Over the next few weeks in the Crimson Crossover, I'll be answering your questions about Oklahoma basketball, recruiting, and SEC hoops in general. Each week, we'll dive deep into one of your questions. This week, we'll explore SOONERN79's question: 'Who will lead the team in scoring this season?' But we won't stop there—we'll also examine which players are likely to contribute significant scoring behind the leading scorers.

Javian McCollum led the Sooners last year, averaging 13.3 points per game, and right behind him was Otega Oweh, who averaged 11.4 points per game. With both of them gone, who will it be this year? It’s not incredibly difficult to predict the top two leading scorers on this team. It would be a guard-forward duo with Jeremiah Fears and Jalon Moore.

Moore showed a ton of flashes last season, and you can expect him to take another step forward this year. There’s no reason he can’t average 13-16 points for the Sooners this season. Moore has taken a leadership role on this team, and he is incredibly hungry.

He shot 41% from behind the arc last season on 2.0 attempts per game. In the previous season at Georgia Tech, he shot 11.4%. There was clear improvement from Moore last year from behind the arc. If he can keep shooting the ball well, his value increases tremendously. If Moore can shoot like he did last year, it changes the way teams have to defend him. Not only do they have to worry about him driving, but they have to worry about his shot as well.

A big thing for Moore will be transition points, as Porter Moser and the staff will continue to put an emphasis on pace of play. You can also expect Moore to see a significant amount of minutes at center. He’ll be able to be a threat in the dunker spot and in the pick and roll.

A guard like Fears does nothing but help Moore. Fears may be young, but the expectation is that he’ll come in and have an impressive season. You can expect him to be in the top two of scoring for Oklahoma this year.

It’s difficult to predict how many points Fears may average, especially considering he hasn’t practiced with the team yet, but I could see him averaging anywhere between 13-19 points. Yes, 19 points is extremely aggressive, but he’s got that type of talent. You may think I’m crazy for saying Fears could average that much in the SEC, but look at Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard—he averaged 17.1 points last year as a freshman. Fears can do it.

He’s got the ability to be a three-level scorer, he’s good in transition, but one aspect he’ll see a lot of volume in is when the shot clock is running down. Fears will be the guy who can break his defender down when the shot clock is low. The Sooners didn’t have a lot of that before the addition of Fears. I’d expect Fears to be the catalyst for this team.

With Fears and Moore likely to be the top-two in scoring, who is next? The answer easily starts with Brycen Goodine, who has had an incredibly impressive offseason. You’ve all heard about it—Goodine shot an impressive 47% from behind the arc at Fairfield. Those in the Griffin Center have seen that his 47% from three-point range was not just a “huge year.” It’s pretty simple: Goodine provides the type of shooting that Moser hasn’t really had at Oklahoma.

It’s not just his shooting—Goodine can move in transition and score at the rim. He’s not just a shooter; he can get up and throw it down. A realistic expectation for him is 9-12 points per game. There may be games where he leads the team in scoring, depending on how the game goes.

Another player who will produce for the Sooners is Kobe Elvis, who fits into this same tier. Elvis has been impressive this offseason, and he will be a big part of this team, albeit more as a passer than a scorer.

A realistic expectation for Elvis is 7-10 points per game. He’s the type of player who can impact the game without scoring. Passing will be his strong suit, but he’s also solid in pick-and-roll situations and can do some damage in catch-and-shoot opportunities.

After Goodine and Elvis, there's Sam Godwin, who averaged 6.7 points per game last year. You can expect a similar scoring output from Godwin this season, likely in the 6-8 point range. He'll be a key player for the Sooners, but his scoring should remain consistent with last year's numbers.

Glenn Taylor is more unpredictable in terms of scoring. At St. John's, he averaged just 4.4 points, but at Oregon State, he put up 11.6 points per game. Taylor has the potential to be a significant contributor for the Sooners this season, and it’s reasonable to expect his scoring to fall between 5-11 points.

Duke Miles was a proven scorer at High Point, but his role at Oklahoma will be different. He has the potential to provide scoring off the bench, but his minutes and role are still uncertain. This fall will give a clearer picture of what Miles, along with Jadon Jones—who can shoot—and Dayton Forsythe—who can score but might also serve as a facilitator—could bring to the team and where they might fit in.

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