Tag: UCF Knights

Former LSU EDGE Zavier Carter is back in the transfer portal for the 3rd time

After transferring to UCF from UNLV earlier this offseason, Zavier Carter is back in the portal.

Former LSU edge rusher Zavier Carter’s winding college journey took another turn on Monday.

Carter, who spent the 2023 season at UNLV but transferred to UCF this offseason, is back in the transfer portal once again following the conclusion of spring practice. He is seeking his fourth college in as many years.

A former four-star prospect, Carter appeared in 18 games as a rotational player in two years in Baton Rouge, totaling nine tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

While in Las Vegas in 2023, Carter played in 12 games but only made two starts, finishing the season with 14 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Carter has followed a path that has become more common in the transfer portal era. Now, he’ll hope his third time entering the portal is the charm.

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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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Catcher Easton Carmichael named Co-Big 12 Player of the Week

Sophomore catcher Easton Carmichael named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week after an incredible four game performance.

It was an electric week for sophomore catcher Easton Carmichael. His production at the plate earned Carmichael Big 12 Co-Player of the Week honors.

Oklahoma went undefeated last week, and Carmichael was pivotal in the Sooners efforts. He hit .615 with four extra-base hits, including two home runs and eight RBIs.

The sophomore went 8-for-13, scoring eight runs, drawing three walks, and even stealing a base for good measure. He also struck out only one time during that impressive run.

On Sunday, he went yard to put the run rule into effect and end the Sooners’ sweep of new Big 12 foe UCF early in the seventh inning.

He’ll split this award with Texas designated hitter Max Belyeu.

Carmichael is the first Oklahoma Sooner to win a Player of the Week award since his brother, Braden, did it last season as Pitcher of the Week.

Carmichael has recorded a multi-hit game for the Sooners in four of the last six games. He’s now batting .472, good for second in the Big 12, while slugging .755, good for fifth. Carmichael is fifth in OPS, fourth in doubles, and tenth in runs batted in.

Carmichael will look to continue his hot campaign this week as Oklahoma plays Oklahoma State and Texas-Arlington and has a weekend series in Fort Worth against a ranked TCU squad.

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Oklahoma falls to No. 1 Houston 87-85 on last second jump shot by Jamal Shead

Oklahoma comes up short 87-85 in upset bid of No.1 Houston.

Oklahoma emptied the tank on Saturday evening before a packed-out Lloyd Noble Center as they took on the nation’s number one team, the Houston Cougars.

Though the Sooners failed to knock off yet another highly-ranked Big 12 foe on Saturday evening, there’s certainly no shame in the effort they put on the court.

Jamal Shead, one of the nation’s best players, sent the Sooner faithful home in disappointed after hitting a mid-range jump shot as the seconds ticked down to give the Cougars and former Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Kelvin Sampson[/autotag] the 87-85 win.

In what many figured would be a defensive, grind-it-out affair, the Sooners and Cougars exploded offensively from the opening tip throughout the contest.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with threes raining from each side in a free-flowing game. OU was 7 of 13 from beyond the arc and 10 of 10 from the free throw line in the game’s first 20 minutes. Overall in the first half, they shot 14 of 28 from the field, while Houston shot 67% percent in the first half.

Rivaldo Soares led the way with 10 points on 3 of 3 shooting and 3 of 3 from the charity stripe. Sam Godwin added eight of his team-leading 17 points.

Houston adjusted at the break before racing out to a 56-47 lead before pushing it out to 63-51with over 13 minutes left.

The Sooners responded to fight back into the game with clutch shooting and timely stops. With the Sooners down 85-82, Sam Godwin was fouled. He made the first of two free throws, but the rebound was saved by point guard Milos Uzan. After a timeout, the Sooners scored off the ensuing inbound pass on a nifty drive to the cup by [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag].

On the Cougars’ final possession, Oklahoma got the initial stop, but Shead collected his own rebound from the scrum and hit the buzzer beater to end the Sooners’ upset bit.

The Sooners had five players finish in double figures while shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from three.

Houston will head to Orlando to take on UCF Wednesday evening.

The Sooners will host Cincinnati on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for their final Big 12 home game before heading on the road to face Texas in Austin on the final day of the regular season.

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How to watch, key players for No. 23 Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. Oklahoma State Cowgirls

The ranked women’s team are back in action also in Bedlam and this is how you can watch the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners were able to bounce back after a tough loss to West Virginia with a good win on the road at Cincinnati. Now, they are also playing their final Bedlam game as conference foes but this time in Norman.

