Tag: Sooners Basketball

2024 combo guard prospect T.O. Barrett talks Oklahoma recruitment

Oklahoma Sooners 2024 guard target T.O. Barrett talks recruitment.

T.O. Barrett is on Oklahoma’s radar as a combo guard. He’s a local kid out of Edmond, O,kla. and he plays at Link Academy. He’s the No. 113 ranked player in the 2024 On3 rankings for basketball prospects. He hasn’t gotten a ton, but it should heat up more before signing day next year.

He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 180 pounds. Barrett has the size to play shooting guard or even small forward but also displays an ability to play point guard with his proficiency for distributing the basketball.

He averaged 15.5 points and 4.1 assists per game last season in high school. Barrett is averaging 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on the Nike EYBL Circuit.

He recently took a visit to Missouri, but also talked about his recruitment overall and mentioned what he thinks of Oklahoma.

“So what’s standing out to me the most with them is how much they want me there,” Barrett shared with On3’s Jamie Shaw. “They’ve expressed that a lot. I’ve been to some of their games. I feel like I will fit into their play style of play well, especially with the way they use pick-and-roll reads and their mentality on the defensive end. I talk regularly with Coach (Ryan) Humphrey and Coach (Porter) Moser.”

When you watch his tape, he already has a great shooting stroke. He can get in the lane as well. Barrett shows up well on the defensive end of the floor where his length can cause problems for small guards.

TO Barrett’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine projection has him leaning towards Missouri at 74.9%, but nothing is official just yet. Oklahoma State is second at 23.3% and then Oklahoma is next at 1.8%.

Film

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‘I have no interest… Oklahoma is my home’: Porter Moser speaks on Notre Dame rumors

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Porter Moser emphatically shot down rumors that he’s interested in the soon to be open Notre Dame job

Since defeating the then No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, the Oklahoma Sooners have gone 0-4 and sit ninth in the Big 12. To go along with that, head coach Porter Moser has been linked to the soon to be open Notre Dame job for weeks now.

When asked about the Notre Dame job, the Sooners coach gave an emphatic response.

“I have no interest. I have not pursued it,” said Moser. “Oklahoma is my home. The Sooners are my home. I am in a process of turning a program around in an era of the transfer portal, of NIL, and of the Big 12 being in unprecedented territory… I’m so committed. I’m home.”

Moser responded to that question the same way he’s conducted himself since coming to Norman: passionately. This speech pleases the ears a bit more than a certain other coach saying he won’t be the next head coach at LSU.

Moser’s Loyola-Chicago Ramblers didn’t make it to the NCAA Tournament until his seventh year there. As a culture builder, it takes time to create what Moser wants this program to be. The Big 12 being a basketball juggernaut only makes things more difficult.

While it shouldn’t take Moser another five years to get the Sooners into March Madness, a little more time, perhaps until his team is in the SEC, isn’t an unreasonable thing to ask for.

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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 Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

From the Student Section: Sooners top Horned Frogs, mascot interference, Taylor Robertson honored,

Fun times were had at yesterday’s OU women’s basketball game in this edition of From the Student Section.

While the weather outside wasn’t exactly cooperative, the Lloyd Noble Center was more than warm enough on the inside to watch a good game of basketball. I had kept saying that I wasn’t going to enough OU basketball games, men or women. So I walked my way down to the LNC to watch the No. 20 Sooners take on TCU.

Madi Williams was just so much more athletic than everyone else on the floor. While it was Taylor Robertson’s day, Williams was the player that was the most must-see. She drove to the basket with authority and was a treat to watch.

Robertson’s shooting was great to see in person. This shot was especially fantastic.

My experience at the game wasn’t all good. There was one massive issue that kept poking his massive head directly into my line of sight.

Jan 14, 2020; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners mascot Top Daug performs during a time out against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Kansas won 66-52. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Top Daug would frequently stop to dance right in front of my front-row seat, and I’m pretty sure he was doing it on purpose. While my friend called me a “hater,” I will not take this insult lying down. I’m usually a dog person, but it seems that Top Daug exceeded my limit.

Moving on.

Perhaps it’s time to put the nameplates on the backs of the jerseys for Oklahoma women’s basketball. Softball also has this problem. TCU puts the names on the back of the jerseys.

Taylor Robertson was honored after the game with a video tribute to her journey to be the NCAA’s all-time leading three-point shooter. The Ruf/Neks also paid respect with a pair of goats for the G.O.A.T.

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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 Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

Oklahoma Sooners beat Ole Miss to win ESPN Events Invitational

Oklahoma continued its strong run through nonconference play with a 59-55 win over Ole Miss in the finals of the ESPN Events Invitational. From @john9williams

That loss to Sam Houston State feels like forever ago for the Oklahoma Sooners, who are now 6-1 after beating Ole Miss in the championship game of the ESPN Events Invitational.

Oklahoma trailed by three with just under five minutes to play before Bijan Cortes provided a spark on the defensive end with a steal and finished at the other end to make it a one-point game. After a Rebels miss, Cortes corralled the defensive rebound and scored again, to give the Sooners the lead for good.

The Sooners continued their hot shooting in Orlando by hitting 4 of 7 from three and shooting 52% from the field. Ole Miss shot for 45.1% from the field and just 33.3% from three.

It was a team win, with four players scoring in double-figures. [autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag] led the Sooners yet again with 12 points. [autotag]Tanner Groves[/autotag] had 10 points, while [autotag]Jacob Groves[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hill[/autotag] provided seven a piece for the starting lineup.

[autotag]Sam Godwin[/autotag] provided a spark off the bench for the second game in a row. He finished with 11 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. Bijan Cortes was 4 of 4 from the field for 10 points in the game. Cortes also had four steals, three rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes of work off the bench.

