University of Oklahoma head men’s basketball coach Porter Moser enters his second season in Norman with a combination of key returners, incoming transfers and talented freshmen. Oklahoma finished its first campaign under Moser with a postseason berth and a first round NIT victory against Missouri State.
The Sooners were able get an early start to their season and traveled to Spain and France for their first foreign tour in five years. Oklahoma played three games against foreign competition and were able to hold 10 additional practices, providing the team an opportunity to bond both on and off the court.
Oklahoma’s roster features five key returners from a squad that earned five victories against AP top 25 ranked teams.
Two Sooner 2021-22 starters – Tanner Groves and Jalen Hill – are slated to comprise the frontcourt. Groves earned Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades and finished second on last season’s roster in points and rebounds per game. He averaged 11.6 points per game on 53.2% shooting from the floor and 5.8 rebounds per contest.
Groves started 34 games last season and was a three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades and was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team.
Hill was one of three Sooners to start every contest last season and led the Sooners with 5.9 rebounds per contest. Hill added 9.1 points per game.
Jacob Groves made an immediate impact last season off the bench and moved into a starting role for the final nine games of the season.
The younger Groves appeared in 34 games and started 12. He tallied 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest.
Joining the trio of big men are returning guards Bijan Cortes and C.J. Noland.
Noland, a 2022 All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection, appeared in 33 contests and tallied 3.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
Cortes donned the Crimson and Cream 30 times last season and tallied 2.0 points, 1.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game.
In addition, Oklahoma returns two walk-ons, Jake Moser and Blake Seacat.
The Sooners return 44.1% of their scoring, 52.9% rebounding and 38% assists.
Oklahoma welcomes eight new members to the 2022-23 squad, including four transfers.
Joe Bamisile, a 6-4 junior guard from Chesterfield, Va., is a three-level scorer that provides the Sooners instant athleticism. He started his collegiate career at Virginia Tech before transferring to George Washington.
Bamisile appeared in 30 games and started 29 at GW, averaging 16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game. He shot 45.8% from the floor and 35.1% from beyond the arc. He was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team and finished fourth in the A-10 in scoring.
Grant Sherfield, a 6-2 senior point guard from Fort Worth, Texas, is a dynamic guard that can control the offense. He was voted the 2022-23 Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the league head coaches.
Sherfield was named Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and started his college career at Wichita State before transferring to Nevada for the last two seasons. Sherfield started 28 games for the Pack last season and boasted a team-high 35.7 minutes per game. He tallied a team-best 19.1 points per contest and led the Mountain West and finished fourth in the NCAA in assists per game (6.3). Sherfield added 4.2 rebounds per contest and was named to the All-Mountain West Third Team. Prior to last season, he was voted preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the Year.
Yaya Keita, a 6-9 sophomore forward from St. Louis, Mo., is an extremely physical and high-level defender that has a nonstop motor. He started his collegiate career at Missouri, playing for the Tigers for one season. Keita appeared in 21 games and averaged 1.2 points and rebounds per game.
Sam Godwin, a 6-10 junior forward from Ada, Okla., joined the Sooners as a preferred walk-on after two seasons at Wofford. Godwin, appeared in 30 games last season for the Terriers and recorded 12 starts. He shot 62.1 percent from the field and averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
OU also welcomed four incoming freshmen, including a duo that ranked in the ESPN100.
Otega Oweh, a 6-6 guard from Somerset, N.J., was a four-star prospect on ESPN.com, 247Sports and Rivals. Oweh was ranked No. 72 by ESPN, No. 73 by 247Sports and No. 76 by Rivals.
Luke Northweather, a 6-10 forward from Blair Oaks High School in Jefferson City, Mo., was a three-star prospect by 247Sports and was the No. 6 rated player in Missouri in the 2022 class.
The senior forward shot 71.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from deep. He concluded his high school career with a school record 2,018 points and was a two-time Tri-County Conference Player of the Year.
Milos Uzan, a 6-4 point guard from Las Vegas, was ranked No. 53 on the ESPN100 and the No. 1 prospect in Nevada. He was a four-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN. Uzan played for Dream City Christian (Ariz.) at the 2021 Geico Top Flight Invite and also played for Prolific Prep in the 30-game Grind Session in Arizona. He averaged 13 points, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Benny Schröder, a 6-7 guard from Munich, Germany, is considered one of the most promising European prospects that committed to the college route per ESPN. He played from Kickz IBAM in the U19 NBBL and averaged 29 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Schröder played for the U18 German National Team in the 2021 FIBA U18 European Challengers tournament. He averaged 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 23 minutes per game.
In addition to the eight new student-athletes, Moser added Matt Brady and former Oklahoma men’s basketball standout Ryan Humphrey as assistant coaches. The duo join Emanuel Dildy.
Tad Glibert was hired as director of operations and Dylan Mihalke was elevated to director of analytics and assistant director of operations.
OU hosts Oklahoma City on Oct. 25 for the Sooner’s lone exhibition of the season.
Oklahoma opens the regular season Nov. 7 against Sam Houston at Lloyd Noble Center, starting a four-game homestand to open the year. OU faces Arkansas – Pine Bluff (Nov. 11), UNCW (Nov. 15) and South Alabama (Nov. 18) during the stretch.
The Sooners embark on their first road test of the season, playing in the ESPN Events Invitational Nov. 24-27. Oklahoma opens competition against former Big 12 foe Nebraska Nov. 24 and face either Memphis or Seton Hall on Nov. 25. OU concludes the trip Nov. 27 and could face Florida State, Ole Miss, Sienna or Stanford in the tournament finale.
OU remains on the east coast and faces Villanova in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle Dec. 3 in Philadelphia.
The Sooners return home to host Kansas City Dec. 6 before a clash against Arkansas in the Crimson and Cardinal Classic at BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., Dec. 3.
The Sooners welcome Central Arkansas to Lloyd Noble Center Dec. 17 for their final 2022 non-conference home game.
OU treks to Charlotte, N.C., for the inaugural Jumpman Invitational, featuring all four original Jordan Brand schools. Oklahoma is slated to face Florida for the second-consecutive season Dec. 20.
After a 10-day break, the Sooners open Big 12 conference play against Texas at Lloyd Noble Center on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31).
Oklahoma’s home conference slate is highlighted by four additional Saturday contests against West Virginia (Jan. 14), Baylor (Jan. 21), Kansas (Feb. 11) and TCU (March 11). OU’s remaining home contests are against Iowa State (Jan. 4), Oklahoma State (Feb. 1), Kansas State (Feb. 14) and Texas Tech (Feb. 21).
Oklahoma starts its league road schedule against Texas Tech on Saturday, Jan. 7 and concludes the month with away contests against Kansas (Jan. 10), Oklahoma State (Jan. 18) and TCU (Jan. 24).
The Sooners break from league action to host Alabama in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge Saturday, Jan. 28 before playing February conference road games at West Virginia (Feb. 4), Baylor (Feb. 8), Texas (Feb. 18) and Iowa State (Feb. 25).
OU plays its final away contest of the season against Kansas State on March 1.
The 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship will be held March 8-11 in Kansas City, Mo., at the T-Mobile Center.