The Sooners won the first meeting in Stillwater 81-74. The Cowgirls come into this game losing three of their last five games but they did get a good win at home over the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] in their last game.

Oklahoma continues to have a hold on the conference as they have a one-game lead over Texas and [autotag]Kansas State.[/autotag] They currently lose the tie-breaker to Kansas State but win the tie-breaker over Texas who they will play again coming up.

But let’s take a look at how you can watch the game and some key players for both teams.

Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks pulled up to watch UCF host Cincinnati

Former UCF forward Taylor Hendricks returned to campus on Saturday to watch the Knights host the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Former UCF forward Taylor Hendricks returned to campus on Saturday to watch the Knights host the Cincinnati Bearcats at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.

Hendricks played last season with the Knights, averaging 15.1 points, 7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 assists on 39.4% shooting from 3-point range. He was named to the All-AAC second team and was one of three players in the country with at least 60 3-pointers and 55 blocks.

He wasn’t treated to a win by the home team, though. Cincinnati won 76-74. The Knights trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, but tied it up in the final two minutes of play. They weren’t able to jump ahead and dropped to 13-11.

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Hendricks is averaging 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17 games with the Utah Jazz. He has spent the majority of the season in the G League, averaging 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists in 22 appearances with the Salt Lake City Stars.

The ninth pick was highly touted as a player who can affect games on both ends of the court. The organization was impressed with his size, at 6 feet, 9 inches, and his ability to shoot and defend at a high level with his 7-foot wingspan.

After making several moves at the trade deadline, the Jazz will integrate Hendricks more into the rotation over the remainder of the season. They will watch him and monitor how he handles himself on and off the court and if he is ready to contribute nightly in the NBA.

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‘I just thought we weren’t in sync’: Oklahoma’s conference offensive woes continue

The Sooners better figure out their offensive woes as they face one of the best offenses in the country.

It is no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball has an offense problem. The Sooners are averaging 69.8 points per game in their last five games.

That includes the 84-point game they had vs. Texas Tech. That’s also nearly eight points below their season average of 77.6. They’ve scored 73 or less in seven of their nine conference games. Porter Moser spoke with the media on Monday ahead of their game against the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] about what they need to do to get their offense back on track.

“I just thought we weren’t in sync,” Moser said. “When you don’t make shots, it doesn’t look in sync. Trust me. When you start making shots it’s ‘Oh things are clicking.’ So, that’s a big part of it. It was good to see Tre (Le’Tre Darthard) get back into the flow. Tre got into a flow and got some shots going. I think Javian, Los (Milos Uzan) and Otega, those three, got to get them in the flow. Rivaldo has continued to give us great minutes.”

It’s not as easy as just making shots. When you watched the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] game, it was more about not having basketball players able to create looks for themselves or their teammates. They better figure it out as BYU has a top-15 scoring offense in the country, averaging just over 84 points per game.

More: How to watch the Oklahoma Sooners vs. BYU Cougars

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 19 BYU Cougars

The Sooners return home and take on the BYU Cougars. Here is how you can watch the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners looked like they had turned things around with a win over Kansas State last week but then put together one of their worst performances of the season against the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag]. That resulted in a 11-point loss.

The worst part was the lack of fight the Sooners had in the second half of that game. Now they return home to face a top 25 [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] team that has been flying under the radar this season.

The Sooners have to win this game as they are in danger of missing out on the tournament after such a great start to the season. So, let’s take a look at how you can watch the game and some key players for both teams.

How to watch, key players for No. 24 Oklahoma Sooners vs. UCF Knights

The Sooners head to Orlando to take on the UCF Knights in search of their third road win and here is how you can watch the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners got a huge must-win game on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats. The Sooners need to continue that momentum as they stay on the road looking for another road conference win.

This time, they take on the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag], who are 12-8 (3-5, Big 12). UCF is coming off two straight losses to close the month of January. Most recently, they failed to hold on the second half at home against Baylor.

UCF is a team that can beat just about anyone on any given night, as just about every [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] team can do. But they’ve struggled with consistency.

One night, they can beat Kansas, but the next night, they might get blown out by Kansas State. So, the Sooners are going to have to come out and let their defense lead the way like they did in their win Tuesday against Kansas State.

So, let’s take a look at some key players and how you can watch the game.

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.