Advertisement
basketball Edit

Searching for success

It’s literally been less than two weeks since Oklahoma fans stormed the floor at Lloyd Noble Center after the 93-69 win vs. then-No. 2 Alabama.

First, it seems like eons ago. Second, it feels like one of the most improbable results in all of college basketball this season.

Because coming off that game, there were different directions this could go for the Sooners and head coach Porter Moser.

OU could build off that win, play with confidence and get to some winning ways in Big 12 play? Or Bama could be a standalone moment, and the Sooners could fall flat on their face?

Advertisement

In the two games since, it’s been the latter. Two losses (vs. Oklahoma State, at West Virginia) by a combined 42 points.

Let’s stop talking NCAA tournament at this point. OU has to look like a functional team once again because that wasn’t the case last week. When OU took the first blows from the Cowboys and Mountaineers, there was zero fight back.

And then this rumor hit Tuesday, regarding Moser and the Notre Dame head coaching spot.

Ever since Mike Brey announced he was stepping down from the Irish at the conclusion of this season, it has been very easy to connect the dots for Moser. Going back to the Midwest, where he coached and lived for years and understands how to recruit the area.

It makes sense, but the rumor being said out loud was the first time it really hit about whether or not this could be the final games for Moser in Norman.

OU is 12-11 overall and a woeful 2-8 in Big 12 play, and if you can push the ND rumors to the side for just a bit, here’s what the Sooners can attempt to get done to get out of this funk.

Even if OU executes, it might not matter. OU’s next four games are against teams ranked in the top 15, including heading to No. 14 Baylor on Wednesday night. Then it’s home vs. No. 9 Kansas, No. 12 Kansas State and at No. 5 Texas. Whew.

But here’s where it has to start for the Sooners.

*Be tough, physically and mentally

“It's just gotta start with a complete focus and toughness and consistent effort before trying to put magic dust and trying to change lineups,” Moser said. “We might make some subtle changes, but we're not going to reinvent the wheel. It's gotta start with a consistent, toughness, enthusiastic, togetherness.

“We've done things. We've been there in terms of competing and beating some of the best teams. And we haven't played well, with the exception of one game, in two weeks. We've got to get back to why we're good. We got to get back to grit. Passion. Belief. We gotta rebound. That's our message, man. Belief. Togetherness. Grit. And that's what I didn't see. That's what we're getting back to.”

Yes, a lot of it has to be a mindset thing. It has to be mental toughness and being resilient when runs are being made, but there are some personnel moves that could help.

*Get your athleticism in the game

Admittedly, it’s not a lot for OU, but the Sooners have a couple of special athletes in freshman Otega Oweh and transfer guard Joe Bamisile.

Oweh has worked his way into getting more minutes in recent weeks, but Bamisile had been missing in action for almost all of 2023 before playing his initial first half minutes of the conference season in Morgantown.

“The message with Joe – and we’ve been in constant communication with him – is the intensity, effort and the offensive and defensive efficiency,” said Moser when asked by SoonerScoop.com on Tuesday. “All three of those areas have been better in the last 2-3 weeks. We went into that game knowing Joe was going to be in the rotation early. And you’ll see him again at Baylor.”

The Bamisile saga has had media and fans alike just scratching their heads. Here’s a guy who scored more than 16 points per game at George Washington last season that cannot even sniff meaningful minutes until now.

How?

Moser has said before he needed Bamisile to become more invested on offense and defense, especially with his one-on-one defense. And Bamisile might falter a time or two in that department, but what he can do athletically cannot be matched.

You think back to his block vs. Arkansas or at WVU, nobody else on this team can do that. You have to take the good with the bad, but there’s a lot of good with Bamisile we just never got to see.

*Snap out of it, Tanner

OK, maybe Bamisile and Moser didn’t gel. But how do you even attempt to explain what has happened with Tanner Groves?

He needed to be not just the vocal leader for the Sooners, but a solid No. 2 option every night to go with point guard Grant Sherfield.

Instead, he’s been as inconsistent as anybody, and it’s as confusing as it gets. In 11 minutes Saturday, Groves had two points, zero rebounds and five fouls.

Oof.

“That’s exactly the message we talked to him about,” Moser said. “You can’t have mindless fouls. If you get an effort foul, you get a foul. But you can’t have mindless ones. He just two-hands grabbed a guard on a back cut. He just came down (for an) offensive rebound looking at the thing and just ran over a guy. He’s so important to us.

“The message has been sent. We talked to them a lot about it. He’s just got to be smarter. You can get some fouls but you can’t have silly fouls. That’s the message.”

Against Bama, Groves had 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. In the TCU blowout before Bama and last week (three games), Groves has had 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks combined.

That’s not going to get it done. Time is running out for Groves. Time is running out for OU and for Moser to attempt to get this back in the right direction.


Advertisement