As soon as Oklahoma hired assistant coach David Patrick last week, the countdown was on until Navarro junior college power forward Akol Mawein would follow.
That countdown ended Wednesday afternoon. Mawein, who was released from his letter of intent to Arkansas last week, announced his commitment to the Sooners via social media.
In recruiting, it is said to commit to the school and not to the coach, but the relationship between Mawein and Patrick is a little different than most.
It spans continents, for one thing. Mawein, originally from Australia, and that’s where he first met with Patrick, who is an assistant coach for the Australian national team.
Mawein initially committed to UC-Riverside back when Patrick was the head coach there. After Patrick left for Fayetteville last summer, Mawein also committed and eventually signed with the Razorbacks.
What Mawein brings to the table is something OU hasn’t had in a while. As much as you like his size, he can stretch the floor and brings a lot of athletic ability to the table.
The Sooners have had two open scholarships for the last couple of weeks, and the early assumption was OU was going to find some perimeter scoring. And Porter Moser and staff still are going to attempt to do that with the final spot, but you don’t pass up help in the post who also have the Mawein’s skills.
He averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game as a freshman at Navarro, and followed that up by averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season.
A three-star prospect, Mawein has been regarded as one of the best junior college basketball prospects for the 2021 cycle.
Mawein becomes the fifth newest member of the Sooners from the transfer portal. The other four are now officially signed in guard Jordan Goldwire (Duke) and forwards Tanner Groves (Eastern Washington), Jacob Groves (Eastern Washington) and Ethan Chargois (SMU).
Moser’s first team is almost complete. His staff is assembled, and there is still one more open scholarship the Sooners will be looking to fill in the upcoming days and weeks. Mawein checks off another box.