Oklahoma won the rebounding battle over the Rebels and were even in turnovers.

It was an important win for the Sooners, who will next take on Villanova on the road. They’ll finish their nonconference slate with games against Kansas City, No. 9 Arkansas, Central Arkansas, and at home against Florida before taking on No. 4 Texas in the Big 12 opener.

Those games against Arkansas and Florida will prove pivotal to their tournament chances come March. Wins against those future SEC foes would provide strong bullet points on their resume come tournament time. With as tough as the Big 12 is, the Sooners need to finish their nonconference slate on a high note. Wins will be tougher to come by once they enter conference play.

Oklahoma men’s basketball among top BetMGM odds for the 2022 national championship

A look at the BetMGM betting odds for the Oklahoma Sooners as they chase next year’s NCAA tournament championship.

Heading into the next season for the Oklahoma Sooners, there are a lot more questions at this point than answers. Continue reading “Oklahoma men’s basketball among top BetMGM odds for the 2022 national championship”

Oklahoma Sooners jump from unranked to top 15 in Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll

After coming in just outside the top 25 last week, the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team find themselves in the top 15 of coaches poll.

It has been quite the run for the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team in the month of January. They pulled off four victories over top 10 teams, becoming the first to pull that feat off since 1974. Continue reading “Oklahoma Sooners jump from unranked to top 15 in Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll”

Oklahoma basketball a nine-seed in ESPN’s 2020-21 Bracketology

Joe Lunardi recently projected his 2020-21 bracket, giving the Sooners a nine-seed in the East facing off against eight-seed Arkansas.

With the 2019-20 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, college basketball turns the page to next season.

Oklahoma was primed for a run in March as they finished the regular season in remarkable fashion against TCU, thanks to Austin Reaves. With a big three of Kristian Doolittle, Brady Manek, and Reaves, who knows what the Sooners could have accomplished in March.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi recently projected his 2020-21 bracket, giving the Sooners a nine-seed in the East facing off against eight-seed Arkansas.

With one departure (Doolittle) and the additions of transfer guards Elijah Harkless, Umoja Gibson, and 2020 recruit Trey Phipps, Oklahoma has a deeper backcourt and bench presence heading into next season.

Lunardi’s prediction means that the Sooners would have a similar season they did in 2019-20. Oklahoma was a nine-seed in Lundardi’s final 2019-20 Bracketology squaring up with LSU in the West portion of the bracket.

Oklahoma has a high ceiling once again, the question that remains is how low the Sooners’ floor is.

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Oklahoma basketball set to play Washington in Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge

The Sooners are heading out to Las Vegas to play the Washington Huskies as part of the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge, per Jon Rothstein…

Oklahoma to the Pac-12? Not quite.

The Sooners are heading out to Las Vegas to play the Washington Huskies as part of the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Oklahoma joins Baylor and TCU as the trio of Big 12 teams that will face Oregon, Colorado, and Washington respectively in a one day challenge at the T-Mobile Arena.

The Sooners have had quite the non-conference schedules under Lon Kruger. Last season Oklahoma played neutral site or true road games against Minnesota, Oregon State, Stanford, Missouri, Wichita State, Mississippi State, and Creighton. The non-conference schedule Lon Kruger and his staff have put together over the past few seasons have put Oklahoma into the NCAA Tournament even though the Sooners sputtered towards the finish line of Big 12 play over the past three seasons.

Kruger wants to have a battle-tested team before getting into the grueling Big 12 schedule to understand the identity of his team before the going gets tough. So far, that philosophy has worked for him and the Sooners.

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Oklahoma commit Bijan Cortes named to The Oklahoman’s ‘Super 5’

2021 guard and Kingfisher, Oklahoma native Bijan Cortes was selected to The Oklahoman’s ‘Super 5’ team…

2021 guard and Kingfisher, Oklahoma native Bijan Cortes was selected to The Oklahoman’s ‘Super 5’ team, representing the best five players in the state.

Cortes announced that he will be coming to play for Lon Kruger and the Sooners earlier this spring.

The three-star guard averaged 21.8 points per game while going 49.2% from behind the arc in his junior season. With one season remaining, Cortes has an opportunity to take the Yellowjackets over 100 wins as he currently holds an 82-3 record through his first three seasons at Kingfisher.

Cortes is currently the only 2021 commit but will join fellow OK Preps star, Trey Phipps (2020 Booker T. Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma) in the backcourt when he steps onto campus. Both Cortes and Phipps are sharpshooters from deep and can add a run ‘n gun style to the Sooners’ offense.

Oklahoma looks to pick up the 2020-21 season where they left off the 2019-2020 season before it was abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Oklahoma reportedly set to play at Xavier in 2020 Big 12-Big East Battle

Oklahoma is set to take on Xavier as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle.

Year two of the Big 12-Big East Battle has been released.

Oklahoma is set to take on Xavier as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Last season, the Sooners dropped a road game against Creighton in Omaha, 83-73 for their third loss of the season. Xavier went into Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs, leaving Cow Town with a 67-59 win.

The Musketeers, a lot like Oklahoma, started hot. Following the win over TCU, they were 11-2. Finishing with a 19-13 record, conference play at Xavier’s lunch, playing and losing five ranked matchups in conference play.

Xavier is an experienced team as they graduated four seniors at the end of the 2019-20 season. With juniors and sophomores sprinkled throughout their roster, the Musketeers match up well with the Sooners.

Oklahoma will be without Kristian Doolittle (graduation) and Jamal Bieniemy (transfer portal) but will still have a solid core to build around with Brady Manek and Austin Reaves stepping into the leadership roles. Sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon took huge steps from the beginning of his freshman season to the end and should continue to develop nicely for the Sooners.

No dates or television details for the Big 12-Big East Battle have been released.

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