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Oklahoma basketball to participate in inaugural Jumpman Invitational

By Chip Rouse

Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Umoja Gibson (2) reacts after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Umoja Gibson (2) reacts after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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The men’s Oklahoma basketball team will participate next season in the inaugural Jumpman Invitational basketball tournament.

Related Story. Oklahoma will play Auburn in 2022 Big 12/SEC Challenge. light

The Sooners will join three other major college basketball programs — Michigan, North Carolina and Florida — in a two-day tournament Dec. 20 and 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

All four schools have something in common that is catalyst for bringing them together for this 2021 holiday tournament. All four schools have athletic partnership agreements with Jordan Brand.

The Charlotte Sports Foundation has agreed to a three-year deal with Jordan Brand to host the Jumpman Invitational. The games will be played at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Joe Castiglione, longtime athletic director at Oklahoma is credited with coming up with the idea for the tournament, according to Danny Morrison, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation.

The two-day tournament will feature two games each night and will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

Oklahoma has a combined record of 2-7 against the other three schools participating in the Jumpman Invitational. The Sooners are 0-3 against North Carolina, and 1-2 all-time against both Florida and Michigan.

The Sooners ended the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season with a 16-11  overall record and a 9-8 mark in the Big 12. Oklahoma has only three scholarship players returning from that team because of transfers and one player (Austin Reaves) declaring for the NBA.

New Sooner head coach Porter Moser, who spent the last 10 years coaching at Loyola of Chicago. has brought in six new players through the transfer portal along with three incoming recruits signed by previous head coach Lon Kruger.

The only holdover players from the 2020-21 OU roster are junior forward Jalen Hill and senior guards Umoja Gibson and Elijah Harkless.

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