, which starts on Thursday.

[autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] pitched the next 1 2/3 innings for Florida, leaving a pair of baserunners on for [autotag]Clete Hartzog[/autotag] to clean up. Hartzog couldn’t get them out, though, and Purnell’s ERA climbed to 9.53 on the year.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Purnell, who was Florida’s most-used reliever a year ago, and things don’t look like they are getting better. [autotag]Phillip Abner[/autotag] closed out the game in the seventh with Florida up 12-2.

Florida scored seven across the first two innings. [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] drove in [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] on a single with no outs in the first, and [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] both drove in runs on fielder’s choices to start the game.

Kurland drove in another run on an RBI that would have been a fielder’s choice – this time it was [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] scoring. Then, Caglianone hit his twelfth home run of the season. a three-run shot.

After a rare quiet inning in the third, Caglianone went deep for the second time on the afternoon, and [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] hit his eighth of the year. The back-to-back home runs put Florida one run shy of the run rule after four, and it wouldn’t take long for the Gators to reach the double-digit mark.

Kurland scored on a throwing error in the fifth, and Ripelle drove in Caglianone and Rivera to put UF up by 10 — Siena’s two runs came in the top of the fifth. The bullpen just had to hold on for two innings to secure the win, and Abner and Hartzog were up to the task.

Deric Fabian got the start in left field for an injured Wyatt Langford on Sunday. He batted eighth in the order and finished the night 1 for 3 with a run scored and a walk. He also swiped a pair of bases.

Fabian has an obvious upside, but it’s hard to find him a spot with the .214 batting average. Rivera has shortstop locked down, and there’s little chance Kurland comes out of the lineup anytime soon. [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag]’s bat is picking up, and [autotag]Tyler Shlenut[/autotag] is the backup at third ahead of Fabian. At first, Caglianone has things locked down when he’s not pitching with Riopelle as his top backup.

It’s good to see him split the starts in left with [autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag] during this series, but [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] will be back soon. It might take another year for Fabian to emerge as a major factor on this Gators team. Transfer questions might start up soon if he continues to stay on the bench.

Florida sweeping Siena this week was a bit expected, but the Saints put up a good fight on Friday and then the pitching gave out. The real test begins on Thursday when Alabama comes to town.

The Gators get one more tune-up game against North Florida on Tuesday at 6 p.m. EDT.

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How to Watch: Florida baseball vs Siena Saints on Sunday

Here’s what you need to know about this afternoon’s Daylight Saving Time baseball action at Condron Family Ballpark.

Florida baseball gets set to host the Siena Saints on Sunday, March 12, in the third of a three-game weekend series at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Gators started the season with a three-game sweep of the visiting Charleston Southern Buccaneers but split a home-and-home with the South Florida Bulls that saw both teams win the away game during the week. The Orange and Blue bounced back from the USF loss with a sweep of the visiting Cincinnati Bearcats two weekends ago but then split another home-and-home with the Jacksonville Dolphins last week.

Last weekend, Florida took two of three at home from the No. 22 Miami Hurricanes before sweeping a midweek series at home against the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Gators took the first two games of this weekend’s series coming into Sunday’s matchup.

Florida bats bounce back against Siena in mercy-rule victory

After playing a surprisingly competitive ballgame against Siena on Friday, Florida needed just seven innings to win via the mercy rule on Saturday.

After a closer-than-expected win against Siena on Friday night, the Florida Gators swung the bats well and took care of the Saints in seven innings, 11-0.

Florida scored in every inning but the second. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] got things started in the first with an RBI triple to score [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag], and [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] singled him in three pitches later.

[autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag] doubled in a run in the third, but he ended the inning on the base paths trying to advance to third base. Kurland singled in [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] in the fourth, and Rivera drove in his 30th run of the season after a pitch hit Caglianone. [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] doubled in Kurland to make it 6-0.

The Gators put up another three-spot in the fifth inning. Halter hit a two-run home run to right field with [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] on base, and Kurland scored again on an error. Evans brought the lead to double digits in the sixth with an RBI triple that scored Shelnut, and Halter added another run on a single for good measure.

With an 11-0 lead, [autotag]Ryan Slater[/autotag] closed out the game for Florida as part of a three-inning save. He struck out seven while giving up just three hits.

[autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] pitched four scoreless innings for the Gators while striking out seven and walking two. The Saints only managed a pair of hits off of him, but Waldrep probably wanted to be a bit more efficient with his pitch count.

