It’s been no secret that this is a very important offseason for Porter Moser and his staff.

Moser’s posted a 34-33 overall record as the Sooners’ coach since he arrived prior to the 2021-22 season and has yet to make the NCAA Tournament. After another disappointing campaign last season, which saw the Sooners finish below .500 and fail to make the postseason, it was expected that there’d be a mass exodus of players from the program.

That has largely come to fruition, but the Sooners have nabbed some players in the NCAA Transfer Portal to help offset the damage a bit. But with the portal window closing on May 11th, there’s still some work to do for the Sooners.

Here’s an overview of the team’s offseason so far and their biggest roster needs:

(Last season’s per-game averages listed in parenthesis)

Grant Sherfield, PG (15.9 points, 40% shooting, 2.5 rebounds, 3.25 assists)

* Tanner Groves, C (10.2 points, 51% shooting, 7.2 rebounds)

Jalen Hill, SF (9.7 points, 50% shooting, 5.8 rebounds)

Jacob Groves, PF (6.8 points, 44% shooting, 2.5 rebounds)

Joe Bamisile, SG (4.0 points, 40% shooting, 2.3 rebounds)

CJ Noland, SG (3.2 points, 36% shooting, 1.3 rebounds)

Bijan Cortes, PG (3.2 points, 44% shooting, 1.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists)

Benny Schroeder, G (2.3 points, 50% shooting, 0.8 rebounds)

*exhausted eligibility

(G) Javian McCollum, Sienna (15.9 points, 43% shooting, 2.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists)

(G) Le’Tre Darthard, Utah Valley (13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists)

(G) Rivaldo Soares, Oregon (7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists)

(C) John Hugley IV, Pittsburgh (14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds in 2021-22)

Analysis: Even with the young, athletic backcourt of Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh in the fold, it’s clear that Moser has wanted to replenish the program’s guard depth.

It makes sense. Sherfield was the team's leading scorer last season, and five of the eight departures are guards. The Sooners also struggled mightily to create quality shots from the perimeter outside of Sherfield and Uzan last season, and Sherfield’s efficiency steadily declined during Big 12 play. Even if Uzan and Oweh begin next season as the starting guards, the Sooners now have several experienced, quality guards in the rotation.

Indications are that the Sooners are still looking to add guard depth. Former Kansas City guard Rayquawndis Mitchell, who scored 18 points against the Sooners last season, has been a primary target for OU.

Based on the Sooners’ moves, Moser is looking to play faster and more perimeter oriented.

Athleticism/Depth at forward, center: While Moser has done a lot to add guard depth, there are still big needs in the front court. Hill and Tanner Groves were the Sooners’ starting small forward and center the past two seasons, respectively, and Jacob Groves started the majority of the season at power forward.

What hurt the Sooners last season was their lack of rebounding and athleticism in their front court. They ranked dead last in the Big 12 in total rebounds and offensive rebounding. So really, they need front court players who can block shots on defense and be a scoring presence in the paint on offense.

The Sooners frontcourt depth is as follows: Hugley, Luke Northweather, Yaya Keita and Sam Godwin. The Sooners are adding two freshmen forwards in Kaden Cooper and Jacolb Cole, both four-star recruits, but Moser has been hesitant to give freshmen heavy minutes.

The program is excited about Northweather, who was a three-star recruit in the 2022 class. However, both Northweather and Keita struggled with injuries last season and didn't see the floor. The program gave Godwin a full scholarship after the season ended and he was productive off the bench, but the Sooners likely need better starters at power forward and center.

There’s still a few targets in the transfer portal. Moussa Cisse, former Oklahoma State big man, averaged seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks last season, and he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. In his two games against the Sooners last season, he averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

Per reports, the Sooners have pursued San Diego State forward Keshad Johnson, a 6-foot-7 senior who started all 39 games last season and could help fill Hill’s vacancy.

There’s still time for Moser to add a quality player or two. But even if there’s a shift to playing more guards, frontcourt depth is still a need for the Sooners.