Oklahoma basketball: New era of Sooner basketball just around corner
By Chip Rouse
The Porter Moser era of Oklahoma basketball is off and running with official fall practice sessions now underway and the start of the 2021 season just a month away.
The new-look Sooners will feature nine newcomers to the roster this season, six of whom are coming to Norman through the transfer portal or junior college.
Oklahoma lost four starters from last year’s team, which went 16-11 overall and 9-8 in the Big 12. The Sooners had just four scholarship players on the roster when Moser arrived at Oklahoma from Loyola of Chicago, where he enjoyed a successful 10-years as head coach.
The Sooners will open the season at home on Nov. 9 against Northwestern State. Their nonconference schedule includes home dates against Florida on Dec. 1 and Butler on Dec. 7 as part of the newly established Big 12/Big East Challenge. OU will play Arkansas on Dec. 11 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, and will travel to Auburn on Jan. 29 as part of the Big 12/SEC Basketball Challenge.
Oklahoma will open Big 12 play on Jan. 1, hosting Kansas State and will close the season on the road against Kansas State on March 5.
Of their nine scheduled Big 12 home games, four will be on Saturday (Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor and Oklahoma State). The Sooners also will have two Monday home games (Kansas and TCU).
Only twice do the Sooners play back-to-back road games away from Lloyd Noble Center as part of the Big 12 schedule: Jan. 11 at Texas and Jan. 15 at TCU, and Feb. 19 at Iowa State and Feb. 22 at Texas Tech.