Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma basketball: Not one, but two transfers joining Sooners

By Chip Rouse

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders holds the official game ball in the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders holds the official game ball in the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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“When it rains it pours,” is a popular phrase that usually refers to a cascade of things going wrong, but in the case of the men’s Oklahoma basketball program, it could mean something very good.

For the second time in just a couple of days, Lon Kruger has announced another transfer shooting guard will be joining the Sooners. Elijah Harkless, a shooting guard from Cal State Northridge, is the latest transfer to announce that he is coming to Norman.

Harkless had a stellar sophomore season in 2019-20, averaging 10.7 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game in nearly 30 minutes of action per contest. He led the Big West Conference in steals this past season with 54, the most by a Cal State Northridge player since 2004-05.

A California native from Rialto in the southern part of the state, Harkless reached double figures in scoring 18 times in 2019-20 along with three double-doubles, including a career-high 30-point performance in a late-season win over UC Irvine. His best stat line of the season was a 22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals in early January in CSNU win over the University of Saint Katherine.

Harkless, along with fellow transferee Umoja Gibson from North Texas, will join a guard-heavy Oklahoma roster that also includes seniors Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams, sophomore DeVion Harmon and incoming freshman Trey Phipps.

Both Harkless and Gibson will have two seasons of eligibility remaining and might be granted a waiver to play immediately if the NCAA decides to issue a one-time transfer waiver because of the coronavirus crisis and the shortened 2019-20 season. Otherwise, they will not be eligible to play for Oklahoma until the 2021-22 season.

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