Kevin O’Sullivan is clearly planning on short outings for his starters this weekend, and 77 pitches was enough from Waldrep a week out from SEC play.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] didn’t play in this game after taking a foul ball off the groin Friday night. Schiekofer will play left in his place but expect him to be back either on Sunday or during the week.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] also sat after coming up lame with an apparent hamstring injury while rounding first base on Friday night. [autotag]Rene Lastres[/autotag] caught the last inning of the game as Riopelle shifted to first base.

This was the kind of win Florida was looking for against Siena last night, and it’s good to see the team bounce back after its worst-hitting performance of the season.

The Gators will go for the sweep on Sunday at noon EDT. Remember to move the clocks forward.

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How to Watch: Florida baseball vs Siena Saints on Saturday

Here’s what you need to know about this afternoon’s baseball action at Condron Family Ballpark.

Florida baseball gets set to host the Siena Saints on Saturday, March 11, in the second of a three-game weekend series at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Gators started the season with a three-game sweep of the visiting Charleston Southern Buccaneers but split a home-and-home with the South Florida Bulls that saw both teams win the away game during the week. The Orange and Blue bounced back from the USF loss with a sweep of the visiting Cincinnati Bearcats two weekends ago but then split another home-and-home with the Jacksonville Dolphins last week.

Last weekend, Florida took two of three at home from the No. 22 Miami Hurricanes before sweeping a midweek series at home against the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Gators took the opening game of this weekend’s series, 3-2, on Friday night.

Florida baseball survives surprising test from Siena

Florida’s first game in a series against the Siena Saints didn’t go as expected, but the Gators still came out on top on Friday night.

Very few expected No. 6 Florida and Siena to be tied heading into the sixth inning on Friday, but that’s exactly where the two teams found themselves after a 90-minute rain delay prevented the game from starting on time.

The Saints entered the game with an overall record of 2-10 and just one player hitting .300 or better, but right-hander Arlo Marynczak held the Gators to just two runs across five innings of work.

Florida hit Marynczak fine. He ended the night giving with seven hits allowed and two walks, but the Gators just couldn’t score against him after plating a run in each of the first two innings.

The second inning could have been much bigger for Florida as [autotag]Wyatt Langford [/autotag]came up with the bases loaded and one out, but Marynczak got him to foul out and then induced a pop-up from [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag].

Florida’s top two hitters are supposed to come through in a situation like that, especially against a team such as Siena, and it’s the first time fans have seen them fail in 2023.

The Gators had another bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh but again failed to come through.[autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] struck out and [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag], who entered the game for [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] after a presumed injury to his hamstring, flew out to strand three baserunners.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] also left the game in the sixth inning; a foul ball hit off him earlier in the game, but there was no official word on why he left.

Shelnut did contribute earlier in the game, though, hitting a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning off of left-handed reliever Billy Rozakis. Noah Rodriguez came in next and was the one to get out of the second bases-loaded jam of the night.

Fortunately, Florida’s bullpen didn’t implode and held on to a one-run lead after [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] finished off four scoreless innings.

It wasn’t Sproat’s best day. He couldn’t locate his fastball, and his slider was off too. He gave up three hits and three walks while striking out seven and hitting two batters.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen for Florida. He struck out five through two innings but also gave up a pair of runs, only one of which was earned. The Gators committed two errors on Friday night, which is unusually sloppy for this team.

[autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] was next out of the bullpen. He allowed just two hits through two scoreless innings while striking out a pair, and then [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] came in to shut the door.

Neely struck out each of the first two batters he faced but gave up a single to Matt Livingston before getting out No. 3 to end the inning.

The silver lining here is that Florida’s bullpen shined for perhaps the first time this season, but the lack of offense was unexpected, to say the least.

If Florida struggles to put runs on the board again on Saturday, it might be something to get worried about. Conference play starts in less than a week, and Florida needs to be at its best.

The Gators and Saints go again on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST.

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Series Preview: Florida set to host Siena for weekend series

Florida’s final weekend series before conference play starts should be extremely one-sided as a 2-10 Siena club comes to town.

The No. 6 Florida Gators are set to host a Siena Saints club over the weekend that just recently won its first two games of the season.

It’s a David and Goliath mismatch, but Florida isn’t likely to go down after getting hit with a stone… or two, or three. The Gators boast the best offense in all of baseball and are among the early favorites to go all the way this season.

UF’s trio of MLB-bound arms, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag], [autotag]Hurtson Waldrep[/autotag] and [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], should dominate the Saints’ lineup, and the bullpen may not be needed too much if the offense can get the 10-run rule into effect early.

This is Florida’s last nonconference weekend series before hosting Alabama in a week. It should be a chance for the team to pad the stats before diving into a difficult SEC schedule.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Gators take all three of these games in seven innings, and the ball should continue to fly out of the ballpark at an absurd rate.